It was far from plain sailing but the Wallabies were the ones smiling at Suncorp Stadium on Saturday night.
Here's how the Aussie players rated in the controversial 33-30 third Test win which sealed a 2-1 series win.
1) James Slipper – 6.5/10
Steady performance in the engine room. Applied consistent pressure in the scrums and was dilligent around the field.
2) Brandon Paenga-Amosa – 8/10
Was cruelly denied a try late in the match, which would've been good reward for a powerful and controlled performance.
3) Allan Alaalatoa – 6.5/10
Rock solid again, making plenty of tackles in close and applying good pressure to win a scrum penalty.
4) Darcy Swain – 7.5/10
Elevated to the starting side and repaid that faith with a strong performance. Made a try saving tackle in the first half and caused the maul turnover to seal the game.
READ MORE: France captain called out for ultimate rugby sin
READ MORE: Brave Wallabies win epic series against France
READ MORE: Wallabies star sent off in 'absolute travesty'
5) Lukhan Salakaia-Loto – 8/10
Talismanic performance which really displayed his value to the Wallaby pack. Showed versatility by moving to blindside for the final 10 minutes.
6) Lachlan Swinton – 8/10
Hugely enthusiastic effort from the young loosie. Ran strongly and showed a non-stop motor, until picking up an injury and being subbed in the 55th minute.
7) Michael Hooper – 8.5/10
All class once again as captain and openside flanker. Made a nice angled run and showed vision to set up first try and also helped saved a try at the other end, by covering a charged clearing kick.
8) Isi Naisarani – 6.5/10
Busy night for the backrower. Didn't find as much space as he would've liked, but kept chipping away with a steady stream of short runs and link play.
9) Tate McDermott – 8/10
First Test start showcased more of his match-winning ability. Made up for getting run over on the early French try by grabbing his first Test score to square the ledger.
10) Noah Lolesio – 8/10
Continued the steady form he's shown throughout the entire series. Kicking and passing game was very good and goalkicking was on point, to ice the series win.
11) Marika Koroibete – N/A
Was unlucky to be red carded early in the match for a big hit on a kickoff chase.
12) Hunter Paisami – 5.5/10
Perhaps chose the wrong options a couple of times on attack, but tried hard throughout.
13) Len Ikitau – 6.5/10
Run on debut for the young midfielder, which saw him put in a very assured performance. Was error-free with the ball in hand and looked more and more dangerous as the game wore on.
14) Filipo Daugunu – N/A
Unhappy return to the field lasted roughly a minute, as he was forced off with an arm injury.
15) Tom Banks – 6/10
Reasonably safe performance at the back. Was decent on kick returns and clearing kicks, but attacking chances didn't readily present themselves.
RESERVES
16) Jordan Uelese – N/A
First Test of the season, was subbed on in the 75th minute.
17) Angus Bell – 6.5/10
Played the final half hour and made a good impact with strong running and tackling.
18) Taniela Tupou – 7/10
Moved back to an impact role and made his mark by sneaking over for a try five minutes after coming on. Steadily applied the blowtorch at scrum time.
19) Matt Philip – N/A
Subbed on in the 71th minute and saw limited opportunities.
20) Rob Valetini – 6/10
Made a number of good charges from the bench, but conceded a crucial penalty late in the game.
21) Jake Gordon – 5/10
Provided a cool head for the final eight minutes to help close out the win.
22) Matt To'omua – N/A
Subbed on in 78th minute.
23) Reece Hodge – 6.5/10
Returned from injury and had to play most of the game following Daugunu's injury. Showed huge effort on kick chase.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.