Too easy
So far this season the Wallabies have let themselves down in just one, sometimes two facets of the game. Tonight, they fucked every single one. The scrum, lineout, breakdown, kicking, discipline, running, passing; all sucked. It was only an average defensive performance that kept them anywhere near the match.
The heroics in Brisbane were catalysed by some towering leadership performances, where men went out to make the difference – like Polota-Nau with his tackling. This week they sat back and seemed to hope “the pattern” would do it all for them. It’s a simple lesson, when will they learn it?
Most disappointing was the lack of will to compete. No challenging at the line-out. No challenging at the ruck. The scrum was soft and the only guy who can run straight in the entire team is Adam Ashley-Cooper. The result of everyone sitting back waiting for someone else to “do something”.
It’s a disturbing mental fragility that was epitomised by James O’Connor. There’s a very strange thing going on in his gelled teenage head when he plays the All Blacks and tonight it translated into a simply shocking performance. You can only think for the sake of the kids confidence Dingo didn’t end it early. However, if this is true, what does it say to the team (and supporters)? O’Connor’s ego is more important than winning?
Again Joubert was happy for the All Blacks to pretty much do anything at the breakdown. But you have to say that at least they were there and putting in an effort, rather than fanned out as decoy runners in front of backs who continue to throw bullet passes above and behind players at head height. One thing tonight proved was that the backline’s problems have nothing to do with Burgess’ or Ginea’s service from 9. They go way deeper than that.
A lot has been written this week about the great position the Wallabies are for the 2011 world cup, with a an average age of 24, yadda yadda. At this point in time, all we have is a team of young chokers. Best demonstrated, when at somehow still only 19-6 down in the 70th minute, camped on the NZ line with an opportunity to pull a rabbit out of the hat, they came away with nothing.
Deans rightly pointed out that in Wellington it was down to the Wallabies to prove whether they have developed and grown, or whether Brisbane was purely a blip. Tonight we got the answer.
Final Score: New Zealand 33 – Australia 6
The scorers:
For New Zealand:
Tries: Jane, Nonu, Rokocoko
Cons: Carter 2
Pens: Carter 4
For Australia:
Pen: Giteau
Drop: Barnes
Yellow card: Toeava (NZ – 29th min – High tackle)
New Zealand: 15 Mils Muliaina, 14 Cory Jane, 13 Isaia Toeava, 12 Ma’a Nonu, 11 Joe Rokocoko, 10 Dan Carter, 9 Jimmy Cowan, 8 Kieran Read, 7 Richie McCaw (c), 6 Adam Thomson, 5 Tom Donnelly, 4 Brad Thorn, 3 Neemia Tialata, 2 Andrew Hore, 1 Tony Woodcock.
Replacements: 16 Aled de Malmanche, 17 John Afoa, 18 Jason Eaton, 19 Rodney So’oialo, 20 Brendon Leonard, 21 Stephen Donald, 22 Hosea Gear.
Australia:15 James O’Connor, 14 Lachie Turner, 13 Adam Ashley-Cooper, 12 Berrick Barnes, 11 Drew Mitchell, 10 Matt Giteau, 9 Will Genia, 8 George Smith (c), 7 David Pocock, 6 Rocky Elsom, 5 Mark Chisholm, 4 James Horwill, 3 Ben Alexander, 2 Tatafu Polota-Nau, 1 Benn Robinson.
Replacements: 16 Stephen Moore, 17 Pek Cowan, 18 Dean Mumm, 19 Wycliff Palu, 20 Luke Burgess, 21 Quade Cooper, 22 Peter Hynes.
