"At the end of a frenetic first half, where Angus Bell ran in one of the great tries by a Wallaby prop, where Matt Faessler powered over for a brace, where Louis Bielle-Biarrey scored a solo stunner and Thomas Ramos and Nicolas Depoortere dotted down as well, Tane Edmed gathered a pass at first receiver. The young fly-half, playing in his seventh Test, was having a decent game."
"He'd slotted two of his three shots at goal. He was brave to the line, carrying with zip, stitching moves together as he tried to spark a backline short on fluency. But with the clock in the red, he attempted a raking kick to the corner. Either he didn't realise the 40 minutes had elapsed, or he thought he was in his own half and a 50-22 was on."
Australia produced moments of individual brilliance and sustained effort but were undermined by small, costly errors. Tane Edmed had a promising outing yet misread the clock and kicked to touch as the half ended, visibly stunned. The squad endured an exhausting 2025 campaign of fifteen Tests in 140 days, stretching resources and leaving players fatigued. Reliance on a handful of frontline players, inconsistent access to overseas talent and competition from rival codes exacerbated strain. Fatigue impaired decision-making and micro-moments, exposing an inconsistent backline and fragile team structures despite genuine intent and enterprise.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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