The Wallabies, playing with a man short for 75 minutes after a controversial red card, produced one of their most courageous Test victories, as Noah Lolesio kicked a penalty with three minutes on the clock to secure a 33-30 win and 2-1 series success against France.
The teams could barely be split in the opening two matches, with the Wallabies winning the first by two points, when Lolesio also iced a win with a late penalty, and France the second in Melbourne by the same margin.
France were given a massive boost inside five minutes when Wallabies winger Marika Koroibete was sent off for a high challenge on Anthony Jelonch and it left the Wallabies with what seemed an impossible task.
The red card angered fans and players, with many arguing Jelonch had lowered his body as Korobiete – Australia’s best in the second Test arrived to crash him into the turf. The Frenchman appeared to exaggerate the imapct, angering a 37,000 crowd at Suncorp Stadium.
But a young Australian team, whose four players from No.9-12 had just 17 Tests between them, didn’t let the incident derail them and delivered a stirring, never say die, effort.
“That wasn’t about rugby. It wasn’t about tactics or technique,” said former Wallaby Morgan Turinui on the Stan Sports coverage. “It was about hearts beating in that Wallaby team underneath that emblem, the Australian coat of arms. They wanted it a little more than a brave, brilliant French team.”
The Wallabies celebrate victory. (Photo by Albert Perez/Getty Images)
Koroibete’s dismissal meant Australia were without their starting wingers withing five minutes of the kickoff after Filipo Daugunu suffered a wrist injury in the opening play of the game.
France took almost instant advantage of the extra player with scrum half Baptiste Couilloud crossing but Tate McDermott, making his starting debut in place of Jake Gordon thrilled his home crowd by grabbing a try back before his halves partner Lolesio, one of the Wallabies finds of the series, put the hosts into the lead with a second Wallabies try.
France crossed for a second through Cameron Woki four minutes before halftime but Lolesio’s penalty on the stroke of halftime left scores locked 20-all at the break.
France drew first blood seven minutes into the second half when Pierre-Louis Barassi finished off a length of the field epic.
“It’s an iconic French try,” said All Blacks legend Andrew Mehrtens on Stan Sport. “They were clinical, they were precise, they were dynamic.”
“It’s another try from the end of world from France,” added Turinui. “Tactically so smart.”
Wallabies coach Dave Rennie introduced Taniel Tupou, and his prop delivered immediately. After sustained pressure on the French line, Tupou burrowed over like a wombat through French resistance.
“The French put three men into that tackle on Tupou,” said Turinui. “Gentlemen that’s not enough!”
After the game Tupou gave one of his four-year-old boots to a kid in the stands and made a public plea for Adidas or Asics to “hit a brother up” with a boot sponsorship.
Both teams had penalty kicks at 27-all and Melvyn Jaminet and Lolesio showed nerves in fading their shots wide.
With 66 minutes gone Brandon Paenga-Amosa thought he’d crossed beside the posts, but the French complained about a knock on by Hunter Paisami in the lead up and it was confirmed by TMO.
Yet still Australia kept coming, with Lolesio banging over a penalty from 42 metres before a moment of poor discipline gave Jaminet another chance to level at 30-all into the final five minutes.
After Lolesio’s decisive kick, France had one more chance to hit level. But they decided against trying for goal from wide out near the right hand touchline and just inside the Wallabies half, and Darcy Swain, another youngster came up with a huge play after an ensuing lineout to secure the win.
“It’s a bloody good feeling hey?” said Swain. “It was everyone doing their job. Marika was really unlucky there. He’s full of intent. But it came down to everyone from 1-23 doing the job. The finishers had a huge impact.”
Sorry dont start saying I say its a genuine action. Thats not what I said at all. I have stated that its an action Im not qualified to make a game call on. Its easy to run off with an opinion when you have nothing riding on it but if the Ref penalises or cards a person for faking he had better be damn sure the guy is faking or he will be in a lot of trouble. What do you think the reaction will be if a ref penalises someone for "faking" pain then finds he is wandering around the park like he is concussed? Or they find he has a injury? Name ONE person who has been penalised for faking injury in Rugby? Name 1 ref who has penalised someone! The best Ive seen is Nigel Owens telling a player to stop carrying on and get on with the game and from my pov that is by far the best way to handle it. Also just because you pass a HIA test does not mean it wasnt possible you had concussion. Thats the exact reason we have HIA's
Muglair
Roar Rookie
That needs to be up to the referee on the ground and a good or bad call is just that, as with other yellow and red cards, given and not given. It would probably have been a penalty rather than a card, probably for the reasons you say. Its a call I would make over and over and you are the only person I have heard or read saying that it was a genuine reaction. The only plausible explanation is that he was knocked into tomorrow and I note that the doctors found no problem with him. Your fear mongering is just that, if there is an injury it would be dealt with either way. The referee’s decision is post the event, he is hit, he goes down, medical staff come on, he talks to the players, he looks at the footage ..
