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Short but sweet debut for teenage Wallaby
Jordan Petaia wishes his sizzling Australian rugby Test debut against Uruguay could have lasted beyond halftime but he is relieved to simply emerge unscathed.
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The 19-year-old whizkid from Brisbane lived up the hype and was the most-positive story to emerge from a hot, difficult Saturday afternoon in Japan, as the ill-disciplined Wallabies prevailed 45-10 in their Rugby World Cup pool match in Oita.
Petaia has become one of just a few players to make their international debuts on the highest stage.
He didn’t touch the ball for the first 23 minutes but, when he did, it was eye-popping.
His second touch was a testament to work rate as he pulled himself up from an earlier play and sliced onto an inside pass from Kurtley Beale.
Better was to come, leaving three defenders grasping from a tight spot before sending Tevita Kuridrani on a clear 40m run to the line.
Continued below…
High balls and defensive duties were handled with aplomb, as Petaia racked up two breaks and six defenders beaten before being replaced by 35-year-old Adam Ashley-Cooper at the break – surely the biggest age differential between subs in Test history.
“I would have loved to have kept playing but that was always part of the plan, coming back from injury,” Petaia said.
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“Pre-game, I was pretty nervous and, after the game, it all really hits you all at once. It’s an awesome feeling.”
After Owens initially missed it, with the TMO's help Lavanini was rightfully red-carded, but what about England's illegal infringements? #ENGvARG #RWC2019 https://t.co/iR89THFG7v
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) October 5, 2019
Wallabies coach Michael Cheika was full of the praise for the teenager.
“He made some nice touches. He has been absolutely impeccable,” Cheika said at the postmatch press conference.
“His injury, from where he was on the first and second days of camp, and to come here and score a try and play a big part in another.
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“Other things too: he ran down the edge, bounced back in and kept the ball alive. We only really wanted to use him for the first part of the game as he’s coming back, he probably could have used another week because it was a significant injury, so he’s done supremely well to get back and make his debut. He’ll be a part of it next week.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/B3PgfX-Ap9x/
Petaia’s first cap came almost a year after his intended debut last November against Italy in Padua.
An 11th-hour hamstring injury ruled him out and a separate injury had sidelined him for much of 2019.
He said his troubles made this week mean more.
“It’s all been part of the journey. I guess this was meant to be the moment I made my debut so I’m just happy to get out there and be healthy.”
'We are giving away too many penalties full stop'https://t.co/X6bxkaTGGv
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) October 5, 2019
Petaia was delighted to have parents Helen and Tielu in the stands and never fretted as play did not make it towards his wing throughout the first quarter.
He said gunning for a place in the starting XV for bigger games to come is on his agenda.
“Everyone’s trying to push for the best position they can,” he said.
“Whatever’s right for the team, whatever the coaches want to do, I’m happy to do,” he said.
– with AAP
RugbyPass sat down with Matt Giteau and Mike Tindall to get their views on the Rugby World Cup:
Comments on RugbyPass
Let’s not forget about Ardie Savea just yet.
4 Go to commentsThe URC and the Euro Championscup can’t run at the same time, basically dilutes both competitions.
1 Go to comments“While Sotutu should start at No.8 for the All Blacks against England, but it’s only in that arena that he can prove just how good he really is.” And that my friends is where simply hasnt shone despite multiple opportunities. Even in this performance you can see what did him in in the test arena..he almost always still runs at the opposition almost ramrod upright making him easier to stop than it should be.
4 Go to commentsShould have been 0-0 and a message from SR CEO to both teams - “don’t worry about turning up next year”.
4 Go to commentsGreat work Owen Franks. A great of this team, scoring his first try for the Crusaders since 2010.He was beaming, justifiably. A fine win, he and the rest did the job up front.
1 Go to commentsDanny Care. Lang in die tand.
1 Go to commentsBig empty stadium does nothing for atmosphere but munster are playing well with solid performance
1 Go to commentsYes, Fiji can win the World Cup! With that belief plus their christian faith🙏 and hard work it is achievable. Great article. Ian Duncan Fiji resident 1981-84
2 Go to commentsInteresting comments about Touch. England’s hosting the Touch World Cup this year and the numbers have exploded since their last World Cup in 2019, something like 70% more teams and 40 nations taking part. And England Touch have made a big thing about how many universities are in their BUCS University Touch Championship as well as Sport England membership. Can only see this growing even more domestically as more people become aware of it
10 Go to comments“Cortez Ratima is light years ahead of anyone on current form, while TJ Perenara has also skyrocketed into contention following the unfortunate injury to the talented Cam Roigard.” At last some sanity. Hitherto so many pundits have been wittering on about Finlay Christie to the point one wondered if they were observing a FC in a parallel universe where the FC they saw wasnt just the mediocre Shayne Philpott project of Fosters hapless AB reign in the real world. Ratima, Perenara and Fakatava are the ONLY logical 9s for Razor now Roigard is crocked.
4 Go to commentsThis game was just as painful as the Hurricanes game. It was real fork-in-the-eye stuff.
4 Go to commentsNow if they could just fire the Crusaders ground PA guy who likes to play his dance music and just loves the sound of his own voice the entire game, even when play is going on. And I thought their brass band thing of a few years ago was bad.
5 Go to commentsUnfortunately when you lose by far the two form players this season in Roigard and Aumua, you're left replacing two game changing Tanks with a couple of pea-shooters. Which is also about the speed of TJs pass.
4 Go to commentsBit rich coming from the guy with zero loyalty to anyone or any team, including happily taking a players place in a league world cup squad because well, SBW wanted to play in it and thus an already named player got told he was no longer going. And airing stuff like this, which may or may not be true, doesn't exactly say you're a stand up guy either SBW. Just looking to keep his name in lights as usual.
38 Go to commentsTamati Tua. …the Taniwha NPC midfielder. Ollie Sapsford, Hawkes Bay NPC midfielder…doing well
4 Go to commentsFiji deserve to be in the rugby championship, fans love seeing the Fijian national team play, the Fijian Drua is a wonderful idea but the players can still be stolen to play for NZ and AUS…
2 Go to commentsThe first concern for this afternoon are wheather forecast…
1 Go to commentsWhy cant I watch Rugby games please?
1 Go to commentsBeautiful shot from Finau, end of story. Gutted for Shaun Stevenson though.
4 Go to commentsThe Chiefs definitely didn’t win ugly. They had the superior scrum, a dominant lineout, and their defence was excellent once the Waratahs scored their two tries (thanks to some lucky refereeing calls mind you). They put pressure on the Waratahs lineout throughout the game, and the mind boggles as to why the referee did not award a yellow card or a penalty try against the Waratahs for repeated scrum infringements on their own try line before Narawa’s first try. And the Chiefs were slick with their passing and running angles on attack. It was a dominant performance all round, even with many questionable refereeing decisions.
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