Gatland: Maturity key to win over Wallabies; Cheika 'embarrassed' by Kerevi call
RESENDING WITH SCRIPT AND SHOTLIST
VIDEO SHOWS: NEWS CONFERENCES WITH WALES COACH WARREN GATLAND AND CAPTAIN ALUN WYN JONES AND AUSTRALIA COACH MICHAEL CHEIKA AND CAPTAIN MICHAEL HOOPER
SHOWS: TOKYO, JAPAN (SEPTEMBER 29, 2019) (IMG/RWCL - SEE RESTRICTIONS)
1. WALES COACH WARREN GATLAND AND CAPTAIN ALUN WYN JONES ENTER NEWS CONFERENCE
2. (SOUNDBITE) (English) WALES COACH WARREN GATLAND SAYING:
"It was a really tough match, you know I thought we played pretty well in the first half and spoke at half time about making sure we came out and continued to play but Australia I thought were really good in the second half, put us under a lot of pressure, had a lot of ball and it's what become a typical Wales - Australia clash you know, going down right to the wire but I thought our players showed some great composure, I thought the bench gave us some real impact as well so to win that, very, very pleasing and it means that the pool's in our own sort of destiny."
3. GATLAND AND WYN JONES DURING NEWS CONFERENCE
4. (SOUNDBITE) (English) GATLAND SAYING:
"I think this team as a squad has grown up in terms of their game management, that's improved significantly and it was good in the autumn last year and particularly the Six Nations and I think we learned a lot from those experiences with the management the guys coming off the bench giving us impact and showing some real character under a lot of pressure in that second half. There were a couple of key turnovers that we got towards the end of the game so yeah, it was pleasing and for us it was a challenge because we had the six-day turnaround and Georgia wasn't an easy encounter and to pick the same team, the same starting line up with a six-day turnaround is a real challenge for us so I thought even though we're under a lot of pressure in that second half, I thought our composure and our fitness levels were really good and we soaked up a lot of pressure."
5. GATLAND AND WYN JONES DURING NEWS CONFERENCE
"We said to the boys, I'd like to see them celebrate tonight, and they deserve to celebrate, it was a tough game and a great win and the man next to me has become the record cap-holder for test matches for Wales and we need to recognise that. but he's said it's a game and we've only won two games in our group at the moment and we've got to make sure we do a job for the other games as well."
6. GATLAND AND WYN JONES DURING NEWS CONFERENCE
7. (SOUNDBITE) (English) GATLAND SAYING:
"Look, I don't, there's been a lot of criticism of the referees and I don't want to get involved in being a part of that. You know they've got a tough job out there, they've got things they've got to follow and you know I think it's important that the judiciary take care of those things and the decisions are made and we've just got to abide by them."
8. GATLAND AND WYN JONES DURING NEWS CONFERENCE
9. (SOUNDBITE) (English) GATLAND SAYING:
"I think the Japanese win against Ireland is brilliant for the World Cup. It's fantastic for rugby going forward, I think it would be good for the World Cup if they were able to qualify for the quarter-finals, I think that would be great."
10. END OF NEWS CONFERENCE
11. WHITE FLASH
12. AUSTRALIA COACH MICHAEL CHEIKA AND CAPTAIN MICHAEL HOOPER ARRIVE FOR NEWS CONFERENCE
13. WHITE FLASH
14. (SOUNDBITE) (English) AUSTRALIAN COACH MICHAEL CHEIKA SAYING:
"I think we got a bit more go forward in the second half, we created more go forward like we got to what we wanted to do. The first half was punctuated with a few, we made a few breaks and then we maybe lost the ball, instead of just keeping it we gave them opportunities but, and we also got a, we had set-piece dominance, probably that was rewarded a bit more in the second half or sort of in the second half than in the first half so there's a lot of little factors you know, there wasn't one huge 'why didn't it happen in the first half, why did it happen in the second half' type thing. I thought we just built across the game and we played a lot of the football, so."
15. (SOUNDBITE) (English) AUSTRALIAN CAPTAIN MICHAEL HOOPER SAYING:
"Probably just on us we were probably ill-disciplined in the first half, you know and I think Wales, some of their shots on goals there, with the drop goal. was a change up that worked quite well for them, that's probably the difference for them in the end."
16. CHEIKA AND HOOPER DURING NEWS CONFERENCE
17. (SOUNDBITE) (English) CHEIKA SPEAKING ABOUT DECISION TO PENALISE SAMU KEREVI, SAYING:
"Well it was pretty funny because I thought I'd seen that tackle before, it could have been Reece Hodge I'm not sure but when our guy makes that tackle and has the high tackle framework in his head, he gets suspended and with this guy doesn't think about the high tackle framework, we get penalised. So you've seen it anyway, you don't need me to .. like as a rugby player, as a former player, I'm embarrassed about that, as a rugby player I'm embarrassed about that."