Venue: Westpac Stadium, Wellington
Weather: Clear skies, still 10°C
Referee: Craig Joubert (South Africa)
Assistant referees: Wayne Barnes (England), Cobus Wessels (South Africa)
TMO: Shaun Veldsman (South Africa)
Tags: adam ashley-cooper, ben alexander, benn robinson, berrick barnes, cory jane, craig joubert, david pocock, dean mumm, drew mitchell, george smith, james horwill, james o'connor, joe rokocoko, luke burgess, ma'a nonu, mark chisholm, matt giteau, peter hynes, post match review, quade cooper, richie mccaw, rocky elsom, rodney so'oialo, stephen moore, tri-nations, will genia, yellow card
Matt a.k.a Gagger or GAGR (short for GreenAndGoldRugby, not a fetish)
Matt started G&GR just before the 2007 Rugby World Cup and has been enslaved ever since. You can follow him on Twitter here http://www.twitter.com/Matt_Gagger 
giteau is no.10
It should be barnes, giteau doesnt control the backline, i think he is more of an individualist player and not good distributor or decision maker. i only fucking wish we had gregan/larkham combo again, at least then we play well, win or lose. this was a disgrace. weak rucking, all blacks turn it over at their whim(not always legally). cant deans tell the boys to commit more numbers and be more aggressive at the breakdown??? thats their main problem in all test vs allblacks, especially in the second half. shit.
Gerrard scored 2 tries in his debut 10 mins off the bench for his japanese team NCC Communications. Albeit 2nd Division, he still was playing in the unfamiliar outside centre position.
Cant tell me his cannon leg and his size/acceleration wouldn’t have come in handy in this match.
Not just in this match. All through the Tri-Nations the Wallabies have got into kicking contests without a decent kicker. Of all Deans’ decisions letting Gerrard go was the strangest to me. He is big, runs good lines, is safe under the high ball, solid in defence, has great ball distribution and is a huge defensive and accurate tactical kicker. JO’C is quicker, but that’s about it – he is just way out of his depth at present.
Towards the end of the S14 I quoted a piece to the effect that Gerrard was “not just knocking on Deans’ door but bashing it down”. Seems Robbie just wasn’t at home.
I agree that this was a disgraceful match. I hope things improve.
100% agree. Forget the backs though – it was lack of commitment in the forwards that cost us the match.
And wasn’t it lack of forward commitment that cost us the match in Bledisloe 1? I think if we’ve moved at all then we’ve just come full circle. I’ve been a Wallaby supporter for many years and I can’t remember feeling this disgusted by a Wallaby performance. Some of those stats were absolutely shameful – rucks and mauls we’re 30 to 2 at one stage in the 2nd half. 30 to 2!!!
The ABs worked as a unit – as a pack. We were individuals in attack and defense. It’s why we were pushed so easily off the ball and why we go so isolated.
If you recorded the pre-match chat from Fox you should upload the Adam Ashley-Cooper speech promising a new dawn and all that bull.
After seeing the smug faces of the Australian commentators and the ridiculous Adam Ashley-Cooper promo pre match ther was nothing better than seeing the All Blacks outhink, out muscle and outplay the Wallabies. Worst Wallaby performance to date this 3 nations……. Smashed
the wallabies have to learn that it takes more than talk to win a test match … Very ordinary performance … but nz weren’t too flash either which makes it even worse
Thats been there problem all tri-nations long, tooooo much talk about winning!!!
I can not understand Deans’ substitutions. The 2nd rowers were shocking, Mumm should have come on for one of them. Hynes should have come on at 1/2 time for O’Connor. Gits should have been hooked and Cooper come on with 15 to go.
Poor coaching.
Chis was good. got over the line a few times.
Gagger,
I’m guessing you won’t be short of topics for your analysis video this time, but my suggestion would be to include each moment we got turned over, and look at what it cost us. Especially the few at the end when we were “threatening” their line.
Every time we go to NZ we talk it up in the same way, and we lose, IN EXACTLY THE SAME WAY, every year. It’s not like counter-rucking is a surprise tactic from the Kiwis.
The fact we seem to be fully aware of how they will play yet completely incapable of countering it points to a need for smarter players and smarter coaching. We certainly need to work out how to win in NZ if we are going to compete at the World Cup.
Absolutely… just fucking monstered at the breakdown and not adjusting. It was pathetic – like boys against men.
love the avatar… inconceivable
I feel dishonoured by the players. Simple as that.
You could tell in the first 5 mins that o’connor wasn’t there. That ridiculous pass back in to mitchell only to duff the kick – embarassing.. and I woke the wife up to say they should sub him now [insert appropriate expletives]
If I look for a positve – it’s surprisingly easy. Only one player lead with passion. TPN. There’s been some talk that post 2011 he’s a candidate for captain one day; if he can maintain the current intensity, keep working on the throw and develop a mean reputation for those hits, I’d put my vote in for him.
