Wales vs Australia – Preview
Autumn Nations Cup | Week 2
Venue: Principality Stadium, Cardiff
Kick-off: 16:10 PM
Date: Sunday 17th November
Fresh off their tenth defeat on the bounce, Wales will be looking to get the monkey off their back in front of a packed-out Principality Stadium crowd.
Wales
It was always going to be a difficult Autumn campaign for the Welsh, but defeat at the hands of Fiji last weekend will leave them wounded going into this huge tie with the Wallabies on Sunday afternoon. Whilst they’re backline showed a lot of promise with ball in hand, their defensive frailties showed as Fiji were able to cruise through the gain line at times, even scoring 7 unanswered points whilst down to 13 men.
With the Springboks in town next week, Wales will be eyeing up this Sunday’s test as their best remaining chance to get a W on the board and end their winless run ahead of a difficult 6 nations opener against France in January.
Australia
Perhaps the most inconsistent outfit in International Rugby, you never know which Australia you’re going to get. Last week saw them see off England following an intense arm wrestle that marked the Wallabies first win at Twickenham since 2015. It’s difficult not to imagine this result galvanising Australia and filling them with confidence that they can take another Northern Hemisphere scalp and keep their Autumn ‘Grand Slam’ hopes alive.
Players to watch
Len Ikitau
The Wallabies 12 looked dangerous with ball in hand last weekend, producing a sensational, back-door offload in the 84th minute to put Max Jorgensen away in the corner to seal the victory for the Wallabies. Possessing bags of speed, power and skill, we expect he’ll give Warren Gatland’s inexperienced backline all kinds of headaches this weekend.
Gareth Anscombe
Boasting more caps than the rest of the Welsh backline combined, the Gloucester fly-half will need to be on the top of his game to control the outfield and give his centres and back 3 the freedom to play. In a huge test match that’s anticipated to be a tight affair, you sense every point is going to be crucial. Early points from penalty’s could give Wales the momentum they need to get over the line, making it vital that the Welshman is dialled in off the tee from minute one.
Summary
Australia’s last run out saw a 79-point thriller and we think this one is heading the same way. Both teams will be eager to employ their backlines, which should mean lots of quick ball, plenty of ball in hand time and heaps of points on the scoreboard. If Wales can tighten up their defence and get out of the blocks early, they might just have enough fire power to get the result they so desperately need. However, the Wallabies will be brimming with confidence after last weekend, which we believe will lead them to a successive W in Cardiff this weekend.
Predictions
Both teams to score 20+ points and Australia to win.
Gareth Anscombe and Noah Lolesio both to score 10+ points