Muglair as far as Im aware you never checked him out but you are happy to say he broke a "faking it" law and felt no pain at all to his head. Im not willing to make that same call if my reputation and livelyhood depended on it and no Doc anywhere would do that without checking him out first. Lets see what happens to the first ref that YCs a player for faking an injury only to find he is wrong. No ref has the ability to make a decision when contact was made so it would be a very big call and even bigger world wide if the call was incorrect.
Prove he had no pain? Sign a document to say so, that is bound by a court of law and that document can be pulled up at any time for the rest of your life. Stake your reputation as a DR or medico on it without checking him out. Blind Freddy hasnt got any responsibility, so he can say what he wants. Ive watched plenty of U20 soccer in my life to know that you cant make accusations like that out loud in a game environment and I know that fans have no idea about what they think they see. He did go for an HIA.
The Yabbie
Roar Rookie
My wife loves faking it.
The Yabbie
Roar Rookie
Jacko, he took a dive to milk the penalty. Just look at the replay. It has football written all over it. Man, he clutches his face and he doesn't even get hit from front. Then Hooper rightly askes if he's that badly hit, why isn't he doing an HIA? (because there was noting wrong and he didn't want to leave the field?) Blind Freddy could see he took a dive.
stillmissit
Roar Guru
Mugsy, good one... Goodnight, sweet dreams fair prince!!!!
Muglair
Roar Rookie
Good point but DR just handed out a whole new set to desperate fans crying out "me" "me" "me" :laughing:
stillmissit
Roar Guru
Mugs, nobody has any toys left to toss out after the last 16+ years playing for the Bleed ing cup.
Muglair
Roar Rookie
I hope so but I have my doubts. The 1990s was built on excellence in coaching based on the AIS and the national coaching program. The 2020's will be built on... ? So far we have a successful junior team from 2019 and an unproven coach. Alan Jones pushed the envelope claiming that Rennie had lost the players. However he is 100% correct to say Rennie has not had success without Smith as an assistant. The poor skills are on show every week and I don't disagree that DR was outcoached in the first two games. The lack of fitness and skills in players at this age and level is not DR's fault, but a problem he has to work around. Sorry to look pessimistic but I am more concerned about everyone throwing their toys out of the cot if we lose to the All Blacks. We need to be realistic about our current predicament and take a longer view on how we fix it, and not let it happen again.
stillmissit
Roar Guru
As an old Bstd, I think we are heading into another great period similar to McQueen's time. There is the start of a building phase and at least we are building with something by someone.
Muglair
Roar Rookie
Always an optimist SMI and I agree there is a largish promising group of players coming through. Agree there has been a gap for a while and that is what worries me. We had a special group coming through in 2008 as well but we scattered the seeds on barren ground. We do not have foundations to build sustainable success at SR and test level.
stillmissit
Roar Guru
Mug, have some faith mate. We have some real talent in the wings for the first time in a long time. It is up to us to make the most of it as it could be a long time before we have this opportunity again.
Muglair
Roar Rookie
The constitution does have to change but McLennan's cosmetic suggestions lock in the board on its own terms.
Muglair
Roar Rookie
I think on analysis we would find that those "rushed" players are spread across Top 14 and even the next division. Heaps of experienced team mates including large numbers of highly experienced retired internationals. Lots of games and as Mitchell and Mehrtens explained before the first test, in front of big crowds and on big occasions. Instead we end up with them in 5 SR teams playing with lesser known international players, a lot of barely SR standard players and a lot of fellow inexperienced potential test players. I am starting to talk myself out of investing too much hope in the 2023 RWC. We cannot really expect them to be competitive at all if we take the SR AU route in 2022.
Muglair
Roar Rookie
As far as I can recall that is how he tackles so I hope he does not put himself in the same position again. A key player.
Marika gets exonerated despite pleading guilty anyway so from my pov it makes it harder to understand. At least we will see him in the RC
He has been let off now anyway so it opens the worm can further. And we have the same issues going in to the next test where its all confusing again. MK gets lucky.
stillmissit
Roar Guru
Mug, Agree regarding skillset but disagree regarding rushed into SR squads etc. I would have thought the French team would have taught us that we need to get these guys deeply involved if we want a chance to win the RWC. My view is we can't do it without them.
Rhys
Roar Rookie
Yeah, Wiggs looked like a mover and shaker. I think until the RA board is run through (ditto the NSW board) we will suffer from administrative mismanagement of some level. I just was happy that we moved on from Clyne and Pulver, I suupose you can only pick your poison in the situation at hand.