It was Reece Hodge in Paris, and Ben Donaldson in Florence. It’s hard to think of being dealt a worse hand on debut than being thrown on for the final five minutes to try to rescue a badly flawed Wallabies performance.
His late miss – and of course he should have nailed it – will now set back his development, and he would have been infinitely better starting this Test and given a week of certainty to prepare.
Alternatively, give him 20 minutes off the pine. By the hour mark it was already clear that Noah Lolesio was not setting the backline alight.
It was a confusing tactical switch by Dave Rennie.
2. Rugby Australia must share the blame
Former Wallaby Drew Mitchell pointed out after the Test that the Wallabies – ranked No.7 before the loss and No.9 after it – weren’t good enough to make a dozen changes after the French game.
There’s truth in that, which is why a five-Test tour could never be justified. European sides are too good, and the Wallabies were fortunate that Italy’s kickers had a shocker off the tee, leaving 14 points out on the field.
The Wallabies gather in a circle after losing to Italy in Florence.Credit:Getty
For all the optimistic talk that this tour is good World Cup preparation, it feels purely like a commercial decision at the end of a long year. But at what cost to the Wallabies brand?
3. Halfback conundrum as clear as mud
Nic White is Australia’s premier halfback – it’s not quite daylight to the next best but there is a significant gap.
Jake Gordon copped a yellow card, which saw Italy score.Credit:Getty
However, the best bench option for the Ireland Test remains a mystery after both Jake Gordon and Tate McDermott were poor in Italy.
Gordon picked up a needless and costly yellow card, but McDermott may have set his case back even further with an underwhelming 35 minutes off the bench.
Some of his kicking, in particular, was substandard.
4. How the Will Skelton selection left Wallabies unbalanced
The giant second-rower did his job but the back row suffered. With Skelton heavily used as carrier, No.8 Pete Samu had his worst Test. In fact, the entire back row only carried for a combined 36 metres, with Ned Hanigan the most effective.
That’s a poor return for any unit that includes Samu and Fraser McReight, although the tenacious Italian defence deserves some credit.
There’s a role for Skelton in the Wallabies, but it probably isn’t as a starter, and it certainly isn’t as a starter around whom far too much of the attacking plan was based around.
5. The Rebels have landed a good one in Monty Ioane
Italy’s Australian winger is part of a back three that is rapid – the Wallabies struggled to lay a hand on fullback Ange Capuozzo. But Ioane also has some skill.
He somehow took a very unsympathetic pass off an Italian lineout move in the second half and maintained possession as he charged into the defence.
His acquisition by the Rebels won’t entirely fill the gap left by Marika Koroibete, but it will certainly help.
On a broader note, Italy’s attacking shape was on a different level to Australia, and defensive improvements will be needed quickly to cope with Ireland, who offer an even more sophisticated array of runners and decoy plays.
