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Hello and welcome to ESPN's live commentary of Australia against Uruguay at Villa Park. Can the Wallabies take advantage in Pool A following England's shock defeat to Wales? We'll find out in the next two hours or so.
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| 1 |
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And we're off in Birmingham.
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| 2 |
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First opportunity to see the Wallabies scrum today following a poor kick from Quade Cooper. Uruguay keep the ball but big Australian pressure sees Cooper nip in for the turnover. However, a loose pass brings the first lineout of the day.
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| 5 |
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Loose pass from Rodrigo Silva and opposite wing Drew Mitchell thinks very quickly indeed - he offloads to Kurtley Beale, who runs a good 50 metres down the pitch. Mitchell follows but can't keep hold of Beale's return pass - big chance missed for the Wallabies.
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| 6 |
5 - 0 |
Mitchell's clanger doesn't matter, though - Australia have their first try following a superb driving maul from the lineout. When Uruguay's last defender commits, Sean McMahon nips around the back to ground only the second international try of his career.
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| 7 |
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Cooper misses the conversion with a loose one.
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| 8 |
10 - 0 |
Australia have a second try in as many minutes! This could be a rout. Good work from McMahon again Cooper offload neatly after a high kick, with Joe Tomane having an easy finish in the corner. Cooper makes no mistake with adding the extras this time around.
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| 9 |
12 - 0 |
Cooper - conversion
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| 11 |
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Only four full time professionals in this Uruguay outfit - and it's showing. However, the white shirts have a chance following a deep linout, with Juan De Freitas and Matias Beer making smart gains through the middle.
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| 14 |
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Silva has another chance after the ball drops to him following a high kick - however, the Australian defence proves too strong with Cooper putting in a good last-ditch tackle. It goes from bad to worse for the Australian fly-half, though - referee Pascal Guazere shows him the yellow card for a high tackle on Agustin Ormaechea.
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| 15 |
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Uruguay have the penalty and kick of the lineout - the resulting maul goes Australia's way after some big, big defending.
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| 17 |
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De Freitas really struggling in the scrum - twice now the flanker has detached, allowing the Wallabies to turn with ease. Australia win the penalty and kick into touch - they then win the penalty from the lineout and we'll have another scrum. Scrappy stuff in the middle of the park.
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| 19 |
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From the resulting scrum Australia break at speed and Henry Speight is clear to run at fullback Gaston Mieres. He's got two yellow shirts with him and it looks like the third try is on - but his pass goes straight to the white shirt of Beer.
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| 22 |
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Uruguay win a penalty to relieve the pressure near their own 22 - but Australia hit back with a smart turnover. However, the ball is dropped forward by Tomane. Chance lost.
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| 23 |
12 - 3 |
A touch of handbags on the pitch as tensions rise following a late tackle from Will Skelton. Uruguay have the penalty and a chance to put their first points on the board ... fly-half Felipe Berchesi splits the posts beautifully. Wonderful kick.
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| 25 |
17 - 3 |
TRY! Not a bad birthday for Dean Mumm or a bad few days at all. He's captaining the Wallabies in Birmingham just days after becoming a father - and he's in on the act as he brushes off a tackle and cruises over the line. Cooper is back on now, but misses the conversion kick.
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| 30 |
22 - 3 |
Wonderful breakdown work from Australia - a loose lineout from Uruguay gives the Wallabies possession in the middle of the pitch. They work it out wide, back, and out wide again for Speight to dive unchallenged into the top left corner. That's the fourth try - and bonus point secured.
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| 31 |
24 - 3 |
That is Speight's first try for Australia - and what an effort it was. Beautiful rhythm across the pitch. This time Cooper's boot is on song to add the extras.
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| 33 |
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Michael Cheika said he wasn't too fussed about missing the bonus point against Fiji - well, it's taken his players 30 minutes to get one against Uruguay. Australia very much in control both in this match and in Pool A.
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| 35 |
31 - 3 |
This is vintage stuff from Australia. Ben McCalman goes over for try number five. Superb lineout from the Wallabies sees quick ball from the breakdown. They work it across to Cooper, who shifts it inside for the passing McCalman to take with ease. Uruguay backline at sixes and sevens.
Cooper with the easiest of conversions from right in front of the posts.
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| 37 |
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Flanker Sean McMahon is having a wonderful game. Having scored Australia's opening try, he's been fantastic at the breakdown and shown quick hands. His defensive work has been pretty flawless too, with some crunching tackles to boot.
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| 39 |
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Uruguay have a chance in the corner - they're 10 yards from Australia's tryline, but the ball is grounded and can't be recycled. Juan Manuel Gaminara is not a happy bunny and makes his feelings well known to referee Gauzere.
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| 40 |
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Australia have a lineout, but an eventual loose pass brings about the half-time whistle. Safe to say this has been very comfortable for the Wallabies so far - they'll be keen to rack up the points second half.
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ESPN's Sam Bruce at Villa Park - The Wallabies are well on their way to a huge victory over Uruguay despite an indifferent opening quarter that saw Quade Cooper sin-binned. The fly-half had earlier kicked dead from deep up field; a slinging tackle then seeing him spend 10 minutes on the sidelines on the advice of the TMO. The Wallabies crossed for two tries before Cooper's dismissal with the impressive Sean McMahon first peeling off the back of a maul for the game's opening try, to which Joe Tomane added a few minutes later. Once Cooper returned the Wallabies began to find some rhythm, the loose passes and simple handling errors from the opening slowly disappearing. A lovely short ball from Nick Phipps saw Dean Mumm add a third try before Henry Speight and Ben McCalman crossed to make it 31-3 at the break; the back-rower's five-pointer coming via a sublime inside ball from that man Cooper.
