Wallabies Player Ratings vs Scotland: McReight’s 31 Tackles Not Enough

Fraser McReight made 31 tackles at Scottish Gas Murrayfield on Sunday, ten more than anyone else on the pitch. Australia still lost 15-12 to Scotland, and they lost it with ten line breaks to Scotland’s one.

That number is the story of the Wallabies’ afternoon. They broke the line ten times, according to RugbyPass, and scored two tries. Billy Pollard had a maul try ruled out for obstruction before half-time, and his yellow card just after it took him off for good.

Harry Potter scored the first Australia try on 11 minutes. Max Jorgensen got the second as the clock went red, and Ben Donaldson’s conversion made it a three-point game. Darcy Graham’s tackle on the last play ended it. Australia stay fourth in the southern hemisphere table, and the two sides could meet again on finals weekend.

We started every player at 6 and moved them on the numbers (tackles, carries, turnovers won and penalties) and on what the BBC and Guardian live coverage saw. Ruck numbers per player are not published, so breakdown work is judged on turnovers and penalties.

How it went wrong

Scotland led 12-5 at half-time through Matt Fagerson and Jack Dempsey. Ryan Lonergan missed the conversion of Potter’s try and pulled a drop goal wide. Before the break Australia drove a maul over for Pollard, but the TMO ruled it out because the lifters had blocked Scottish defenders.

Pollard was shown a yellow card on 45 minutes for a head-on-head hit on Blair Kinghorn. Angus Bell threw in while he was off, and Scotland did not score in that spell. But Australia could not turn their line breaks into points. One attack ran to 18 phases, went backwards and ended with Rory Darge stealing the ball. Russell’s penalty on 74 minutes put Scotland ten clear.

Australian fans were not kind. “The Kiss of death for Australian rugby,” one RugbyPass reader wrote at full-time, a dig at head coach Les Kiss.

Wallabies player ratings

15 Tom Wright – 5.5
Caught out by Dobie’s diving tackle before half-time, and his kick ahead on 63 minutes skewed into touch.

14 Max Jorgensen – 7
Three line breaks and 93 metres, both the most in the match, and Australia’s late try down the right. He also got hit hard by Graham under a high ball. Australia’s most dangerous back.

13 Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii – 5.5
Made one line break and had good hands in the second-half build-up. But he spilled a high ball he had jumped well for on 54 minutes.

12 Len Ikitau – 5
Quiet. The Guardian’s blog called him “pretty ineffective”. Replaced by Donaldson on 70 minutes.

11 Harry Potter – 6.5
A sharp finish for Australia’s first try off Gordon’s pass. Little else came his way before he went off in the second half.

Read also

Scotland Player Ratings vs Australia: Immense Darge Leads 15-12 Win

Ratings · 5 min read

10 Carter Gordon – 6
His delayed pass made Potter’s try and his kicks to the corner kept Australia in the right areas. He lost the ball twice and made just one tackle in 80 minutes. One Australian fan on RugbyPass said the backs “worked a little better” because of him.

9 Ryan Lonergan – 5
Missed the conversion and a drop goal in the first half, and was bundled into touch after a maul. He won two turnovers and tackled Russell well on a wraparound, but one RugbyPass reader said he kept going back the same way and killed any momentum. Replaced in the last five minutes.

1 Angus Bell – 6.5
Carried 13 times, the most for Australia, and made 12 tackles. Took over the lineout throwing during the sin-bin and did it well. Replaced on 61 minutes.

2 Billy Pollard – 4.5
His maul try was ruled out for obstruction, then the yellow card for a high hit on Kinghorn. He never came back on. Made ten tackles before the card.

3 Allan Alaalatoa – 6
Made 14 tackles in 52 minutes and won a turnover, though he knocked the ball on straight after. Replaced by Taniela Tupou.

4 Josh Canham – 6.5
Stole Scottish lineout ball, including one eight metres from the Australia line, and made 13 tackles before going off on 61 minutes. Gave away an offside penalty at a charge-down.

5 Jeremy Williams – 5.5
Won six lineouts, the most for Australia, made 16 tackles and gave the pass for Jorgensen’s try. But he conceded three penalties, more than anyone in gold.

6 Rob Valetini – 6
Hit hard early and forced a turnover in the fifth minute. Later he was gang-tackled and held up, which gave Scotland a turnover at the maul. Made 14 tackles before he was taken off on 53 minutes.

7 Fraser McReight – 7.5
Thirty-one tackles, the most in the match by ten, and steals at the breakdown in the first half. The best player in a losing side.

8 Harry Wilson (captain) – 6
Twenty-one tackles, second most on the pitch, and some big hits. A blind, no-look pass late on went to nobody and gave Scotland the ball.

Replacements

22 Ben Donaldson – 7 – Changed the last ten minutes. He took a penalty quickly to set up a lineout attack, then his pass started Jorgensen’s try and he kicked the conversion.
21 Tate McDermott – Not rated – Only five minutes, but he was quicker than Lonergan straight away. He made a line break on 77 minutes, though his offload did not find a teammate.
18 Taniela Tupou – 6.5 – Won a turnover and a penalty over the ball inside his own 22 just before the hour.
16 Brandon Paenga-Amosa – 6 – On for Rob Valetini on 53 minutes, with Pollard in the sin-bin, and finished the game at hooker. Nine tackles, one penalty.
17 Isaac Kailea, 19 Lachlan Shaw, 20 Tom Hooper – 6 – Hooper replaced Pollard on 56 minutes; Kailea and Shaw came on just after the hour. No major moments either way.
23 Filipo Daugunu – 6 – On for Potter on 63 minutes. Made 27 metres from two carries but gave away a penalty.

Our view

Les Kiss’s side had more line breaks than Scotland and still lost because they could not finish. The maul try ruled out for obstruction, Lonergan’s missed kicks and Pollard’s card cost more than the margin. With a home World Cup next year, that is the part that has to change.

Scotland v Australia: key numbers

Official team stats from the Nations Championship post-match report.

READ MORE: Les Kiss admits Wallabies’ training is ‘not transferring’