After their 26-19 defeat to Italy in their Autumn Nations Series encounter at the Bluenergy in Udine, here’s how the Wallabies team performed on Saturday.
Costly yellow card for Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii
15 Andrew Kellaway: He was the Wallabies‘ designated goal-kicker and succeeded with a couple of conversions but that was as good as it got for him. Tried to launch some attacks from the back but could not provide the spark which his side needed. 5
14 Corey Toole: The Wallabies speedster had few attacking opportunities, and when he did receive the ball, he was kept in check by the Azzurri defence. 5
13 Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii: As usual, the former rugby league star looked dangerous with the ball in hand, but this will be a game he would want to forget in a hurry. Kicked the ball directly into touch early in the second half and spent some time in the sin bin later on for a dangerous hit on Paolo Garbisi, and Italy capitalised as they scored two tries during his stint on the sidelines. 4
12 Hunter Paisami: Combined well with Suaalii on attack early on but became less influential as the match progressed. Apart from putting in some big hits on defence, he struggled to get back into the game with ball in hand when Australia were trailing in the second half. 5
11 Harry Potter: Like fellow winger Toole, he did not receive plenty of ball out wide, and when he did, he did not prove to be a threat to the Azzurri. 5
10 Carter Gordon: The code hopper showed some deft touches on his return to the 15-a-side code, and his efforts were rewarded with a controversial try in the early stages of the second half. However, he was forced off the field with an injury shortly afterwards, with Tane Edmed coming on to replace him. 6
9 Jake Gordon: Another one who kicked the ball directly into touch when his side were on the attack and apart from that his attacking efforts did not yield much positive reward,s and he was eventually replaced by Ryan Lonergan in the game’s closing stages. 5
Fraser McReight shines in losing cause
8 Harry Wilson (c): He caught the eye with several powerful carries but although he toiled manfully with ball in hand and also gave his all on defence, his efforts did not bear fruit and he was replaced by Pete Samu in the 71st minute. 6
7 Fraser McReight: The Wallabies tearaway stood out from the outset and came to the fore with a superb all-round performance. Easily his side’s best player as he caught the eye with a high work-rate on defence, and he put plenty of pressure on the Azzurri at the breakdowns, where he won a match-high three turnovers. 8
6 Tom Hooper: The Exeter Chief was in the thick of the action as he was a willing ball carrier and also did his bit on defence while he also impressed as a lineout option. Shifted to the second-row in the 64th minute with Rob Valetini coming on to take over on the flank. 6
5 Jeremy Williams: Although he was competitive in the lineouts and put his body on the line on defence, he made little impact as a ball carrier, which resulted in him being replaced by Valetini. 5
4 Nick Frost: Did what was expected of him in the lineouts, which was the Wallabies’ main source of possession, and got through plenty of defensive work during the match. 6
3 Taniela Tupou: The Tongan Thor made some powerful carries at close quarters and stood up well in the scrums, but his efforts did not have the desired effect and he was replaced by Zane Nonggor early in the second half. 5
2 Matt Faessler: Came into the run-on side and made a positive impact midway through the opening half when he crossed for his side’s first try after a well-orchestrated and patient lineout drive. He continued to ask questions with a ball in hand before being replaced by Billy Pollard after 64 minutes. 6
1 Angus Bell: The burly loosehead prop stood up well in the scrums and had some good attacking moments, with one of his carries resulting in a well-taken try in the 32nd minute. However, he seemed to injure his shoulder, although he played on before being replaced by Aidan Ross at half-time. 7
Replacements: The Wallabies introduced several replacements midway through the second half, and although the likes of Valetini, Samu and Daugunu caught the eye with excellent attacking efforts when their side was chasing the game, it was all in vain. 6