18. WHITE FLASH
19. (SOUNDBITE) (English) CHEIKA SAYING:
"It wouldn't have come, I don't know every directive like there's a fair few of them that come out but I don't know if, he may have said he lifted his arm into the chest, I don't know if that's illegal or not, to be honest, like. I don't know, I don't know any more, I don't know the rules anymore, honestly don't know the rules anymore."
20. WHITE FLASH
21. (SOUNDBITE) (English) CHEIKA SAYING:
"They all seem spooked, like everyone seems worried about, like they're all worried about stuff so much, I'm not sure why they are worried. The players aren't worried, like but then it's affecting everything else on the field as well, decisions on all types of crazy stuff."
22. WHITE FLASH
23. (SOUNDBITE) (English) CHEIKA SAYING:
"The administrators are spooking the referees, referees are worried about making the wrong decision and they are becoming ultra cautious about everything and it's not inviting to the fans, why should we be having booing out there in a game like that with those types of crowds? You know there shouldn't be people booing, they are not booing the players either, right so that shouldn't be happening."
24. END OF NEWS CONFERENCE
STORY: Wales coach Warren Gatland praised his players' maturity after they came through a nail-biting Rugby World Cup encounter with Australia in Tokyo on Sunday (September 29) to take control of Pool D.
The Six Nations champions led 26-8 early in the second half but had to withstand heavy pressure as the Wallabies fought back before holding on to win 29-25.
Gatland, who has led Wales to four Six Nations titles since taking over as head coach in 2007, said the teams control under pressure carried them over the line on Sunday.
"In the second half they put us under a lot of pressure and had a lot of the ball and it became a typical Wales-Australia (match), with it coming right down to the wire," said the New Zealander.
"This team and squad have really grown up in terms of game management. It is something that has improved significantly. It was good also in the autumn and at the Six Nations. They have learned a lot and matured as players."
Gatland named the same team that beat Georgia six days previously and the 56-year-old commended his players' fitness levels.
Gatland will also be pleased with the tactical appreciation shown by his players, catching the Australians out with drop goal attempts on three occasions. Two of those kicks were successful, including an effort from Dan Biggar within the first minute of the match.
Fuming Australia coach Michael Cheika launched a furious attack on rugby chiefs over a crucial decision in Sunday's 29-25 World Cup loss to Wales, saying he was embarrassed by the decision to penalise Samu Kerevi while he was carrying the ball.
Already angry with rugby's officialdom over the three-match ban handed out to winger Reece Hodge for a dangerous tackle in Australia's first match against Fiji , Cheika was moved to near apoplexy by the Kerevi decision.
The hulking centre was Australia's most effective attacking weapon in the first half and, with his side trailing 13-8 five minutes before the break, he barrelled into Wales flyhalf Rhys Patchell a couple of metres inside his own half.
At the next break in play, referee Romain Poite referred the tackle to the Television Match Official (TMO) and between them they decided Kerevi had led with his forearm and hit the Welshman on the chest then throat.
Patchell converted the resulting long-range penalty and two minutes later Wales scrumhalf Gareth Davies raced away for an intercept try in a double whammy that left Australia in a big hole at 23-8 down.
Cheika suggested in his eyes that Kerevi's approach to the tackle looked remarkably similar to that of Fiji flanker Peceli Yato in the incident that earned Hodge his ban.
"It was pretty funny, because I thought I had seen it before, might have been Reece Hodge, I am not sure," he said with a heavy dose of sarcasm.
"When our player does it, we get suspended and then this time we get penalised. As a former rugby player, I am embarrassed about it. As a player, I am embarrassed about it."
Cheika was asked whether it was concerning that he, as a national team coach, was not aware of the directive under which Kerevi was penalised.
"I don't know every directive. Lots of them come out," he said.
"I think he put his arm into his chest. I don't know if that is illegal or not. I don't know anymore. I don't know the rules anymore, honestly.
"Everyone seems worried about stuff so much. I don't know why. The players aren't worried. It affects everything else on the field too, decisions on all sorts of crazy stuff."
Warming to his theme, Cheika noted the loud boos, albeit mostly from the Australians in the crowd, that followed the incident.
"Administrators are spooking the refs and refs are afraid of making decisions," he added.
"It's not inviting to the fans. Why should we have booing with these types of crowds? They aren't booing the players either. It shouldn't be happening."
(Production: Annette Faydenko)
