Ben Donaldson scored 25 factors to assist in giving Eddie Jones his first win in six video games as Australia beat Georgia 35-15 of their Rugby World Cup opener on Sunday morning (AEST).
Donaldson, 24, making simply his fourth Test look, ensured Jones ended his poor run of outcomes since returning as boss in January and began their Pool C marketing campaign on a constructive be aware.
However, the match was nearer than the scoreline suggests and Aussie pundits have shared considerations about how polished the aspect regarded.
Donaldson was underneath large strain after Jones’ shock choice to place him at fullback — and he responded with a person of the match efficiency.
“We’ve been building for a long time now and the boys executed really well for the full 80 minutes,” Donaldson mentioned.
“In the end it made me look half-decent so I put that on all the boys.”
Aussie prop Angus Bell was far more flattering of Donaldson’s match.
“He’s a freak and we all know that,” he mentioned on Stan Sport.
“You just need Donaldson to adjudicate at the back and unleash our world-class wingers, he did his bit today and got two tries, he was unreal.
“Hats off to him. He’s been training so hard as well as the other boys, I’m sure when everyone else gets their shot it will be good for them too because we train bloody hard. Really good for him. I’m happy for him.”
Wallabies nice Mat Rogers, nonetheless, was not satisfied by the Aussie efficiency, however did give Donaldson credit score for a “huge performance”.
“He stood up on the biggest stage. Full credit to him,” Rogers mentioned on Stan Sport.
“He did what he had to do. It’s going to get tougher and we’re going to need him to improve.”
Georgia scored a attempt throughout a interval once they had 14 males on the sphere, and butchered a attempt when fullback Davit Niniashvil didn’t move to unmarked males on his inside.
Moments later Taniela Tupou arrange Donaldson to attain untouched, breaking Georgia’s again when the Europeans may have minimize the margin to 21-15.
“They went into the second half and I wanted to see a more decisive decision making. Unfortunately I didn’t see it,” Rogers mentioned.
“I thought the second half was quite poor from Australia. We saw Australia score an opportunistic try… but prior to that Georgia were all over us. They were dominating field position. They had opportunity to score points. And we were lucky that they didn’t score more points because they might have got a little bit more excited and could have really made a game of it. We got away with the win. That was the most important thing.”
Flanker Luka Ivanishvili had given Georgia hopes of a late comeback with a second-half attempt however the Lelos failed to say a sixth victory within the competitors.
Jones, 63, introduced again winger Marika Korobeite and inside centre Samu Kerevi into his aspect after damage absences.
The two-time World Cup winners opened the scoring after lower than two minutes as Kerevi’s midfield companion Jordan Petaia crashed over in entrance of greater than 75,000 spectators in Paris.
Donaldson missed the conversion, having been handed the goal-kicking duties from fly-half Carter Gordon, who missed 10 factors from the tee in final month’s warm-up loss to France, on the identical floor.
Gordon’s adverse expertise on the Stade de France continued 5 minutes into this recreation as he was penalised for a harmful sort out after having had his clearance kick charged down and opposition fly-half Luka Matkava minimize the deficit to 5-3.
Four minutes after crossing, 23-year-old Petaia turned supplier as his delicate offload arrange winger Mark Nawaqanitawase.
Donaldson made up for his earlier error to make it 18-3 with a conversion and two penalties earlier than the primary water break of the sport, with the temperature reaching 35 levels Celsius (95 levels Fahrenheit).
Petaia proved his value in defence after 22 minutes with a dominant sort out on Georgia winger Miriani Modebadze earlier than Donaldson made it 21-3 after half an hour with a fourth three-pointer.
With 5 minutes of the half remaining Jones misplaced his influential beginning scrum-half Tate McDermott to concussion, with skilled Nic White approaching.
Kerevi’s work for the day was completed as he was changed by Lalakai Foketi on the interval and it was Georgia who began the second half the higher.
They have been rewarded as flanker Ivanishvili crossed within the nook from a pleasant Matkava move, chopping out three would-be defenders.
Matkava missed the conversion nevertheless it didn’t dampen his teammates’ wild celebrations with the rating 21-8 with half an hour to play.
Georgia’s dim hopes of a win have been short-lived as Donaldson added a transformed attempt, assisted by prop Taniela Tupou on his fiftieth Test appearances, with 25 minutes to play to make it 28-8.
With 1 / 4 of the sport remaining Petaia adopted Kerevi to the bench, with subsequent Sunday’s recreation with Fiji on Jones’ thoughts, earlier than the Waratahs’ Donaldson claimed his double and the bonus level for his aspect in a powerful show.
Donaldson was named man of the match as Georgia discovered a comfort attempt by means of substitute Beka Gigashvili.
Source: www.news.com.au
