WAKE UP AUSTRALIA!
The Wallabies just beat England 42-37, at Twickenham after such an extraordinary and historic match that the Australian rugby community is already talking of a possible repeat of the famous Grand Slam of 1984, forty years on.
I know, I know. Too soon.
But . . . what a match! It was proof positive of your correspondent’s long-held theorem that, “While there is nothing so dull as a dull rugby game, there is nothing so thrilling as a great one.”
Friends? This was all that and more. It was superb rugby from both sides at an iconic venue, with England on the menu, and more twists and turns in the narrative than a Dickens’ novel. And it all came with a fabulous finish, where the goodies won in the end! What more do you want in your sport?
The first 20 minutes was a cavalcade of England jerseys charging towards the Australian line, reminiscent of the famous quip from an Irish fly-half in the late 1950s, who lamented being constantly bested by his English opponent Phil Horrocks-Taylor: “Horrocks went one way, Taylor the other and I was left holding the bloody hyphen.”
Andrew Kellaway makes a break against Engand.Credit: Getty Images
So it was with the Wallabies as every time they looked up England back-rower Chandler Cunningham-South or winger Immanuel Feyi-Waboso was coming at them with verve in their swerve, pep in their step. They simply seemed unstoppable as the Wallabies were left holding the hyphen as Cunningham-South himself went over for two early tries for England to go to a 15-3 lead.
It looked like a long grim match was ahead, to start an even longer, grimmer tour.
But wait!
Seemingly against all odds, the Wallabies steadied, stopped the tide and even turned it, starting to make breaks themselves. They were led by the likes of our outstanding no.8 Rob Valetini and prop Angus Bell, both of whom constantly broke the English line and delivered crushing tackles to the white jerseys whenever they tried to do the same.
Mercifully, instead of relentlessly belting the Australian line, England now decided to try a series of box-kicks instead, giving the Wallabies back the ball and in this situation the stand-out Wallaby in attack, defence, in the air, on the ground, in cooking and bottle-washing, was the 21-year-old on debut – ladies and gentlemen, give it up for – Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, who would go on to be the official Man of the Match!
Seriously, I can’t be clearer on this.
Suaalii’s transition from national rugby league to international rugby union was simply extraordinary. Showing no jitters from being on a genuine global stage for the first time, with his every touch of the ball the young man looked, and was, dangerous.
On Saturday morning, that shrewd judge of football talent Cooper Cronk had said to me in passing, “If Suaalii can get quality ball he will show himself to be one of the greatest athletic talents in world rugby,” and so it proved. Time and again the outside centre’s perpetual urge to surge came to the fore as he hit the line with pace and did off-load after off-load to liberate the players outside him, one of them resulting in a wonderful try to fullback Tom Wright.
Joseph Suaalii taps on the ball to a support players.Credit: AP
Having come to rugby on a huge contract at the behest of former Rugby Australia chair Hamish McLennan, Suaalii has already more than justified the hype.
Amazingly, after another wonderful try to skipper Harry Wilson after a great break by Tate McDermott, the Wallabies went to the break holding down a 20-18 lead.
Dare we dream?
Truly, dare we imagine that the Wallabies might pull off a famous victory against an England team that had beaten them motherless ten of the past eleven times at bat?
So it seemed when, from the kick-off it was – that man again! – Suaalii who soared high and effortlessly batted the ball back. Shortly afterwards, our superbly moustachioed lock, Jeremy Williams, went over in the corner and before we knew it, we were holding down a 28-18 lead with just fifteen minutes to go.
Alas, just when it looked like we had it in the bag, the Wallabies suffered the return of the hyphens with Luke Cowan-Dickie jagging two tries to give England a 30-28 lead with just six minutes to go, to set up a superb finish.
When flying Wallaby winger Andrew Kellaway – who had a great match – took an intercept to streak away, it looked like history was ours. The Wallabies lead, 35-30 with three minutes left on the clock, and it was obvious England’s sweet chariot had blown a tyre!
But again, this match had more to give, with England lock Maro Itoje powering his way over for a 37-35 lead, and it seemed obvious that all Australia would have to console themselves at match’s end would be a very noble loss.
But, bugger that.
No-one told the Wallabies. From the last kick-off of the match, Suaalii again leaped high to see the Wallabies have one last chance with the ball in hand. It came to our inside centre Len Ikatau on the fly!
Australian captain Harry Wilson with the Ella-Mobbs trophy.Credit: Getty Images
Charging down mid-field, Ikatau had young winger Max Jorgensen on his left and the English defence closing fast. Without even looking, Ikatau, slipped out a back-of-hand flick-pass to Jorgensen in space, who charged 40 metres towards the try-line, untouched, and still with enough chutzpah to lift a No.1 finger in the air even as he dived over for the winning try!
VICTORY to the Wallabies, 42-37!
And it wasn’t just about this one-off win.
Overall, this comeback from last year’s catastrophic World Cup campaign – where the Wallabies couldn’t win the anthems or even the toss let alone a single serious match – is extraordinary. If the Wallabies can beat England at Twickenham, what can’t they do?
The Wallabies are not yet at the beginning of a golden era. It’s way too early to call that.
But that is at least the lustre of dawn after a long dark night that has gone the better part of two decades is now apparent, and it looks just a little golden.
Onwards indeed, to Wales in Cardiff next week.
Can’t wait.
Bravo you Wallabies!
