Optimistic almost to the end

Wales got up over the Wallabies 24-22 at Cardiff in a match that went right down to the wire. The game started at an extremely fast and furious pace with the Welsh boys having most of the possession. When Australia finally got their mitts on the ball Lote Tuqiri went over for a try which Mat Rogers converted. Yeeeouch!

The half time score saw Australia up 7-6. The second half started off well for the Wallabies with Nathan Sharpe going over to score just after the restart.

Then.... well.... the tide turned.

Wales was awarded a penalty pushover try by Tony Spreadbury, and they deserved it. Within spitting distance of their try line, the Welsh forwards tried to push the scrum over, and repeatedly, the Australian front row just couldn't hold up. Fair call.

A couple of other dumb options taken by Wallabies saw any chance of winning the game gone down the gurgler.

The game was less disheartening for Australian rugby fans than the other games on their European tour in recent weeks. George Smith was fabulous, locks Hugh McMenimen and Nathan Sharpe went well in the lineouts and managed to hang onto the ball. Mat Rogers and Chris Latham were inspirational, and Lote Tuqiri played like a man possessed - pity the commentator kept calling him Tunquiri :) I'm not sure who Tunquiri is... but he played well all the same!!

In earlier games, England thumped Samoa 40-3 though I hope the Samoans gave them a bit of a thumping as well if not on the scoreboard, and Italy 23 defeated Fiji 8.

The All Blacks kept on their winning streak defeating Scotland 29-10 at Murrayfield.

Sheesh.. the league's on telly now... zzzzzzzzzzzzz