Wilson heroics rescues Wallabies, but Newcastle performance won't have worried Lions

NEWCASTLE -- The Wallabies are underway in 2025, just, but their last-gasp victory over Fiji in Newcastle will have sent few flutters through the British & Irish Lions camp.

Australia escaped McDonald Jones Stadium with a 21-18 win, but only after skipper Harry Wilson dragged his side to victory through sheer strength and determination -- the No. 8 able to wrestle the ball to the turf despite the tackle of two Fijian defenders.

It was apt that Wilson was the one to get the hosts over the line in the Hunter when they very nearly -- and probably should have -- seen a nine-point halftime advantage result in a devastatingly-deflating defeat.

Put simply, they will have to be miles better to trouble the Lions in the hugely anticipated three-Test series. The tourists, meanwhile, who will have taken plenty from Fiji's inspired second-half performance when they overpowered Australia both through the middle of the paddock, and out wide, their transition attack very nearly helping them repeat their Rugby World Cup heroics from two years ago.

"There's probably a myriad of things," Schmidt replied when asked what would be keeping him up between now and the first Test against the Lions. "I didn't quite feel that we got reward for our scrum. I thought our scrum was really good. Didn't quite get that reward for the lineout, as I mentioned, but they're things that we'll be working really hard on.

"Obviously, we got pulled back for two forward passes and that's a skill execution thing that I think we need to take responsibility for and be more accurate with. Because if you put those four things together, you're already in a lot stronger position in terms of controlling the result at least."

Rest assured, any team going to the Pacific in next year's inaugural Nations Championship will have an almighty fight on their hands. Fiji's combination of power, counterattack and an improved set-piece was a cornerstone of their run to the World Cup quarterfinals in France, and while this was also their first hit-out of 2025, they were vastly the superior second-half team in Newcastle. They also did it after only two full training sessions, coach Mick Byrne confirmed.

In fact, had it not been for a TMO intervention -- of which there were several -- for Harry Potter's foot in touch on the hour-mark, then they would have found themselves at least 20-14 ahead following superb play from replacement Sireli Maqala on both sides of the ball; first under his own sticks for a breakdown turnover, and then with the finish and stretch for the tryline a couple of minutes later after some ugly Wallabies misadventure.

But the Wallabies finished three-point winners on a gorgeous winter's afternoon in Newcastle, where Australia showed plenty of first-half endeavour, but also kicked away too much attacking ball and saw two tries scrubbed off for forward passes from Tom Wright.

The first of those was line ball, but the second, which would have taken them out to at least 19-5 following Max Jorgensen's sprint to Potter's chip ahead, was blatantly forward. How it took the four officials so long to rule it so was bewildering, and the crowd was rightly incensed as a result.

The game came alive after a stop-start first half, dominated by the technical whistle of French referee Pierre Brousset, the visitors emboldened as their power ball-carriers began to leave their mark on Australia and they pounced on an increasingly fragmented contest.

The Wallabies had earlier not shown enough patience with ball in hand, and been inaccurate inside the Fijian 22, as they went to the boot when they instead should have reset; they also butchered lineout drive opportunities with crooked throws and maul obstruction. Fiji, smartly, contested from close range perhaps knowing that they couldn't contain the Wallabies' eight-man drive, given hooker Dave Porecki had opened the scoring in exactly that fashion after nine minutes.

"Yep, I think so," Schmidt said when asked whether his side had needed more first-half patience, particularly on the edges. "And, you know, that's probably part of the frustration as well, just that we could have controlled more of the game, particularly in that first half.

"In the second half, we were chasing them a lot of the time, so we didn't really have the same opportunity. But you know games are going to ebb and flow and when things are going your way, you've got to make sure that you make the most of those opportunities."

Porecki's try was the only points Australia could muster until right before the break, when some slick passing put Fraser McReight over in the corner. That should have been enough to send the Wallabies in at 14-0 to the good.

But a brainless midfield chip from Lolesio, just 10 seconds before the hooter, was then scooped up by the Fijians and after some smart passing and footwork, fullback Salesi Rayasi powered his way into the corner through three defenders to secure five points for Fiji when they really deserved little from a half when they were otherwise largely camped inside their own 50.

But the second 40 was a different story. The Fijians, no doubt emboldened by Rayasi's score, began to dominate both possession and territory, their outside backs in particular proving a handful.

They were aided up front by an ever-increasing speed of recycle, as forwards Viliame Mata, Elia Canakaivata and Lekima Tagitagivalu began to leave their imprint on the Wallabies' defence.

It was Tagitagivalu who grabbed their second try, after Muntz had reduced the gap to six points with a penalty, the back-rower leaping into the corner after a wonderful run from fullback Jiuta Wainiqolo from inside his own half that exemplified Fijian rugby.

Australia barely got out of their half beyond that and were worked over defensively; they had also lost Lolesio to a head knock from the turnover that led to the disallowed Maqaqa try. But they were just able to rebuff the Fijians from what might well have been a match-sealing try, Mata's knock-on an untimely mistake 15 minutes from fulltime.

Still, another Muntz penalty three minutes later took visitors out to 18-14, and they looked to have done enough as the clock wound down, before a run of penalties for the Wallabies brought them into the red zone.

Enter Wilson, who after seven phases of close-forward play, hit, spun and forced his way through two Fijian defenders, eventually just grazing the grass with the ball to score the Wallabies' third try and see them out of jail.

But the performance wasn't of the standard required to beat the Lions. In fact, on the basis of their efforts in Newcastle, you would have to say that a 3-0 series sweep for the tourists, at this stage, appears likely.

Fortunately, Australia now has two weeks to clean up the errors that dogged them in the first half in Newcastle when, with a few more game-smarts, better execution and a heap more patience, they could have easily led by more than 20 points at the break.

As spirited as the Fijians were in the second stanza, such a lead would have been a mighty mountain to scale.

Australia, too, have players to come back, most notably Will Skelton and Rob Valetini. The two-time reigning John Eales Medallist was sorely missed in the Hunter, in particular; the Wallabies ball-carriers only winning the gainline on the odd occasion. Apart from a couple of neat passes, star recruit Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii was a non-factor and he felt the full defensive force of opposition midfielders Josua Tuisova and Iosefo Masi on more than one occasion

Sure, Australia stretched Fiji on the edges. But as dangerous as both Potter and Max Jorgensen were, too often they went to the boot when the situation called for the ball to be kept in hand.