-Credit: (Image: Huw Evans Picture Agency Ltd)
As the Principality Stadium emptied at a rate of knots, with the Wallabies running in try after try to emphatically put the seal on Wales’ 11th consecutive Test defeat, one Welsh fan nudged his mate to turn around from the exits and soak up Tom Wright’s third try.
But the man wasn’t for turning. By this point, he’d seen seven Australia tries. He, like many, had taken as much as they could take.
The crowd – smaller than last week’s against Fiji – was rapidly filing out as Wales sank to their worst-ever run in the Test game. To butcher a line once turned by Alun Wyn Jones, by the end of the 80 minutes, you could see the seats.
READ MORE: Today’s rugby news as Warren Gatland interview ‘a tough watch’ and former players stunned
READ MORE: The full Warren Gatland transcript: If I stay we need to take back control of players we’ve lost
The red and green of the first tier, deep red of the second, dark green of the third. All those colours visible amid the exodus.
One that was left cheered the missed Australia conversion wildly – a small victory on a difficult day.
That’s the price of Wales rugby being left to starve. Eventually, even the golden goose suffers. Welsh rugby is broken, as is, it feels like, its protagonists. If not now, then certainly hurtling towards it.
As Warren Gatland faced the first question post-match, he looked up at the ceiling – pausing for what felt like an eternity – before offering his answer. Only when he was asked if he still had the fight to take Wales forward, did he rock forward in his chair. A mixture of broken and defiance.
At the back of the press room was Nigel Walker, a man hardly secure of his own position, watched on – fresh from having spoken to the Wales coach. Things may develop quickly on that front.
On a day all about exits, be it fans before full-time or those still to come, it had begun with journalists struggling to get in – small mercies, in hindsight. One particular hack found himself struggling to locate his name on the list with security – “But I wrote the list,” he protested.
Once in, the sounds of Waltzing Matilda, from Australian fans all too eager to find Walkabout hours later, enveloped the press box. It set the tone for the early exchanges.
“F*****g hell,” cried a Welsh voice as Angus Bell powered through would-be tacklers. “Just get him.”
Nothing went Wales’ way early on, although they escaped a penalty and losing a player to a head injury assessment after one early exchange. “You’re just lying there,” shouted referee James Doleman as James Botham was caught on the wrong side of the ruck, giving Australia a penalty advantage.
“He’s knocked out,” called a voice to the official in Botham’s defence. “I’m not going to play advantage then, he was knocked out so he needs to be checked,” replied Doleman, insisting the Wales back-row should go for HIA.
However, after the Welsh team doctors said Botham didn’t need to depart for a check, the Wallabies were left confused as to how it wasn’t a penalty.
“He’s clearly stunned so he can’t roll away,” was the explanation. “It’s going to be your ball, but the doctors have checked him so he’s not going off.”
The Welsh rugby podcast: The fallout
Win tickets to Wales v South Africa plus a pre-match tour courtesy of Dove Men+Care
Soon, the tries came. First, Wright danced past some Welsh jerseys to score, before second-row Nick Frost galloped in for a second. Welsh bodies, familiar with the plot unfolding trudged back, as Aaron Wainwright dropped to his haunches after a fruitless chase.
Soon, a third try. “Let’s f*****g go, lads,” cried a Welsh voice. The momentum shifted. “Great scrum,” screamed Dewi Lake at the top of his voice as Wales got on top in that facet of the game.
Chants of ‘Wales, Wales’ started to ring out. After holding out at half-time, just six points behind, half-backs Gareth Anscombe and Ellis Bevan led the cheerleading with slaps on the backs of Welsh forwards after one last breakdown penalty.
Wales regroup after conceding a try -Credit:Huw Evans Picture Agency Ltd
The Wallabies emerged for the second-half in darkness. The PA system was blaring with dramatic music, while lighting changes sought to emphasise just how big these next 40 minutes were for Wales.
It didn’t need that. You could see it in the faces of the Welsh players as they re-entered the fray. “We’re going to need to check that,” said the TMO in the ear of Doleman.
“Play advantage now or stop the play?” asked the official. “Stop it,” the response.
Once the TMO had a closer look at it, Kerevi’s fate was sealed – with the initial yellow being upgraded later on. Yet, Wales didn’t take advantage of the one-man advantage – in fact, they conceded 21 points.
Tom Rogers, who had dominated the air for Wales, was grimacing more and more each time he came down from the sky. Having thrown himself into the air time and time again, he was getting scant rewards for his efforts.
“You’ve held the ball when you should have lost it,” remarked the referee after he was pinged for holding on, when his support had arrived fractionally too late.
Wallabies tries kept coming. “I understand,” said the referee to Dewi Lake as he questioned Australia’s fifth score, “but the ball carrier was clearly in front when the two players broke away. You had access.”
Increasingly, as the likelihood of another defeat become an inevitability, Welsh bodies and minds tired. Players look quizzically at each other over decisions, with Ben Thomas visibly asking why Rhodri Williams had kicked away the ball with a penalty advantage.
Gold jerseys proved impenetrable amid more renditions of Waltzing Matilda, while the lineout fell apart late on. When it did work, it received an almost ironic cheer. The odd chance came and went, with Max Llewellyn unable to hold onto an intercept late on.
“Unlucky, Max,” said one Welsh voice resigned to their fate. It was only heading one way. By the end, many weren’t there to witness it.
“All the best,” said Doleman to each of the Welsh players after the final whistle had gone. Welsh rugby’s going to need a bit more than well wishes, now.
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source link
