Liam Williams (circled) taps the ball back in, with a chasing Filipo Daugunu approaching.Credit: Stan
Daugunu also put his first try down to luck. That was when he took the final pass in a 98-metre move that saw Andrew Kellaway escape goal-line pressure, chip-and-chase and tap down to a supporting Fraser McReight.
Daugunu, a left winger, was on the right edge at the time, after an earlier play where he cleaned up a kick and found himself in the midfield. Cannily, outside centre Josh Flook moved to his left wing and Daugunu shifted seamlessly to defend at centre on the right for the next phases.
In Sydney, Daugunu also scored on the right edge after chiming in from the blind.
“It was a main focus for this game, and even last game, to be like a spark. Whatever we do, to get ready,” Daugunu said.
“What Joe says is you have a licence to do everything you want to do, so to make the try from the chip-and-chase from Kells, it was pretty good. I was lucky to be there. Lucky Fraser passed it to me.”
Filippo Daugunu smiles with fans after the Wallabies’ win.Credit: Getty Images
After a season where he missed two games for the Rebels due to the stress of the club’s implosion and unpaid monies, it was hard to miss Daugunu’s broad smile at AAMI Park.
Schmidt’s backing has played a big part in Daugunu’s rennaissance. He might have initially been considered a placeholder for Marika Koroibete, who will be available for the Rugby Championship, but Daugunu’s form has given Schmidt a nice headache.
The Wallabies next meet Georgia in Sydney on Saturday, as part of the 2017 San Francisco agreement, where tier one countries committed to hosting a tier 2 nation in the year after a Rugby World Cup. World Rugby underwrite the fixtures.
Rugby Australia looked at playing the match in Newcastle and Gosford but both were booked, so the game will be an afternoon kickoff at Allianz Stadium.
Ben Donaldson scoring against Georgia at the Rugby World Cup.Credit: Getty
Georgia will move to 12th in the world this week and are a dangerous opponent. The Wallabies struggled to put them away at the Rugby World Cup, and they pushed Fiji and beat Eddie Jones’ Japan in the last two weeks.
Asked if Georgia’s win in Japan had him worried - and changed his selection plans this week - Schmidt said: “I am always worried.”
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“Worried makes you work hard and make sure that you try to be thorough in the selections you do make,” he said.
“There probably will be a couple of changes. You’re trying to build cohesion. It’s a little bit of a difficult equilibrium … between that continuation of confidence and continuity and then offering opportunity.”
Len Ikitau, Liam Wright, Harry Wilson and Tom Lynagh are all expected to be fit.
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