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| 40 |
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Back underway in Birmingham. Replacement Carlos Arboleya Sarazola also on for Uruguay.
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| 41 |
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Immediate chance for Uruguay as they kick of the corner after earning an early penalty. They win the lineout, working it across to Silva and Berchesi, but they run into trouble on the near side.
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| 43 |
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Indiscipline from Australia leads to another Uruguay lineout - but the Wallabies defence is proving nigh on unbreakable at the moment. They've pushed Uruguay right back onto the halfway line after a McCalman turnover - but Uruguay win it back and Barchesi kicks into touch for a yellow lineout on Australia's five-metre line.
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Australia really can't afford to be this undisciplined off the ball against both Wales and England. Uruguay working the ball into some promising positions but final delivery really letting them down.
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| 46 |
36 - 3 |
TRY! Drew Mitchell equals Chris Latham's record of 11 World Cup tries. He gained ground from the breakdown of the initial lineout, before getting back up to take a sumptuous offload from Phipps. However, it wasn't easy from there - Mitchell drove himself from three challenges before grounding over the line.
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| 47 |
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Wayward kick from Cooper, though. He's not doing his chances of a starting berth against Wales or England any favours here.
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| 48 |
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| 51 |
41 - 3 |
That is absolutely sublime. Polota-Nau with a quick offload to Cooper, who finds Mitchell on the near side with a brilliant pass - probably the best Villa Park will see this season. Mitchell has a clear run to the line and goes over for his second of the match and 12th World Cup try, thus surpassing Latham's record. Cooper, though, is again miles off with his conversion attempt. A real up-and-down day for Quade.
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That second Mitchell try gets better with every watch. Lovely one-two between Cooper and Nau, before the fly-half flights a glorious lofted ball to Mitchell. Super piece of skill from Cooper.
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| 55 |
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Mitchell now has 12 World Cup tries and is three behind all-time leader Jonah Lomu. Australia have 23 minutes to get their man a little closer to that tally...
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| 56 |
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Short break in play as Will Skelton receives treatment for an injury - either shoulder or his elbow. He's replaced by Kane Douglas. No risks from Cheika.
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| 59 |
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Cooper this time has a run at the Uruguay defence - but he's stopped firmly in his tracks and the white shirts manage to force the rturnover. Too much of that from Australia this afternoon.
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| 60 |
46 - 3 |
Like it matters - they win the ball back and from the resulting breakdown, Cooper works it across to Beale who fires a first time pass to McCalman. Uruguay don't have the numbers to challenge and the flanker canters through for his second try of the match.
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| 61 |
48 - 3 |
Much better off the tee from Cooper - he splits the middle of the posts from the nearside touchline. Lovely kick.
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| 64 |
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Uruguay apply pressure from the restart and have Australia on the back foot - but they're penalised for going in too early at the ruck. Fifteen or so minutes remaining in Birmingham - can Australia get past 65 points?
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| 66 |
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Australia's midfield has dominated this game. Joe Tomane gains some serious ground down the right wing, before Toby Smith does the same through the middle.
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53 - 3 |
Australia have the lineout and the resulting rolling maul is just too strong for Uruguay to deal with. McMahon piles over for his second try of the match. Cooper wayward with the conversion attempt.
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| 70 |
58 - 3 |
That is ridiculous rugby from Australia, straight from the restart. And it's by far the best try of the match too. Cooper's magic feet dance around the Uruguayan defence and, with so many options to choose from, the fly-half finds Beale with a perfect long pass to the right side. Beale offloads smartly to the advancing Toomua, who crosses the line unchallenged. Cheika looked exceptionally pleased with that.
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| 71 |
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Another missed conversion attempt from Cooper, though. He's only landed four out of his ten attempts this afternoon.
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| 75 |
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| 77 |
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Uruguay have a penalty in front of the posts - do they go for the points? Don't be silly. This time their rolling maul goes over and is greeted by wild cheers around Villa Park. However, Gauzere is having none of it. The ball was indeed held up and he spoils the Uruguayan party.
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| 78 |
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Uruguay have a final chance as they secure ball and make a few inches towards the line - but somehow Australia turn it over. They break at speed but run straight into Uruguayan wall.
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| 80 |
63 - 3 |
And Australia seal victory with an 11th try - giving them the highest score of the World Cup so far. From the resulting move, Tevita Kuridrani goes over in the far corner after only being on the field a matter of minutes.
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| 80+1 |
65 - 3 |
Cooper adds gloss to the scoreline with a superb conversion kick from the tight angle, which brings with it the full time whistle. Awesome Australia have put down a serious marker to both England and Wales.
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| 80+2 |
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ESPN's Sam Bruce at Villa Park - The Wallabies have eased to a crushing 62-point victory over Uruguay at Birmingham's Villa Park yet none of their virtual "B-team" likely did enough to earn a start against England. An indifferent early quarter, where playmaker Quade Cooper was sin-binned, eventually gave way to a period when the two-time champions found some rhythm and showed glimpses of the running rugby of yesteryear. Their standout was clearly youngster Sean McMahon; Michael Cheika's World Cup "bolter" backing up his fine display in Chicago earlier this month with an aggressively busy game up front. He finished with two tries, both of which came from what looks to be the Wallabies' biggest weapon, the rolling maul, while winger Drew Mitchell recovered from an early case of the fumbles to also grab a double. Back-rower Ben McCalman matched that effort with a brace of his own while Dean Mumm, Joe Tomane, Henry Speight, Matt Toomua and Tevita Kuridrani also crossed for tries. Cooper's goal-kicking was awful though, the fly-half landing just five of 11 conversions.
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