Talking Rugby: Australia defeat sends shockwaves through rugby elite

Samoa recorded their first victory over Autralia last weekend

A single rugby result last weekend will have caused something close to panic in a lot of major rugby unions around the world. For sure, eyebrows will have been raised inside the Welsh and Springbok camps.

Samoa’s 32-23 victory over the Australians in Sydney sent a shockwave through the world’s leading teams with the Rugby World Cup now less than two months away.

No wonder Wallaby captain Rocky Elsom looked shell shocked after the defeat at ANZ Stadium on Sunday. No wonder he kept shaking his head and repeating himself, saying “I am not happy about it.” It was as if Elsom was in a daze, unable to comprehend the magnitude of what had happened.

Samoa stunned the Wallabies not just with the power of their hits at the breakdown but with the inventive use of their backs. For sure, it was not the Australians’ first choice, strongest side. But they still had enough quality players to expect to come through successfully.

The Samoans out-scored their opponents by four tries to two, something the Australians are not used to experiencing in their own back yard. And it showed what they might be capable of in the coming World Cup.

Samoa assistant coach Aussie McLean said the nine-point victory gives his side great hope for the Rugby World Cup.

“Today was about respect, we wanted to get respect and we did that,” McLean said.

“Our goal at the Rugby World Cup is to make the quarter-finals, and out there today our players performed 15-20 per cent better in the blue jersey than what they would have done if they were playing for their clubs and that’s what you want in a side.”

This was Samoa’s first ever win over Australia and captain Mahroni Schwalger was delighted with the victory.

“This is something special, a win like this creates history for Samoa,” Schwalger said.

“To beat Australia, we had to beat them at their own game and we knew we could beat them in contact.”

Samoa are in Pool D at the World Cup, paired with South Africa, Wales, Fiji and Namibia. Some might have thought, prior to last weekend, that Wales were the obvious candidates to join South Africa, the defending champions, in the quarter finals.

Sure, it was always going to be a very competitive pool, not least from the fact that it is hard to find three more physical sides in world rugby than South Africa, Samoa and Fiji.

But now, suddenly, that pool is starting to look like a sporting version of World War 2. You would still expect the Springboks to emerge as pool winners but what happens thereafter is anyone’s guess.

And even the South Africans will look afresh at the Samoans and respect them more after this win over the Wallabies.

But the team in most danger could be Wales. Back in 1991, at the second Rugby World Cup, they were paired with Western Samoa in Pool 3. The shock waves that were sent through rugby when Samoa beat Wales 16-13 in their own Cardiff back yard, were seismic.

Could history be about to repeat itself? It seems perfectly possible. Wales have been no great shakes of late, erratic and disappointing last season just as they had been in several previous years.

They will not relish the kind of massive physical challenge the Samoans will present at Waikato stadium, Hamilton on 18 September.

And when that match is done, they can prepare for a meeting with the highly physical Fijians at the same ground two weeks later.

This isn’t going to be any walk in the park for the Welsh.

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