Wallabies wing Filipo Daugunu grabbed a brace of tries as Australia claimed a collection win over Warren Gatland’s struggling Wales in Melbourne.
Joe Schmidt’s resurgent Wallabies earned their first back-to-back Check wins since 2021 on Saturday with a hard-fought 36-28 win over Wales, who prolonged their horror run to 9 straight defeats.
Daugunu scored twice with Jake Gordon and Allan Alaalatoa additionally crossing on a moist and chilly Melbourne evening to again up their 25-16 victory in Sydney per week in the past.
Flyyyyying Filipo! 🛫#Wallabies #AUSvWAL pic.twitter.com/z1vuPqfjG0
— Wallabies (@wallabies) July 13, 2024
They took a 23-14 lead into the break and withstood intense second-half stress and a collection of dealing with errors to seal the collection 2-0 and provides new coach Schmidt the second win of his tenure.
“It was robust, little bit of aid on the finish there,” stated Wallabies skipper James Slipper.
“It was scrappy from us for certain, it wasn’t our greatest recreation, however we received the outcome. There’s a lot to work on although.
“They’re gritty, they hold in there, they performed our kicking recreation very well tonight,” he added.
Defeat piled extra ache on Warren Gatland’s workforce which is now one loss away from equalling Wales’ all-time document of 10 consecutive defeats, which got here in 2002 and 2003 underneath one other New Zealander, Steve Hansen.
They’ve slumped to eleventh on the planet rankings, beneath Fiji and Italy.
Regardless of clawing again from 17-0 down after 25 minutes, they paid the value for conceding too many penalties and once more misplaced the breakdown battle, sorely lacking injured workhorse No.8 Aaron Wainwright.
“We by no means gave up, we had a never-say-die angle,” stated Wales captain Dewi Lake.
“However clearly we’re a younger workforce and we don’t have sufficient expertise actually at Check degree. What issues is outcomes and we aren’t giving ourselves these for the time being.”
Taine Plumtree assumed Wainwright’s position within the again row with James Botham, grandson of England cricket nice Ian Botham, beginning at blindside flanker and Tommy Reffell at openside.
However they have been instantly uncovered as Australia scored inside seven minutes with a transfer that began from close to their very own attempt line.
Beneath stress, wing Andrew Kellaway sidestepped the Welsh defence then collected his personal chip earlier than offloading to a charging Fraser McReight who powered up the sphere and located Daugunu to complete.
With the rain hammering down, they stored the stress on with Lolesio making it 10-0 off the tee with a penalty.
Daugunu made a try-saving sort out on Botham as Wales warmed to the duty, but it surely was Australia who scored as soon as extra towards the run of play.
Scrumhalf Gordon despatched up a field kick and a dealing with error from fullback Cam Winnett allowed him to gather it and weave previous two defenders to the attempt line.
Undeterred, a well-worked rolling maul from the lineout noticed Lake muscle over to get Wales on the board after half-an-hour.
With Australia’s Lukhan Salakaia-Loto within the sin-bin he repeated the feat quickly afterwards.
Each tries have been transformed to get Wales again within the recreation at 20-14 and an early transformed attempt to veteran winger Liam Williams within the second-half put the Wallabies on discover.
However the hosts proved they too may work a rolling maul, with Alaalatoa powering over.
Daugunu received his second after a schoolboy error from Williams, who tried to maintain the ball in play from a Wallabies kick, solely to palm it completely to a charging Daugunu who surged to the road.
It gave Australia a 33-21 lead, however they went to sleep and Wales winger Rio Dyer smashed over within the nook to arrange a tense finale.
Photograph: Daniel Pockett/Getty Pictures
