The Wrap: Wallabies front row has a rare day out in Townsville

Spare a thought for Wallaby prop Aidan Ross. Modern workplace sensitivity guidelines might have saved him from the ignominy of a post-match nudie run in Townsville’s Queensland Country Bank Stadium, but as the only non-try-scoring member of Australia’s front-row squad, he surely suffered a difficult night of ribbing back at the team hotel.

Rightfully, spirits in the camp would have been high; the Wallabies 56-17 win over Japan as comprehensive as anyone could have wanted. And not just because of the score-line, but because the areas of concern emanating from last week’s narrow win in Osaka were all addressed and improved upon. Substantially.

First and foremost was an evident lift in confidence and self-belief. An assertiveness, if you like, befitting of a favoured side impressing its game plan on the opposition, as opposed to passively accepting what the opposition imposes upon them, which is what happened last week.

Sure, Japan threw plenty of punches early, and had three tries on the board by half-time; mostly a result of their ability to recycle at rapid pace, combined with sharp passing and accurate handling.

Even so, the Wallabies always had a handle on things, and a concerted effort after half-time to zero in on the tackled ball, coinciding with Japan’s support play and clean out waning, swung possession and territory the Wallabies way. And on a day where the Wallabies were clinical in the attacking red zone, that was the game.

Before naysayers jump in, pointing to the high number of pick and go, close range tries as some kind of black mark against rugby as entertainment, this was in fact a celebration of what makes the sport great. Multi-dimensional, where strength matters as much as speed, where there are multiple paths to victory.

Captain Harry Wilson referred afterwards to his side going “through the front door”, something the Wallabies failed to do enough last week. With that came opportunity for the backline; glimpses of Carter Gordon’s distribution skills and high involvement for Isaac Henry who, it must be said, seems well suited to the rigours of Test rugby.

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