—
Can you imagine being Deans and watching it all unfold in front of 45,000 ex-countrymen that just love nothing better than making Aussie look like a squealing bunch of bitch sissies.
Someone Shave O’Connor’s Head!
Done.
On the upside, the caketin in Wellington only holds 30000, not 45000 as you suggested. That’s 15000 less kiwis for Deans to be embarrased in front of.
For the first time in many years, I couldn’t watch the entire game. I turned it off after the Nonu try feeling absolutely disgusted that the Wallabies can’t get up to play the fucking all blacks. It is an absolute disgrace. This latest abomination showed exactly why rugby in is in danger of completely falling off the map in Australia. Why should the fans care when not one player in the entire fucking NATIONAL TEAM doesn’t give a crap against their biggest rival.
I think now that some sort of coaching change must take place because Robbie Deans has not made the Wallabies any better since 2007. I think that overall, they performed just as poorly this season as they did in 2005 when they didn’t win a single Tri-Nations match. It absolutely baffled me that the Wallabies didn’t contest at most of the line-outs when going into the match, the AB’s were being ripped apart by everyone for having the worst lineout in the Tri-Nations. The only positive out of this game was they lost by 27 when it should have been a lot more.
Back luck fellas but we always go best when its backs-to-the-wall stuff, hounded by the press, hopes of a nation etc…
Re: O’Connor – there was one time when he beat 4 guys at ease with a left foot step – stick with him he’s a star in the making.
You can only play as well as the opposition lets you and nowhere in any of the comments from Australian supporters do I see any credit being given to the AB’s for an excellent performance, completely dominating and closing the Wallabies down. Interesting to see that some of you are now turning on Dingo Deans who a little while back you were lauding as the saviour of Australian rugby and the best coach in the world. Alot of whingeing which I guess emanates from your English heritage.
Most of us are whinging because we witnessed in Brisbane what could happen when the team turns up to play. All credit to the AB’s but they looked good because the Wallabies let them look good. If the Wallabies had showed the same commitment they showed in Brisbane then it would be a different story and I think most would give fair credit to whoever won. Sadly this was hardly a contest as the AB’s were playing a bunch of school boys.
After a performance like that, Deans deserves criticism the same as any other coach. Maybe subconsciously he can’t coach a win against his home team.
Anyway if there are to be any positives out of this it’s that it perpetuates the myth that the AB’s are something special and it keeps Henry and co safe in their coaching jobs which is exactly where the rest of the world wants them to be.
Poindexter – What part of your heritage made you a dickhead?
Best example of the Wallabies letting the All Blacks play was the line-out. The first AB throw of the game showed it was still a gibbering mess from last week, yet Australia put absolutely 0 pressure on it.
By the end of the game it was working smoothly again. Go figure.
Bring back Tuquiri , Rogers and Sailor LMAO The Wallabies need some more League players . Elsom and Barnes are the two best players in the team , no coincidence they both played League
just about everyone has played both at some stage.
Deans is an idiot , Super 14 is not test football! The wallabies lack size in the backs and under Deans our set plays have been extremely mediocre .
All Blacks were fantastic. Grabbed the Wobblies by the throat and squeezed the life out of them. Dynamic at the breakdown and able to apply constant pressure. The Wallabies ‘soft centre’ rears its ugly head again.
Why can’t the Wallabies play like the All Blacks? Because its in their genes. From when they are little kiddies they learn to scrap at the breakdown in competitions which have way more depth than those found in Australia. Country and provincial rugby is strong and the life blood of Super 14 franchises. Throw in the warrior polynesian component and you have the total package.
Unfortunately we are a 2nd tier rugby nation in comparison with NZ and SA. The sooner we attain more depth in our competitions, the sooner we can do something about it. Until then things won’t be changing, Deans or no Deans.
And for those who were trying to convince that the Super 14 standings in no way reflected the international season – bullshit.
The only positive for us is that Henry and Co will remain, which in the long term may be a benefit.
I AGREE MATE,I HOPE THE AUSSIES START TO DO BETTER FOR THE SAKE OF OUR GAME
@ Lance,
Henry and co. can only do so much for the abs.
