With a minute to go and the Wallabies closing in on a humiliating World Cup exit, I pulled my headset off, lent behind Hall of Famer Tim Horan and asked Morgan Turinui: “Will I be right in saying Australian rugby has hit rock bottom?”
Morgs nodded sadly.
And so, with Wallabies strewn across the field in Lyon, their fans already long gone from the stadium and the scoreboard reading Wales 40, Australia 6, I said just that. Agony.
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Nick Frost of Australia reacts after the loss to Wales in Lyon. Getty
There’d be no quarter-final, just record losses to Wales and Fiji alongside narrow wins over Portugal and Georgia.
The latter were the only victories of 2023. Played nine, lost seven. Heartbreak for those of us who love the iconic gold and Wallabies logo deeply.
The fallout was awful. Rival codes fired shots which exacerbated all the self-inflicted wounds. It was grim.
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Tom Wright. Stan
Now, less than two years on from the devastation we dare to dream again off the back of an unforgettable Australian performance.
Fittingly, Morgs and Timmy were both involved in Sunday morning’s broadcast as the Wallabies roared back from a 22-0 deficit to defeat South Africa, the World Cup winners of 2019 and 2023.
The incomparable Michael Hooper had a headset on as well as Justin Harrison and super fan/host Michael Atkinson.
All men who’ve either created iconic moments in gold or covered them.
Despite the odds and history being so heavily stacked against Australia, remembering they hadn’t won at Ellis Park since 1963, there was hope they’d hang tough on the back of their marked improvement these last eight games.
Of course, almost every ounce of that hope went in the bin through the opening quarter when the Springboks went berserker.
When we paused for halftime Morgs shrugged his shoulders, Hoops did the same.
“Mate, when they’re in that kind of mood, there’s not much you can do,” the ex-Wallabies captain said.
“It’s hard to describe how hard it is to stop some of these guys. Seanny, Andre Esterhuizen is HUGE, and when they’re over there…” He trailed off.
South Africa’s Andre Esterhuizen is tackled by Australia’s Carter Gordon. AP
Morgs and I have already experienced plenty together over the years, down by 22, up by 22, a French referee blowing a time wasting penalty in a Bledisloe, tick, tick, tick.
We’ve seen most… but we’ve never seen anything like what took place when the headsets went back on.
If we tick the key moments off, it’ll give context as to why this was one of the greatest Aussie wins of all time.
First, Angus Bell, a 125kg mountain of a prop, threw a pass so soft, so deft it could as easily have come out of the hands of Michael Lynagh, Mark Ella or Stephen Larkham.
It found a charging Harry Wilson who made it 22-12.
Second, Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii soared at altitude to steal the ball and run 60m for his first Test try. 22-19. Game on.
I looked right towards the boys who gave a pursed-lipped nod.
Third, Tom Wright broke clear of four defenders who then fed a flying Wilson whose body and legs were moving too fast for his knees.
He touched down, his knee cap popped out, and Australia were up by four.
Again, zero from Hooper or Turinui. Then, absolute magic from James O’Connor, whose Wallabies career is now 17 years long and counting.
He flung a wide ball to 20-year-old Max Jorgensen who took off down the right. Now, I’ve had some fun calling ‘Jorgo’ these last couple years.
Two tries on debut vs the Brumbies, the match winner vs England at Twickenham, his pair in the Lions series – but this was special.
At full tilt he swerved in and away to speed ahead for a breathtaking score. Miracle Max.
Australia up by 11 now having not conceded a point in an hour.
Was this really happening? Or were all the fans watching on Stan in the early hours actually in a dream? Back in the box, still no emotion from the Wallabies legend or the World Cup finalist.
Sean Maloney with Michael Hooper and Morgan Turinui. Stan
I do not recommend playing poker against either of these men.
Finally, the moment that sealed the most impressive win in recent memory, not just by the Wallabies but by any Australian sporting outfit.
After a wild passage of lung-busting play and the game still absolutely on the line, Jorgensen pressured the Springboks into a mistake that saw Wright tear up field, ball in hand.
He approached the last defender. Hoops and Morgs stayed transfixed, no movement. Wright, shifted in, then out, in and out. My co-commentators shifted zero.
Then, when the Wallabies fullback got around his man and stepped out to score it all came rushing out for Hoops.
Arms in the air, then clapping as our floor manager ‘Rev’ went wild behind him.
Sean Maloney can’t quite believe it. Supplied
Not Morgs though, he stood there in absolute disbelief like so many of us.
It was all so unbelievable, there’s been so much anguish in recent times, yet here they were, winners against the back-to-back world champions at a graveyard of Wallabies teams previous.
Somehow, the 2025 crew had, as Morgs eventually, eloquently put it, achieved: “a dream, an impossible dream made reality in the most unbelievable of fashions.”
From the agony of Lyon to the ecstasy of Ellis Park, it’s been some ride for us Wallabies lovers and it makes you wonder.
If they’ve come this far in two years, what does four look like?
– Catch Sean and the crew on Between Two Posts, every Monday on Stan Sport
