OITA, 5 Oct – The 19-year-old winger Jordan Petaia lit up Rugby World Cup 2019 by scoring a try and setting up another on his test debut as he inspired Australia to a comfortable win against Uruguay on Saturday.
All week the hype has been about teenager, and it took the Wallabies’ youngest ever World Cup starter just 24 minutes to make his mark. Pulled up metres short following a powerful run down the left wing, Petaia picked himself up and minutes later chose a scything line to appear on Kurtley Beale’s inside shoulder. After bouncing Uruguay full-back Rodrigo Silva the winger touched down under the posts, pictured, becoming the first player born this century to score a try at RWC 2019.
But Petaia was just warming up. Having weathered a storm largely of their own making – two sloppy high tackles in as many minutes resulted in blind-side flanker Lukhan Salakia-Loto being sent to the bin within two minutes of the return of second-row Adam Coleman, who had committed a similar offence – the Wallabies sprung back on to the front foot in the 30th minute.
The forwards secured a turnover on the halfway line and swung the ball left. The quick feet of Petaia did the rest with the winger turning his man inside and out before slipping the ball inside for centre and Player of the Match Tevita Kuridrani to race in under the posts. Christian Lealiifano, who had converted the first two tries, missed his third effort from in front of the posts, and the half-time score was 19-3.
All this came on the back of Australia getting the “fast start” head coach Michael Cheika had been promising all week, though there was a touch of fortune about the opening score in the fifth minute. After a loop move from scrum-half Nic White failed to go to hand the loose ball ricocheted around the Uruguay 22 before falling into Wallaby second-row Coleman’s grateful hands. From the resulting ruck Australia had numbers out wide and Dane Haylett-Petty scooted in unopposed for his fourth try in his past five tests.
But it was far from one-way traffic. Uruguay’s hard running, combined with some sloppy Wallaby discipline, offered Los Teros fleeting moments of hope. After twice opting against going for the posts from kickable penalties in the early stages, fly-half Felipe Berchesi got Uruguay on the board in the 12th minute. It nearly got a whole lot better for the South Americans on the stroke of half-time but a try for centre Tomas Inciarte was ruled out for an earlier infringement.
His work done, it was out with the new and in with the getting on a bit as Petaia gave way to the 35-year-old Adam Ashley-Cooper for the second half. The utility man, playing in his fourth World Cup and 121st test, may one day tell his disbelieving grandchildren that he shared a pitch with Jordan Petaia
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