Its the players selected who have to rise up to the task at hand. You think its a positive for the wallabies that henry and co. are staying on to take the abs to the 2011 WC. Please show me how is that a positive.
You remember Nonu- the ugly….. (in your own arrogant ozy english), yep, well he scored a beauty last weekend too.
Why do you want your wallabies to play like the abs, when all the time you are calling the abs all sorts of names and even labeling Richie as captain Off-Side.
And “NO” Lance, your wallabies are Tier 1 quality, stop trying to talk yourselves down when before the Tr-Nations you were talking yourselves up and and enjoying the french win over the abs as much as your wallabies beating the french.
You wallabies and your fans are all the same, you hate the abs so much that I can’t even understand why the hell in the first place you employed an ex-all black to coach your team and some of you even hate him even though his your coach.
Lance, if the wallabies want to win, they better start playing like true wallabies and “SHUT THE F**K UP AND GET ON WITH THE JOB”. No one cares how many world cups you’ve won before, keep calling the abs- chokers and you will one day be one yourselves.
I still feel the abs have not reached their potential yet. Just like the boks say they haven’t and your wallabies too. But we will all know the result in 2 years time who reached and who didn’t.
“GO THE ALL BLACKS WIN OR LOSE”
@Sweet,
No one cares how many world cups you’ve won before, keep calling the abs- chokers and you will one day be one yourselves.
I care.
@ LG,
Thanx for caring, it all makes sense now.
@ LG,
You wrote off the abs before the game kicked off last weekend in one of the earlier posts.
I want to ask you now,
What’s your opinion on the abs performance last weekend?
Instead of replying to every comment I wrote, this time round, just give your 2 cents on the question above. Its seems like you know better than I do with the way things are going at the abs camp.
I know the world cup means alot to all the players who have won it before. But what I actually meant, was that, those wins by those past wallabies teams was stuff of legends.
If the wallabies want to win now, they need to get back that hunger, aggression, wallaby spirit, never say die attitude, mongrel-Phil Waugh material.
In the past, when the wallabies would beat the abs It happened because those players at that time knew what it took to put on that wallaby jersey and just go out there and smash anything in a black jersey on the field.
Those past bledisloe games were the best to watch because both teams used to go all out, blood,sweat and tears. I really miss the aggression the wallabies use to bring on any of their opposition.
I can go through heaps and heaps of wallaby legends just to give a hint on how the wallabies of today should play like.
LEG BREAK, if you think the abs were in the shitter last weekend, then where do you think they are right this very moment.
Go you All Black Beauty, and I’ll say it again WIN OR LOSE.
LEG BREAK, thats my enthusiasm for you.
The wallabies will just have to re-look at themselves and learn from this lesson. This match has exposed alot of negatives in the wallabies style of play, and the hunger was just not there.
Some players tried alot harder then some to make things happen but you see its a 15 men game and you need 15 players to think alike, work together, play as a unit and just give 100% the whole 80 mins.
Deans message is just not getting across. If the need arises for him to be removed then the best option is to get an australian-former wallaby to coach and lead from the front. Someone the players can look up to and actually want go out there and please him, the fans and also play with that passionate wallaby never say die spirit.
Barnes-10, Giteau-12, there is still time left to put together a good wallaby side that can actually go to nz to win the WC 2011. Alot of young players in the squad, and I know they would have learnt from this match and they can only get better if they do.
Need to work more on the mental toughness when going into these sorts of games.
By the way, the abs played really well, the players who were not performing earlier in the comp, showed everyone that the coaches weren’t doing any special favors for them.
All those critics of the abs coaching panel and players can now shut up and actually learn a thing or two. The introduction of some fresh faces and a good mix of experience really paid of big time.
Congrats to the ALL BLACKS. Fantastic win.
Yeah the ABs came out to play and full credit to them. They showed the true All Black spirit. The WBs were still in their sandpits.
By the way Sweetaz, who do you think among the WBs would have learned something from this game? From the season they had leading up to last night’s match you would have thought there was nothing more to learn.
There is a lot of mouth in this WB squad which talks incessantly about backing up etc, etc – it’s embarrasing because they then go out and get their arses kicked.
What they do need to learn is to keep their mouths tightly shut and get their brains and bodies working.
I agree with Lance, it’s in the kiwi genes and hell wil freeze over before the WBs learn it.
