The Wallabies have opened their grand slam tour of the UK and Ireland with a comfortable 36-5 win over English Premiership battlers Gloucester.
Quade Cooper clearly outpointed 34-year-old former All Black Carlos Spencer in an intriguing five-eighth duel to set up the second-string Wallabies’ victory in front of a sellout Kingsholm crowd of some 16,500 ardent supporters.
Cooper had a hand or boot in all five of Australia’s tries, scoring the last one himself, and also landed five goals from six attempts for a 16-point personal haul.
With a testing preparation, highlighted by an 11-hour flight from Tokyo to London on Sunday and then a three-hour bus trip to the south-west of England for Tuesday night’s match, the Wallabies put in a mixed and, at times, haphazard performance.
As it was in Australia’s Bledisloe Cup loss to New Zealand on Saturday, the Wallabies’s dysfunctional lineout was again a major cause for concern, while no player really commanded a starting berth for Saturday’s Twickenham Test against England.
Gloucester were hardly a major scalp, the understrength side struggling in third-last position in the English Premiership with just two wins from nine games this season.
But a win’s a win and the mid-week fixture at least presented Wallabies coach Robbie Deans with an opportunity to blood some new talent.
Fullback Kurtley Beale, centre Tyrone Smith, flanker Mitchell Chapman, prop Salesi Ma’afu all made their debuts for the Wallabies.
The Wallabies opened the scoring in bizarre fashion in the fifth minute when Cooper was credited with a penalty goal that seemingly everyone at the ground bar the two touch judges thought he had missed.
There was no doubt about Cooper’s crossfield kick eight minutes later that landed flush in the arms of Ryan Cross, who strolled over untouched for the first try of the game.
The centre’s five-pointer was a fitting reward for Cross’s dedicated father Paul, who, at the cost of hundreds of pounds, took a two-hour cab ride from London to the south-west of England to watch his son play.
Cooper’s conversion gave the Wallabies a 10-0 lead before Spencer replied with his own crossfield kick in the 25th minute for Gloucester’s only try, scored by winger Freddie Burns.
Smith finished off Australia’s second try on the half hour after a scrum win and well-executed set play featuring some nice combination from Cooper and Cross.
Cooper’s conversion gave the Wallabies a 17-5 halftime advantage.
The Wallabies needed 25 minutes to add their first of the second half, but finished with a flurry with a tryscoring double to winger Drew Mitchell before Cooper fittingly had the final say with the last try in the 79th minute.
The match was played 101 years after the Gloucester club hosted Australia’s first-ever travelling national rugby team – initially dubbed the “Rabbits” before finishing the tour as the Wallabies.
Australia won that historic encounter 16-0 before the trailblazing Wallabies further etched their names into Australian sporting folklore by winning, during the tour, the Olympic gold medal for rugby at the 1908 London Games.
WALLABIES 36 (Drew Mitchell 2, Quade Cooper, Ryan Cross, Tyrone Smith tries; Quade Cooper 5 cons, 1 pen) bt GLOUCESTER 5 (Freddie Burns try) at Kingsholm, Gloucester. Crowd: about 16,500. Referee: Andrew Small (Nzl).
Greg Russell
Roar Guru
PH & CN - thanks for this important contextual information.
Chronicle
Roar Rookie
all the reports in the major publications have credited Quade Cooper with the cross kick for Ryan Cross to score. Were they all in the same bar. Glad to see this has finally been picked up and would also like to see a little less saviour of the tour stuff after a performance against second string side
Craig Johanson
Guest
Just watching the highlights of the Gloucester match at the moment, for which I'm very glad it's been made available. I'd like to point out that the first try scored by Ryan Cross was from the kick of Kurtly Beale. Great little bust through the line by Burgess who then got a pass back in to Tatafu to run 50 meters. Beale was screaming up in support along with Lachie Turner, took the quick tap from the penalty and kicked out wide for Cross. Nice play.
Armchair-critic
Roar Pro
From watching the highlights i think it was Beale who did the cross kick from the penalty not Cooper. Not sure why everyone has been saying it was Quade.
