Ok, match report!
Started off with a penalty to the Brumbies, after an extended period in Welsh territory.
Off the restart, the Welsh took control and march us downfield, before superb linebreak got them onto our 5m line, and eventually scored.
To and fro from there, until Holmes got a shot in their 22, hit the post, and the Welsh clearance kick landed on the halfway. Hegarty butchered one of many lineout throws, and the Welsh got possession. Murphy clobbered some poor fluffybunny out wide a few phases later, and we got it back, and then 2 phases later the ball suspiciously spilled out the side of the ruck, the Welsh pounced, and a few phases later were in our 22. Great run from Tipic (the Welsh 7) got them to about 1m out (it really was superb, as was he all game), and then they pick and drove over.
Half time.
2nd half: all Brumbies.
Basically, the entire 2nd half we spent in their territory, relentlessly and fairly effortlessly working our way forward. We'd get into the 22, and then there would be a professional foul, and penalty awarded to the Brumbies. About 50/50 they went for the sideline/scrum, or for points. Hegarty's throwing cost us at crucial points in the game, as did general ruck security.
Tom Cox made an electric break midway through the 2nd half, stepping his way through traffic before applying the afterburners when he got into space and then grubbered ahead, making us about 60m.
The 1st half we were fairly well outclassed. To be expected, as were were not full strength and had no combinations in place.
2nd half was about 80% Brumbies on attack/in possession/threatening to score etc. And I dont want this to sound like a whinge, BUT:
The only way I can describe it was like watching an All Black game being reffed by Joubert. For the most part, he got things right, but at big moments in the game, it always went the way of the team who would be expected to win. Scrums that were wheeled by the Brumbies, rucks that we had clearly dominated after chasing a kick and applying massive pressure etc etc went the way of Wales. Plus, there would have been close to 15 penalties/free kicks awarded inside the Welsh half, and close to 10 of those would have been inside the 22. I reckon 8 of them were professional fouls. McCaw's. Deliberately fucking the breakdown when the Brumbies were hot on attack and all they needed was quick ball to spin wide, yet there'd be Welsh players flopping all over the ball. Every single goddamn time we got into the 22, it turned into a shitfight.
Now, i'm not holding that against the Welsh. Well played, any smart team would do that. My gripe is with game management in general.
I know Refs are terrified of being blamed for the outcome of a match being a controversial call. Fair enough. However, I think there should be far more emphasis on punishing professional fouls inside the 22.
I'd love to see a blanket "Any professional foul in the 22 caries an automatic yellow". No arguments. You could then argue about whether it was a professional foul, sure, but I guarantee there'd be fucking no one who was stupid enough to even try to commit a blatant one and try and get away with it, al la Richie. Especially if you're already one card down for the same offence.
Wales should have been carded a good 4-5 times in the 2nd half, but weren't. However, the precedent was set in the first half. If you card someone for the 3rd professional foul in the 22, after 15mins, i'd argue that it would open the game up/make it more entertaining/be less controversial than a game where you didn't give out a single one. Its a pet hate of mine that repeated infringements in the 22 are not carded, because of a fear of influencing the game too much. That's exactly you DO by not carding someone according to the laws of the game.
Anyway, rant over. Well played Wales, you hung in well there to defend the lead, and then kicked smartly to put pressure on us to turnover ball at the lineout and give you the opportunity to kick clear and then grind out the win.