Agree all we here from the Wallabies is talk talk talk. They beat South Africa last week and then the talk starts. just shut your mouths and turn up and play rugby.
@Sweet Az,
You don’t think these overdue changes in personnel were more about public outrage than any sudden initiative from the coaching staff by any chance?
The was a strange “performance” from the Wallabies all right; especially in the lineouts.
Suspicious even
@ Robson,
Your question: Who do you think among the wallabies would have learned something from this game?
The whole bang lot of them-The Coach, The players, and the fans and even the abs themselves.
@ LG,
You have a good point there but you see thats the whole reason why the abs have performed better last weekend, pressure from the public and some of the players who weren’t performing at the beginning of the comp just went out there and produced the goods.
Fresh men, different opposition, even though the abs didn’t retain the Tri-Nations Cup they still showed some real heart in coming back from that 3 point loss to the boks and just dominated the wallabies in all areas of play for 80mins.
The coaches always have the last say in any selection, and the public played a big part in them making quality changes to the side.
Its true the wallabies were struggling against the abs through out the game, but the bottom line is the abs played well all round.
They fixed their lineouts, improved on their scrums, and just shoved the ozies at will at the breakdowns. The backline for the abs were superb, they actually played well under the high balls, tackled their hearts out, and DC had an outstanding game at 10.
All three tries came from the backline, it just rewarded the forwards for the hard work leading up to those tries and through out the match.
But I know the wallabies will be back next year, and I hope more wiser and better equipped to take it to the boks and abs. The november internationals should be interesting, good rebuilding process for both the wallabies and abs.
Couldn’t believe what I was witnessing last saturday though. I thought the wallabies were up for it and would have given the abs a good contest, instead it turned into real men giving the boys a good lesson which I personally think will help the boys out in the long run.
All the best to both teams in the november internationals and for the game coming up in Japan, may the best prepared side win.
One of the problems in sport these days if a team is not performing is the call to sack the coach. Players need to take more responsibility for their performances. I recall when Peter De Villiers became the Springbok coach that there was an outcry that he was only selected on a racial basis, that he had a very limited coaching background, that he wasn’t up to it and didn’t have the respect of his players. He certainly says alot of idiotic things and I wonder if the Boks have become a very successful side despite him, ie some very experienced and skilful players who have taken ownership of the side, on and off the field.
I have heard it said that Pieter De Villiers acts the buffoon to take the heat off the SA team – as a ‘lightening rod’ as it were. Which would certainly make him a lot smarter than I was expecting.
Regarding the game, yeah the Wallabies played like shit and looked like their commitment level was at about 40%, but remember that they beat the Boks two weeks ago when the Boks were at about 40% while the Wallabies were completely up for the game.
All it goes to show is that the team that has the mental discipline to get up for every game is the team more likely to win. The AB’s used to have this in spades, the Boks are now showing the same trait.
There’s a good chance that if the Boks were to play the Wallabies next week, then AAC and JOC and company could well win it if the Boks weren’t firing. It’s just the way it is – the difference between each team on the day is marginal and the right attitude on the day goes a lot further than the best coach, tactics or even players.
I don’t think bringing in more league players is the answer. They spend more time on the front page than the sport’s page, their attendance at training is sporadic due to their Court appearances,and another player has to be assigned to turn them around at half time. They need to stay with league where they can rape, rob, and ravage to their heart’s content.
Been a fan of this site for a while and have decided to join in on the blog after watching that woeful test.I just wanted to confirm that rugby involves 30 players on the field not 15..or did I miss a law change?
come join the forum. would love to have you!
@ Tigger,
Its 15 against 15 – which obviously adds up to 30 on the park at all times unless players are yellow carded- (10 minutes in the bin)/red carded-out for the remaining minutes of the game.
Rugby Union has two major codes- 15 aside/7 aside.
There’s also 10 aside comps too.
And no you didn’t miss a law change. Its pretty tough understanding the rugby lingo and its laws if you go by the name of Tigger for starters.
Maybe next time you and “Pooh and his friends” can be better informed on whether they are new laws or changed ones by going to the IRB Headquarters and asking those big men in suits.
Or just google it.
