Wallabies Kick Off Joe Schmidt Era with Convincing Win Over Wales

On July 6, 2024, the Wallabies kicked off the Joe Schmidt era with a 25-16 triumph over Wales. In this tightly contested match, the Australian players showcased their talent and determination, earning the following player ratings.

Player Ratings

Full-back

Tom Wright was a standout performer, scoring a brilliant solo try from over 50 meters out to seal the game. However, he will need to work on reducing his error rate, as he lost the ball on four occasions. Nonetheless, his overall display was very encouraging. 7/10

Wing

Andrew Kellaway delivered a committed and assured performance on the wing, adding balance to the back-three. The senior player ticked all the boxes expected of him and could feature prominently in Schmidt’s long-term plans. 7/10

Center

Making his Test debut, Joshua Flook looked at home in the midfield alongside his club teammate. Although he didn’t have many opportunities to showcase his attacking strengths, the Queenslander has likely secured his spot in next week’s lineup. 5/10

Hunter Paisami was a warrior, showcasing his physicality on both sides of the ball with 12 tackles and six carries. It’s hard to envision a Wallabies midfield without the physical presence of Paisami. 7/10

Wing

Filipo Daugunu scored a lovely solo try, skinning the drifting defense and sliding over the line. While he could have passed to an open player outside, it was a very solid outing, and it appears that Schmidt has his back-three in place. 7/10

Fly-half

Noah Lolesio was determined to make his mark on his Test return, and he did just that. At times, he controlled the game brilliantly, but he will want to reduce his error rate and find his goal-kicking radar. 7/10

Scrum-half

Jake Gordon played an important role in Schmidt’s approach, with his forward runners and kicking game. He picked his targets well and made few errors, likely earning himself another start. 7/10

Back-row

The back-row trio of Rob Valetini, Fraser McReight, and Liam Wright put in a dominant shift. Valetini, in particular, was world-class, running over or flattening Welshmen on both sides of the ball. McReight was busy, despite a yellow card, while Wright contributed heavily in the set-piece. 8/10, 6/10, 6/10

Tight Five

In the tight five, Lukhan Salakaia-Loto and Jeremy Williams impressed with their physicality, while James Slipper showed his class in the scrum. Taniela Tupou‘s impressive first-half performance was cut short by an injury, but the Wallabies will hope he can recover in time for the next match. N/A, 6/10, 6/10

Replacements

The replacements, including Isaac Kaliea, Tom Lynagh, and Charlie Cale, all had positive impacts on the game, with Schmidt using them effectively to seal the victory. 7/10

This win marks an ideal start to Joe Schmidt‘s tenure as the Wallabies head coach, as they look to build momentum ahead of their next rugby union clash.

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