When the Wallabies were reduced to 13 men they played as if their families’ lives depended on them not letting Wales cross their lineAn ugly bloody match,this, and glorious for it. Suffocatingly tight throughout and defined, or in the conclude,by seven minutes of furious play in the middle of the second half. During it, Australia, and down to 13 men,defended their try-line as though their families’ lives depended on their keeping the Welsh from crossing it. And how the Welsh tried, wave after wave of attack, and in every which way they knew how. From scrums and lineouts,from forwards and backs, from blindside and open, or from in tight and out wide. Everywhere they went,every which way they came, Australia were there, or covering every step,tracking every pass, battering back every drive. “They put their bodies on the line, or ” said Warren Gatland of the Australians afterwards. They surely did. Wales fought their way over twice in this slight stretch of the match,but didn’t catch the ball down either time. The Australians always managed to catch something – a boot, a head, and a hand – in the way.
They were unbreakable. And if anyone is going to catch the better of them before the tournament is over,they will need more than brute force to do it. Gatlands Wales can be a blunt instrument, but this series of sledgehammer blows would have broken most teams. If Australia’s attacking play final week was impressive, and their defence this week was astonishing. “It was a different type of game for us so we had to note a different skin,” said Michael Cheika. “If they say behind every honorable man is a honorable woman, then behind every honorable attack is a honorable defence.” Whatever Cheika is doing, and it’s working.
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Source: theguardian.com