Eddie Jones’ selection gamble pays off as star dominates in Wallabies’ big victory over Georgia to open Rugby World Cup campaign

Ben Donaldson has justified his surprise selection with a starring role in the Wallabies’ 35-15 World Cup win over Georgia in Paris, ending their winless streak under coach Eddie Jones.

Donaldson scored two tries and scored 15 points for a personal total of 25 points, earning the player of the match award at the Stade de France on Saturday (Sunday AEST) as Jones celebrated the first win of his second stint with the Wallabies after five consecutive defeats.

“We knew what he was capable of and we felt that in a match like this there will be a lot of kicking… his long kick was invaluable,” Jones said of 24-year-old Donaldson, who replaced Andrew Kellaway at 15.

‘He is a very good decision maker and his goal kicks were not clear, but his goal key was first class.’

The fullback scored two tries and scored 15 points in the 35-15 win, which gave the Wallabies their first win in coach Eddie Jones’ second spell at the helm of the team.

Donaldson said the team was able to execute their game plan, which made him look good.

“We had a game plan, we’ve been building for a long time and the boys performed really well for the full 80 minutes,” Donaldson said.

‘I ended up looking half decent, so I did that on all the boys.

The Australians put together the victory with an impressive first half and although they fell away midway through the match, they showed discipline, with just seven penalties, to stick to the script and secure a much-needed win.

Jones said they got what they wanted from the match, including the crucial bonus point for scoring four tries.

Jones (pictured during the Wallabies’ warm-up before the Georgia game) praised Donaldson’s ‘invaluable’ long kicking game

He praised the performances of the Wallabies forwards, led by props Taniela Tupou and Angus Bell and lock, skipper Will Skelton, who outwitted the highly rated Georgian pack and allowed Donaldson and winger Mark Nawaqanitawase to shine.

“Round one you want to sit with five points,” Jones said.

“It’s the first time I’ve been involved in a game against Georgia where their scrum hasn’t dominated, so it’s a credit to (scrum coach) Neal Hatley and the front row and the rest of the pack for their scrum efficiency,” he said .

“And secondly, our attacking kicks were very good. We put Mark (Nawaqanitawase) in a number of situations where he really caused the opposition a lot of problems.

“So these are two very important and promising areas for us.”

In the stifling heat in Paris, with temperatures still in the mid-30s before the 6pm kick-off, the Wallabies got off to a blistering start when Jordan Petaia went through the center in the second minute.

With Nawaqanitase’s kick giving Australia ideal field position, Tate McDermott fired a quick ball to Petaia, who burst through the defense to score.

Prop Taniela Tupou (pictured running the ball) lived up to his ‘Tongan Thor’ nickname as he played a leading role in the Aussie pack’s dominance up front

After a penalty from Luka Matkava from Georgia, the Wallabies scored again after nine minutes through Nawaqanitawase.

After an early miss, Donaldson booted the conversion and then three consecutive penalties for the Wallabies to take a 21–3 lead into half-time.

The Australians suffered a blow late in the first half, losing McDermott after the halfback’s head collided with a Georgian knee while making a tackle.

He was able to leave the field, although he will miss their next pool match against Fiji due to concussion protocols.

Hoping for a tighter fight, the sold-out stadium roared at the smell of a Georgia try and was rewarded with a cross from flanker Luka Ivanishvili seven minutes into the second half.

Scrumhalf Tate McDermott (pictured) will miss the Wallabies’ next match against Fiji after hitting his head on a Georgian rival’s knee while trying to make a tackle

The Australians were lucky when a Georgia break ended in a loose pass, with a charging Tupou passing to Donaldson to score the first of his two tries in the 56th minute.

It proved a turning point, giving the Wallabies a 33-8 lead.

While it wasn’t a flawless show, Jones said it was a good starting point.

“The only thing I know at a World Cup is that you want to get better week after week,” he said.

‘We hadn’t won the game, but we were in a position to win at half-time.

“We didn’t really give them a chance to get into the game, so even though the second half wasn’t our absolute best, that’s part of our projection for the tournament.”