Pocock & Tipuric shine in dull day in Cardiff

On Saturday, Cardiff was the scene for something Welsh rugby hadn’t witnessed since the 29th November 2008, a victory over Australia. A fixture that has produced an average of forty two points per game since Wales last tasted victory a decade ago, was emphatically less spectacular than the thirteen duals before it, not that anybody in Cardiff cared.

For the home side, this was seen as an opportunity to prove they can compete with the leading rugby nations heading into a World Cup year, looking to go one step further than the side the fell to a controversial defeat to France in Auckland seven years prior.

The back row was always the area of focus for both sides pre game.  An experienced and well balanced Welsh back row was up against two of the most revered names in World Rugby, complemented by Jack Dempsey, the young Waratahs blindside, looking to cement the one position in that Aussie back row that hasn’t had the dominant strangle hold applied to it as Pocock and Hooper have at seven and eight respectively.

Whilst it’s true the game didn’t offer much for the neutral, it was a treat for the purist, especially those that enjoy the tactical battle.

Wales have so often relied on Ross Moriarty’s strong ball carrying to break through defensive lines and create pockets in-between the tackle, Australian No.8 Pocock was equal to everything his opposite number could offer in the first half, and Wales struggled to set the pace in attack due to relentless defensive work from the Australian. Pocock again was immaculate in his counter rucking technique, which required at least three Welshman at every breakdown he was present in, just to secure clean ball. The stifling impact of Pocock, with five turnovers won on the day, left Wales with a lot more questions than answers at the half.

A forty minute war of attrition ended in a stale mate at three apiece, it could have been a lot better, had Leigh Halfpenny not have been in the rarest of form with the boot, missing two penalties he would normally slot in his sleep. Perhaps Pocock had something to do with that, his constant pressure in the breakdown did not let Wales get any rhythm, Halfpenny was a bystander, and in the ultimate pressure moment, his lack of involvement probably contributed to his lack of attacking output. At least, it did for the rest of his Welsh teammates.

The opening minutes of second half promised so much, starting openly, with Wales mixing some kicking out of hand with strong running to force The Wallabies on to the back foot.  The Welsh compounded their early pressure, charging down several Australian clearances to force the visitors further back into their own territory.  As Australia recovered, Wales were defiant and were not interested in setting up camp any deeper than their own ten-metre line.

Territory was prime real estate at The Principality, and Justin was the main investor. Whilst the first half certainly belonged to Pocock, the second half was beginning to look like Tipurics. Wales half was Mayfair and the Welsh openside ensured Australia did not pass go. Tipuric was at the heart of every breakdown, immeasurable impact in steadying a wildly talented and slippery Australian backline, whilst harnessing the forwards with industry and dependability, whilst also showing a keen sense of attack, with one clean break away, a defender beaten, and a steady eleven meters made.

Just as his influence looked unmatchable, a certain Australian had his say. This time it was Pocock, the man who has won more turnovers (21) than any other player in world rugby this year, countering a sharp break by Leigh Halfpenny, homing down on the ball, forcing the penalty whilst throttling any Welsh enthusiasm.  Tipuric continued his industrious day, another tackle to prevent an Australian breakway, this time on Kurtley Beale. Staggeringly, it was Tupric’s twentieth tackle of a herculean eighty minutes.

The final act of the game was Pococks, but not in the way he imagined it. Blocking Jonathan Davies, a willing tackler as time expired, penalty and referee O’Keeffe whistled out ten years of Aussie domination. Those individual moments of inconsistency are the key moments in games contested so tightly. For all the colossal yield in Pococks outing, one moment, potentially, cost his team a shot at victory.

A poor showing in the summer including a shocking defeat at home to Argentina in The Rugby Championship, and now losing their last piece of consistency on Saturday has one of rugby’s greatest nations in a state of flux. Compared with the Welsh, a dogged and direct win to shake the proverbial monkey off their back, also shows a new dimension to Welsh rugby. The last time Wales won a game of rugby by ten points or less, the aforementioned number 8 Ross Moriaty wasn’t even born (For the historians amongst you, Wales 10 – 9 England, September 1993).

A cynical view might be that Australia have a lot of issues, but a superhuman player of Pocock’s ability can cloud that somewhat. That’s not a problem Wales have, whilst there’s not a player in red who delivered as many stand out moments as Pocock did on either side of the ball, Tipuric provided consistency and effectiveness, a dependability that ended up winning the game for Wales. Whilst not quite an inspiring game, it holds vast importance. Welsh rugby have found a way to overcome their greatest foe, a new way to win, and in Tipuric, they have a player capable of keeping the worlds best at bay. A victory that could have a seismic impact on Welsh rugby, a Six Nations that looks as open as any in recent history on the horizon, few in Cardiff would admit it, but after Saturday, this is a Welsh team that should be in the World Cup final conversation. This time next year, we’ll know the merits of that discussion.

Filed under: International, Australia, Wales
Written by: Morgan Lowrie
Follow: @MorganLowrie · @therugbymag