On the first stop of their spring tour, it was the audacious magic of “Flickitau” that sealed the Wallabies’ memorable win at Twickenham.
On their second stop in Cardiff, it was a beautifully basic “Matt-trick”.
Wallabies front-rower Matt Faessler made history by becoming the first hooker to score a hat-trick for Australia in Test rugby, and that’s 695 Test matches and counting since 1899.
Faessler’s three tries came from his role as tail gunner on the Wallabies’ rolling maul, which proved to be Australia’s most valuable weapon in downing Wales.
The 25-year-old hooker scored his first try in the first half and then two more in the second, as the Wallabies responded to losing Samu Kerevi to a red card by dialling up the power and dialling down the panache.
Matt Faessler charging over for his third try.Credit: Getty Images
With giant lock Will Skelton providing the heft and the nous from playing in the maul-loving French rugby, the Wallabies maul ground the Welsh into submission – and put Faessler into the record books.
Not that he’s comfortable claiming the plaudits.
“Those tries tonight are just credit to the guys up front – they’re more team tries, and it’s about everyone playing their role in that,” Faessler said.
“I guess just the hooker gets the benefit of the choccies more times than not, if the maul’s functioning well. So, yeah, big shout-out to the guys up front.”
He may deflect the credit, but Faessler’s name will go in the history books – and he won’t be the first from his family in them, either.
His maternal grandfather Vince Bermingham was in the first Wallabies side to win the Bledisloe Cup in 1934, the second year it was contested.
Bermingham was a hard and colourful character from Toowoomba who played prop and was a Queensland boxing champion. Bermingham fought off an angry fan at a club game in Stanthorpe, who “invaded the away team dressing room and brandished a tomahawk”, according to his Classic Wallabies biography. Bermingham used a kit bag and a few “sharp blows” to put the man to sleep.
Such tales are the stuff of family legend, but Faessler is buillding his own impressive story, too.
It was less than three years ago Faessler didn’t even have a Super Rugby contract.
After several years playing club rugby, on the fringes of the Queensland system, and with no other Super Rugby clubs interested either, Faessler packed up and moved to Sydney at the start of 2022 to play club rugby for Randwick. He’d found a job and just set up camp when the Reds called him back as injury cover, and Faessler took his chance.
He debuted for the Reds in 2022 and played most of the season, and turned out for Australia A, too. In 2023, more outstanding form for Queensland saw him win a call-up to the Wallabies, where he played off the bench.
This year, with Dave Porecki injured, Faessler has been the Wallabies’ starting hooker.
“It is a bit of a weird one, I played club footy for a lot of years, but I also think there was a bit of benefit in that,” Faessler said.
“You’re playing week in, week out against, like, grown men, and I did that from quite a young age. So, while I wasn’t sort of in the professional arena as early as some of my good mates, like your Fraser [McReight] and Wilso [Harry Wilson] and stuff, yeah, I probably got a bit of different benefit about that.”
Asked if he is feeling more at home at Test level, Faessler said: “I don’t think you’re ever comfortable at Test level.”
“You’re still running out with big metal butterflies flying around your stomach,” Faessler said, adding he had never played in the UK before this tour.
The Wallabies will move to Scotland this week, where they’ll meet a Scottish team with a strong Australian flavour.
Former Rebel and Junior Wallaby Sione Tuipulotu is captain of Scotland, and 14-cap Wallaby flanker Jack Dempsey is also a regular for the team after switching countries in 2022.
The Wallabies will welcome back Wilson from a concussion, and Jake Gordon from a head cut. A knee injury for James Slipper could put the veteran prop in doubt. Harry Hoopert was added from the Australia A side, which lost to England A 38-17 on Sunday in London.
