Everything was set up for Noah Lolesio to shine on his return to the Wallaby jersey – but he failed to put clean air between himself and the other youngsters looking to establish themselves at the team’s No.10 with another erratic performance in the win over Wales.
Lolesio was poor from the kicking tee, and messed up some big moments – a second half kick out of the reach of winger Andrew Kellaway summing up his muddled execution. Instead of the hero ball out wide it seemed simpler and safer to pass it wide with numbers in support.
“I don’t think there was any need for that,” said Tim Horan on Stan Sport. “There were others there. Keep the ball in hands you have three on three – you can beat a defender from five out and you’re over. Low percentage pay from Noah.”
That moment will frustrate his many critics but his self confessed pragmatist coach Joe Schmidt seemed okay with it – publicly at least.
“It would have been great if we’d scored. If it was on his fingertips, if it was perfect, I’d be delighted,” said Schmidt.
“My blood pressure was okay. I just love the endeavour and if players see space and play to it there’s always a context and we’ll look back at that with Noah and the backs and mix it up with the team and how well we were going there.
“If he’d kicked it perfectly, I don’t think we’d be discussing it. We probably would discuss it and say, wow, what a great option. It’s the fine margins in the game, isn’t it? If you get an option, you take it and you execute it right. There was a space there, absolutely. Andrew Kellaway scores if the kick is spot on and it wasn’t far off.”
The Wallabies, under Schmidt for the first time, opted to kick often but Lolesio didn’t execute the plan at the highest level.
His game was marked by dropped balls, too many kicks that failed to find their targets and a missed penalty from close range in the first half.
His replacement, debutant Tom Lynagh, didn’t have the greatest start either – overcooking a cut out pass into the midriff of nearby Tom Wright with the ball spilling free.
But Lynagh did bounce back – his pass put Tom Wright through the gap for his stunning runaway try. Lynagh added the extras with his kick as well.
It is, of course, premature to write off anyone based on the opening Test of the season and there is a fair piece of restoration of confidence required when you consider Lolesio (and Wright of course) were cast aside before the World Cup.
Noah Lolesio. (Photo by Jason McCawley/Getty Images)
Lynagh’s kicking has run hot and cold during Super Rugby but it was a calm start from the tee from the son of Wallabies legend Michael.
“It’s a special moment, not just for myself but all the boys involved,” said Tom. “I just tried to stay calm. Noah and the boys put us in a good position and it was my job to finish it off.”
A disallowed try to Wales in the second half could have made the Wallabies squirm before Wright’s blockbuster try.
Much has been made of the defection to NRL of two players who might well have suited up on Saturday night – Carter Gordon and Mark Nawaqanitawase – but Wright made the switch the other way and looks like he could hit superstar level this season.
Whether there’s enough in this Wallabies squad to go with him is open for debate and the No.10 jersey is no closer to a lock for Schmidt.
There were seven debutants – the most for the Wallabies in 44 years – and it was a battle at times for cohesion against a very poor Wales.
On Stan Sport Nick McArdle asked Wright if there was a sense of relief about getting across the line.
“It’s not about relief, I think everyone’s pretty pumped,” said Wright, seemingly taken aback by the question. “I think massive turnout here in Sydney, seven debutants, even just the final whistle going there. I don’t know if there was relief, I definitely just felt the excitement.”
Schmidt will be happy with the win – although this was as easy an opening game as any Wallabies coach could hope for, and yet they made heavy weather of it.
“I love the result. Lots to do around the performance,” Schmidt said.
“First 20 minutes I felt that we did some pretty good thing. Found a bit of space in behind as well, but then we went off the boil and gave up three penalties in a row, including a yellow card, and that really put us back on the back foot and we really had to work hard from there.”
Schmidt is proving an excellent diplomat. You can see he’s not going to give his own players a bake but there were hints of disappointment.
“We’ve got to try to be better next time so that they come along to AAMI Stadium in Melbourne and they give us the same encouragement and we try to deliver a slightly different product that’s slightly improved,” he said.