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The Wallabies match in Japan went pretty much according to plan: a comfortable win and a chance to have a look at a few players in different roles.
A couple of garbage-time scores by the hosts made the final score closer than the game actually was, but the Wallabies won’t be thrilled to have allowed the Japanese to dictate the final 15 minutes the way they did.
The relatively easy win for the men in gold was highlighted by barnstorming performances from the centre pairing of Samu Kerevi and Tevita Kurindrani. While not usually a fan of Kerevi and Kurindrani in the same midfield, the duo’s size and power was just too much for the Japanese defensive line.
Tatafu Polota-Nau had probably his best ever game in a Wallabies jersey, displaying an epic work rate and an appetite to run the ball as often as he could. There is a bit of a window for Polota-Nau now – with Moore on the way out and no obvious successor beating down the door to take the job – for the veteran hooker to really make the position his own ahead of the World Cup.
Reece Hodge impressed with the boot, kicking with great accuracy in addition to his usual trick of making it look like the ball he’s kicking has been inflated with helium. At times Hodge’s shots for goal went so high they were at risk of showing up on North Korea’s missile radars.
(Image: Matt Roberts/Getty Images)
In regards to his trial at the fly-half position, Hodge was solid but clearly still miles behind Bernard Foley in terms of passing ability. Hopefully this is the game in which the penny drops for Michael Cheika that Hodge may be the best option for kicking duties even when Foley returns to the side and Hodge returns to the wing. Just because you are wearing the number ten jersey does not mean you need to take all of the kicks by default.
Nick Phipps was given the opportunity to start and showed that he is still Nick Phipps and we can expect him to be Nick Phipps any time he is called upon. Many Wallabies fans would have enjoyed the chance to see Joe Powell get some meaningful minutes at Test level but they and Powell will have to wait.
Thirty-one missed tackles from the Wallabies is a slightly alarming statistic for Cheika and Nathan Grey. Miss 31 tackles against Wales next week and the Wallabies won’t be celebrating an easy win, but some of those misses tackles will be down to the reshuffle of the side since Brisbane.
The win over New Zealand at Suncorp Stadium was highlighted by the outstanding defensive display and that was largely in part to the Wallabies finally going with a settled side for a few games on the bounce, so it was probably to be expected that the missed tackle count would go up as soon as the pack was shuffled.
As far as the spring tour is concerned, this is job done for the Wallabies. The game was won comfortably and a few fringe players got some game time so that they’re sharp should they be called upon in Europe. We didn’t learn anything new, Hodge was pencilled in as the backup option at ten before the game and remains so afterwards.
The only real question ahead of the Wales game is if Cheika names the same 12-13 combination again. Given their impressive showing this afternoon, I wager he might.