Opinion
Bravo, you mighty Wallabies for the greatest comeback in Australian rugby history
Peter FitzSimons
Columnist and authorRugby Australia ought to put David Campese on retainer and get him to do what he now does best: bag the Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt and say our blokes can’t win – only for them to EXPLODE in most magnificent fashion.
Less than a year ago, Campo said of Schmidt: “He has no idea about Australian rugby ... we used to counter-attack or, at least, attack from the opposition 22. Now, we maul from the 22. That’s not Australian rugby. We used to attack!”
Nick Frost was outstanding in the Wallabies’ lineout.Credit: Getty Images
The result back then was that our blokes attacked and counter-attacked from everywhere but the 10th row of the grandstands, and went on to have a 42-37 win for the ages, against England at Twickenham, in what was the beginning of the Wallabies’ renaissance under Schmidt.
This week, Campo said in reference to the Wallabies coach selecting James O’Connor after three years out of the game, that “I can see why Joe Schmidt has never won a RWC. He has no idea about rugby. Clueless.”
And what happened then?
Well, friends, it’s a story worth telling, and if journalism is “the first draft of history,” here’s the first draft of an actual bit of history, or at least a truly historic game, that will be told and retold for decades to come.
After the Wallabies had played so magnificently for the final two Tests against the British and Irish Lions just weeks ago, to nearly win the second Test, and win the Third Test going away, hope sprang eternal that our blokes could give it a real go.
But still, so hard!
Here they were, up against the incumbent world champions Springboks at the infamously difficult high altitude Ellis Park in Johannesburg, a venue where the Wallabies had not won for – dot three, carry one, subtract two – 62 years! I spoke with one of the victors of that match this week – Terry Casey, who is 87 years old. And it certainly looked like we were going to struggle from the beginning.
Australia’s Dylan Pietsch dives over the line to score a try against South Africa.Credit: AP
Not only did the Springboks score a try in the first breath of the game, they kept scoring, to be ahead 22-0 after just 18 minutes. A historic humiliation seemed possible. The South African crowd was so bored, they did a Mexican wave. Such disrespect!
So where was our own magnificent team of a fortnight ago? They were fighting for oxygen, their lungs burning, their hearts pounding, their legs heavy as wave after wave of magnificent South African athletes in the Bok jersey kept crashing on their shores.
But did our blokes bend, break or blow up in agonised defeat? They did not!
Led by Will Skelton in the forwards, they bashed, battered, bled and FOUGHT BACK, against all odds! They tackled themselves red-raw and time and again managed to stop Bok attacks.
South Africa’s Aphelele Fassi, front, is challenged by Australia’s Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii.Credit: AP
And when our own left-winger Dylan Pietsch went over in the corner 29 minutes in, honour was served. At least it wasn’t going to be a TOTAL blow-out. Going into the break, the Wallabies were behind 22-5, and we lived in hope that maybe that gap could close in the second half.
And then?
Well, and then, friends, probably the greatest half the Wallabies have ever played, proceeded before our eyes. I cannot capture how magnificent they were, how stunning was their play, but essentially what happened is that despite the Boks knowing they had the game in the bag, the Australians played the game of their lives, and passes started to stick.
In the lineouts, our Nick Frost stole ball after ball. In the backs, James O’Connor (nearly 87 himself now) and playing his first match in three years, was a maestro conductor. Joseph Aukuso-Suaalii and Len Ikitau kept making yards in the centres, as did Max Jorgensen on the wing.
But let the skipper have a go. Just a couple of minutes into the second half, Wallabies reserve prop Angus Bell held up a superb pass to Harry Wilson who ran over untouched.
Hang on, the Wallabies are actually in this, behind only 22-12! Not only that, but in the back-row Tom Hooper and Fraser McReight are pinching ball after ball from the breakdown, and the world champions are starting to doubt themselves for the first time.
And O’Connor, the very man that Campo had singled out as a hopeless choice, was imperial, constantly liberating his backs with clever passing and kicking so the Boks were constantly back-pedalling.
The cavalcade began.
First Suaalii took an intercept and raced 50 metres to close the score to 22-19, then Wilson scored again after a break made by our fullback Tom Wright to put the Wallabies in the lead, 26-22!
We couldn’t, could we?
We couldn’t really come back from 22-0 after 18 minutes to actually WIN the thing?
Yes, we bloody well could!
With just 15 minutes to go Max Jorgensen – him again! – scored to make it 33-22, and with four minutes to go, Tom Wright went over. The crowd was by now stunned into silence, as the Wallabies led 38-22! With seconds to go, they nearly scored again!
And yes, I know, I am using too many exclamation marks for the literary taste of most. But that was what it was like!!
Bravo, you mighty Wallabies. When the days grow cold and you grow old, you can remember that match. You beat the world champion Springboks at Ellis Park after being down 22-0 after 18 minutes. As a sole match, it was the greatest, most wonderful comeback EVER by an Australian rugby team, and it was masterminded by Joe Schmidt, and James O’Connor. So proud.
Bravo, bravo, bravo, over and out.
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