Derm
Roar Guru
An error on my part. Gloucester play their next game on 20th Nov against Leicester, not this Friday. So Glaws coach changed the line-up for other reasons.
fred
Guest
england surely with limited caps and combos must be very vulnerable agst A TEAM. GLOUCESTER B IRRELEVANT.ONE MUST ASSUME
Ian Noble
Guest
Great to have mid-week games for touring sides. Leicester v SA on friday with probably Lote making his debut for Leicester. Welford Road sold out as was Kingsholm. Great stuff!!
tarpo
Guest
Frank, you are right, but I would rather have Cooper hot & cold than Gits just cold!! 'Cause that's what we have been getting.
tarpo
Guest
yes, it's called jumping, something most of these guys forget/don't do, ie Ben Robbo winning 2 lineouts in Sat's test, as much as anyone else.
MM Fike
Guest
Why is it the Wallaby selectors keep playing 'Gits' at ten when all the experts here think he should be at 12? Where do the other two selectors come from? Who are the talent scouts? Where does RUPA sit in all of this? Finally, I know it's fashionable to have a go at Deans but the reality is he is caught in a crappy era of rugby in Australia. We need decent, skilled, big and athletic forwards and we don't have them. Where the hell are good locks? Backlines don't win tests if the forwards are getting hammered.
Harry
Guest
Your right westy on Quade's defence ... a big weakness. Still you would think a professional footballer with all these professional coaches (i.e. that is their occupation and main focus in life) around him would work at improving this weakness, technique plays a huge part in defence as well as commitment, timing, awareness and courage. I shall be optimistic and hope he has improved.
johnny-boy
Guest
Deans is unlikely to give Cooper a go because of his dour nz south island farmer background - conservative conservative conservative. He's got a long way to go to grasp the australian culture of 'have a go ya mug'. If he doesnt grasp it soon I wish he would bugger off. Some time with the boys on tour might help him understand it a bit better bit but I feel like I'm grasping for hope here
Working Class Rugger
Guest
Armchair There were. It actually looked like they were trying to play that illusive thing known as 'running rugby'. That can't be. There supposed to be an Aussie Rugby team. They should of been playing the tactical kicking game that has worked so well for us so far this season. How dare they show some enterprise, endeavour and talent :D
Working Class Rugger
Guest
John Let's not go saying things we might regret. Have you forgotten Rod Davies. He is easily the worst winger in Australia. Turner isn't as bad as some like to think. He's a winger and needs some space to do his job. Something he hasn't had all year in either the Waratah or Wallaby set ups.
Working Class Rugger
Guest
Westy His defence is improving but can still be a worry. But to be honest we need someone unpredictable in attack in that position and he certainly is that. Giteau at 12 would be a far better options.
Armchair-critic
Roar Pro
Thanks for the link Andy. Did my eyes deceive me or were tere a couple of back plays amongst those highlights?!
westy
Guest
I have no touble in giving Cooper a go . He played well. I just heaitate at the way we seek to swap and change with one good performance against questionale opposition.I watched QLD. To say his defence is light is masterful understatement. if he is to play he must never defend with a centre like Cross or JOC it will be like a turnstile. bluntly the body may be in line but he falls off tackles. Cooper's defensive technique is poor. I agree he does have it in attack.Secondly he does kick with some tactical intent.
John allyne
Guest
Turner on the wing you have to be kidding, would be the worst winger in Australia and on par with one of Deans protected species Scott Hamilton, it pays to be the coaches pet.
Nashi
Guest
Give Cooper a go at 10. He is the only one I have seen with anything like Bernie's wide passing game. With Gits at 10 we never look like making a dent and this is making the rest of the backline look ordinary. Barnes is not the only solution especially when he gets injured so often.
Justin
Guest
Just saw the highlights on FoxSports. Afterwards Deans praised Cooper so it may be a pointer (or am I just hoping and hoping). With Cross missing out for the Test (no way they would make him play 3 matches in a week with travel) perhpas AAC goes to 13 and Gits to 12 to include Cooper? Or DI to 13 and AAC to 15 with Coops/Gits 10/12? I think it is well worth a shot...