Retired midfielder Gordon D’Arcy has criticised the Wallabies team led by Joe Schmidt, his former Ireland and Leinster boss, for their “lack of in-game management” in last Saturday’s loss to the British and Irish Lions.
Having taken a 23-5 lead shortly after the half-hour mark in Melbourne, Australia failed to press on and they were pipped 26-29 with a dramatic final-minute try from Hugo Keenan, which clinched the win on the night and the series with a match to spare.
Most of the post-game fall-out has been dominated by the decision of referee Andrea Piardi not to penalise Lions’ Jac Morgan for his clean-out on Carlo Tizzano at a ruck in the lead-up to the defining Keenan score.
D’Arcy, though, has concluded that the Wallabies had only themselves to blame for the loss, suggesting that their reaction to being so far ahead was the fatal flaw in their defeat, not the end-game refereeing decision.
“There’s no mistaking his talent…”
Before getting into his criticism of the Australian reaction to managing their first-half lead, D’Arcy explained his admiration for the attacking qualities of Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, the ex-rugby league player who switched into union last year.
Writing in The Irish Times, D’Arcy said: “The try that stood out came from a breathtaking counterattack. It was the first real glimpse we got of Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii with space and ball in hand. And what a sight it was.
“He’s still new to rugby union, but there’s no mistaking his talent. He’s not a Sonny Bill Williams clone. Sure, he has the size, but it’s his balance, footwork and feel for the game that stood out.
“When he tore the Lions open to set up Tom Wright’s try, it felt like a turning point. I thought, ‘This is it’. The Lions were rattled. Australia were ahead on the scoreboard and playing with ambition. That was the moment to push on and kill the game. But it never came.
“Instead, they let the Lions back in, conceding two tries in quick succession before half-time. And then, like steam escaping a valve, the momentum was gone.
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“Rob Valetini didn’t reappear for the second half. Will Skelton was effectively done after 30 minutes despite staying on for 47, having emptied the tank. When you build a game plan around two forwards, even world-class ones, you’re living dangerously.
“The 6-2 bench split suggests the plan was to batter the Lions up front. But when the game shifted to the edges, Australia didn’t adapt. That’s the part that stood out most for me. The lack of in-game management.
“From about the 32nd minute onwards, Australia stopped trying to win the match and started trying not to lose it. You could feel it in the way they played. Their energy dipped; their ambition narrowed. And slowly, the Lions reeled them in… Australia had their moment, and they let it slip. The Lions took theirs and closed the door.”