Epic Wallabies comeback win over Wales may well spell the end for coach Wayne Pivac

This was a remarkable comeback by Australia that may well spell the end for Wayne Pivac as the Wales head coach. The visiting side, depleted by injuries and fatigued in a fifth Test in five weeks, somehow managed to rally from 34-13 down after 53 minutes to stun Wales with 26 unanswered points, thanks to some magic from the wing Mark Nawaqanitawase, as well as some added power from the bench from the likes of Pete Samu.

It was a wonderful match to watch, even if there were errors aplenty and a good deal of ill-discipline.

For all of Australia’s resilience and character, this was an unacceptable loss from Wales, triggered initially by a yellow card for Justin Tipuric for a trip. They missed the influence of the fly half Gareth Anscombe, who had departed with a nasty-looking arm injury, but they were reduced to 13 men when the replacement hooker, Ryan Elias, was also sin-binned for pulling down a driving maul, resulting in a penalty try.

It was Australia’s replacement hooker, Lachlan Lonergan, who scored the winning try with only one minute of normal time remaining, converted by the replacement Noah Lolesio, and it was Lonergan who seized upon the loose ball as Wales pressed one last time to kick it out and complete a famous victory.

What this means for Pivac – who has presided over only three wins from 12 Tests this year – will be interesting now. He said afterwards that he wanted to stay but it will not be his decision. Intriguingly, Warren Gatland was here working for Amazon Prime. Has he already been sounded out for a short-term role in place of Pivac? Is he going to be involved in a review into this campaign? The rumours were swirling.

The sadness for the home crowd was that Wales had been so good at times, playing some thrilling stuff in the first half, when at last they were physically dominant (even their scrummage and driving lineout were hugely in the ascendancy) with forwards often cleverly tipping on short passes – Alun Wyn Jones was magnificent in this regard – and Anscombe pulling the strings sharply and smartly from fly half.

The flanker Jac Morgan was outstanding in that first half. He was monstrous in the carry, and simply everywhere. He scored two tries too.

Taulupe Faletau was always prominent too, but maybe the signs had been there from the start, because the day had actually not begun well at all for Wales. First there were problems with the stadium roof. For some mechanical reason it could not quite be closed fully, so the lashing rain outside was allowed some entry around the halfway line. Then they had been rocked by the late withdrawal of Leigh Halfpenny with a back spasm, Josh Adams taking his place at full back. And then at the very first scrummage of the match – after Adam Beard had dropped the kick-off – they were penalised, so that fly half Ben Donaldson could give Australia the lead.

It had to get better for Wales and it duly did at the next scrummage, when they did to Australia as the visitors had just done to them. They destroyed them.

Territory was gained and it was not long before Wales were over for their first try. Tomos Williams darted, found Alun Wyn Jones in support, who then found Morgan. Of course, he scored. He was on fire.

Anscombe converted and exchanged penalties with Donaldson before Wales fashioned their second try. And it was a beauty, begun by a break from Tipuric. The ball transfer right was slick and there roaming in the widest of channels was Faletau. A superb finish in the corner was a fitting way to mark his 100th Test cap.

Anscombe converted and added another penalty so that Wales were 20-6 ahead inside the first half-hour.

Australia had to respond to stay in the contest, and they did so with a powerful driving lineout. Hooker Folau Fainga’a crashed over. It required television confirmation, but Donaldson converted and it was 20-13. The Wales wing Rio Dyer will probably be disappointed that he did not score in the corner after George North had put him clear, but at the resulting ruck the Australian scrum half Jake Gordon was cynically offside and therefore sent to the sin bin.

Wales took the scrummage instead of the penalty. Four times. Indeed one of the Australian front row was fortunate not to receive a yellow card as well. Eventually Faletau picked up and went blind, but the replacement scrum half, Kieran Hardy, was held up, and that was it for the first half.

Wales really should have been further ahead, something they later rued. That yellow card for the visiting front row did now come, as Tom Robertson, on for the captain, James Slipper, went too and Australia were down to 13 men.

Wales had to capitalise. And they did. One driving lineout brought a penalty, and then another steamed over the line. It was a quite superb drive. Morgan popped up with the ball. What an afternoon he was having, and what a turnaround we were soon to witness. Anscombe converted and was soon doing so again – brilliantly from the touchline – when Dyer did score in the corner.

At 34-13 it looked all over, and cruelly it was over for Anscombe, who suffered that injury. But Australia were not done. The elusive and powerful Nawaqanitawase scored two tries, and with 11 minutes remaining it was 34-25.

Wales just imploded. They looked rattled and directionless when down to 13 men. They had that one final chance as Rhys Pristland kicked to the corner. It did not quite go close enough, and the ball was spilt when moved infield.

Some comeback from Australia, but some capitulation from Wales too.

SCORERS: Wales: Tries Morgan (9min), Faletau (21), Morgan (47), Dyer (51). Cons Anscombe 4. Pen Anscombe (18). Australia: Tries Fainga’a (33), Nawaqanitawase 2 (56, 68) penalty try (73), Lonergan (78). Cons Donaldson, Lolesio 2. Pens Donaldson 2 (3, 14).

– The Sunday Times

Originally published as Epic Wallabies comeback win over Wales may well spell the end for coach Wayne Pivac