This archive report was first published on 29 September 2019.
Resilient Wales Hold Off Australia Comeback in Tokyo Epic ¶
On Sunday, September 29, 2019, Wales withstood a fierce Australian comeback to secure a 29-25 win in an epic Pool D encounter at Tokyo Stadium, marking their first victory over the Wallabies at the Rugby World Cup since 1987.
The Six Nations champions built a 26-8 lead soon after halftime, thanks to tries from Hadleigh Parkes and Gareth Davies, and drop goals from Dan Biggar and his replacement Rhys Patchell.
Australia, driven by replacement flyhalf Matt To’omua, staged a remarkable comeback with second-half tries from Dane Haylett-Petty and captain Michael Hooper, bringing them within a point at 26-25 late in the match.
Wales held on, with Patchell contributing 14 points from the boot to steer them to a second win in their last 15 matches against Australia and potentially an easier path through the knockout stages.
Wales captain Alun Wyn Jones praised the character shown by his team in the second half, saying, “I’m pretty happy with the character we showed in the second half. We had a great first half but were tentative in the second. We will have a look at that but I’m pleased with the result. Credit to the guys in gold who really came at us in the second half.”
Hooper acknowledged the Wallabies’ defeat, stating, “We had the momentum (in the second half) but gave away too many in the first half. Back-to-back points really hurt us so congratulations to Wales for holding us out.”
