The Wallabies will play better than they did against Wales … and lose

Relief was the correct emotion for the Wallabies after a flawed win over Wales on Saturday, although you would have to be fairly hard of heart not to appreciate the smiles back on the players’ faces after the final whistle.

It took three moments of individual brilliance to eke out the victory, with Andrew Kellaway’s superb breakout from close to his own try line the pick of those moments.

However, the Wallabies’ inability to generate momentum from phase play and their trouble in defending the maul are obvious areas in need of sharp improvement.

Leaders such as Jake Gordon and Allan Ala’alatoa stood up in key moments, but it was a patchy performance and a step back for Noah Lolesio at No.10.

2. The detail that worked beautifully

Before we get into pointless Wallabies bashing, it’s worth remembering that the All Blacks, Springboks and France all failed to improve in their second Tests at the weekend. Backing up is hard to do against the same opponent. But there was one strategy that worked superbly for the Wallabies: attacking the ball after Lolesio’s high, hanging restarts. The Brumbies used this skill set as a weapon in Super Rugby and the Wallabies did likewise, with Fraser McReight getting over the ball twice to win two penalties and generate six points. Not only that, it meant that the Wallabies hit back immediately after each Dewi Lake maul try: that would have been a coach killer for Warren Gatland, but the Wallabies’ execution was excellent.

Noah Lolesio had a mixed outing in Melbourne.Credit: AP

3. It was not an evening for Charlie Cale

The conditions conspired against the Brumbies No.8, with the persistent rain and greasy conditions underfoot turning the Test into a battle of attrition. Cale will be far better suited to the dry tracks in South Africa, when that time comes, but big Harry Wilson must be nearing a recall at the back of the scrum. In his post-Test comments, Joe Schmidt didn’t miss Georgia’s excellent win against Japan earlier in the day, and although the Georgians benefited from a Japan red card midway through the first half they also showed a ton of ticker. That Test in Sydney next week has banana skin written all over it, but the Wallabies will need a hard-running No.8 to complement the irrepressible Rob Valetini.

4. Common sense applied for Salakaia-Loto’s yellow card

When match officials start replaying head contact you never quite know what colour of card they will settle on, but they should be commended on their approach to the Lukhan Salakaia-Loto incident. We often hear about a “late dip into contact” from commentators, often in hope of avoiding a red card, but that was a bona fide example of it from Welsh prop Archie Griffin. It was exactly the sort of sympathetic refereeing that has been, at times, absent from the game in recent years.

5. The bench wins Tests - and loses them

All Black Beauden Barrett and Ireland’s Ciaran Frawley won the Tests in Auckland and Durban, despite only being on the field for a total of about 40 minutes. Barrett, in particular, was outstanding at Eden Park – it was a throwback to the 2014-2015 All Blacks when he frequently changed the course of Tests off the bench.

However, the Springboks were finally burnt for their 6-2 bench split strategy, with several unfortunate injuries robbing them of rhythm and the ability to change the Test around the 50 to 60-minute mark. It almost certainly won’t change their approach, but if you consistently play with fire you will get burnt eventually.

Team of the week

1. Ox Nche (South Africa)

2. Dewi Lake (Wales)

3. Allan Ala’alatoa (Australia)

4. Joe McCarthy (Ireland)

5. Maro Itoje (England)

6. Pablo Matera (Argentina)

7. Marcos Kremer (Argentina)

8. Ardie Savea (New Zealand)

9. Jake Gordon (Australia)

10. Marcus Smith (England)

11. Filipo Daugunu (Australia)

12. Santiago Chocobares (Argentina)

13. Garry Ringrose (Ireland)

14. Immanuel Feyi-Waboso (England)

15. Beauden Barrett (New Zealand)