@ sweet az
heard of sarcasm?
players weren’t being involved or stepping up so it seemed there were less on the field…
mate i think that tigger might have been joking…saying that no one is giving enough credits to the blacks…
G’Day Sweet az
Henry and Punter are correct..I was being sarcastic….thanks for the suggestions anyway…I thought the AB’s were fantastic..hungry mobile forward packs and hard running backs who made very little errors…a real lesson in rugby quality and the thirst to win…. if only our press/public could rile up our boys a bit before matches as opposed to those ridiculous glory stories you have to read in the days leading up..
More than anything else the Wallabies need to play the game that the other team plays. If the team opposite is ignoring the offside rules in the ruck and maul and the ref is only ‘monitoring’ it, then we need to do the same. If they dive over the ball and fall over it onto the other team’s side each time, then we need to do the same. If Richie can walk into a ruck from the wallaby side without retreating then we need to both a) bruise his friggin kidneys when he does and b) do the same.
But as long as we let them get away with it and just wait for the ref, we aren’t getting anywhere in a hurry.
Come on Patrick, George Smith is a master at ignoring the offside rules in the and maul. It’s just that last night he didn’t have a top game in the loose and was outplayed.
Disgraceful. Problem is I keep saying I’m sick of living in hope but continually get let down for being a Wallabies supporter. They didnt turn up- got monstered by the forwards which was embarressing. Why cant we counter ruck? Why couldnt we (or both packs)pack a single scrum? we never look confident; Im nervous everytime we have the ball in hand that someone will stuff up. But their sorry faces arent enough, theyll recieve their cheques next week and get paid very generously for not turning up for work. Its the players not Deans- cant go from one week beating world champs to getting smashed and playing like fools from bad coaching. We talk up a good game and have a bad rep for doing so; why dont they zip it. Its all been said in the above posts- but Barnes needs to be 10, pay vickerman whatever it takes to come home along with McMeniman to boost fwds. Hynes doesnt make mistakes, start him instead of Turner. Get Digby in ASAP. Cliffy needs to get back on the paddock- we need a running 8 to make yards along with Elsom.
Hey Boogieblunt, now that shit u writing is just plain wrong man. Im what they call a coloured saffa and u should get your facts right. Leave that comments for the political arena.
Jesus, Lance Free, I think that Boogieblunt may have been drinking with that legendary Mangatainoka (Toki)winger, Doc Sock. Very similar paraphrasing!!!
FUCK.
Passion in the forwards? There’s none there. James Horwill was fucking useless. Elsom refused to even try to get a grip on the match. Pretty much every fat forward sat in the backline and left Berrick and O’Conner to pratice the clearing out.
PASSION.
PHIL. FUCKIN’. WAUGH.
1. Wallabies need to stop listening to the hype (which they seem to believe) and stop making bloody FoxSports segments which make them look very foolish later on (poor AAC).
2. Deans needs to think about NOW as well as 2011. It’s all very well sticking with the youngsters – they are the future – but in the meantime the Wallabies are outclassed and showing a lack of experience.
3. against the AB’s we (the viewers) know what will happen at the breakdown. Smith knows what happens at the breakdown and was there time and time again. But where were the rest. Did Deans not think to tell them? Smith is THE WALLABY No.7, and against the AB’s SHOULD be No.7. With Waugh the mongrel off the bench. Poocock doesn’t hack it, yet. Experience counts.
4. watched the Bronco vs St.George – excellent coaching – the Broncos knew exactly where to attack and did it repeatedly. It was known that the AB’s line out could be attacked.
5. why was JOC left on? The FoxSport commentators reckoned it was so as not to knock his confidence. Boo bloody hoo!
Your blog comments are a disgrace and should be deleted. The Saffers won 5 our 6 of their games and the Wallabies 1!!!!!! You are deluded if you think the Wobblies are anywhere near the standard of the Boks – one at home win does not mean a thing as any team on the road for that time period will have a bad game. Keep your racist comments to yourself.
Watched the Broncos v dragons last night. Some of those Broncos forwards and a couple of the dragqueens ones are tough, fast and hard. Not enough of those types playing rugby I reckon. Rugby League draws the best athletes. In australia, that is. In nz and SA its the opposite.
Heya Fellas. Gagger .
All Blacks won. We lost.
But this time we didn’t “just” lose. We didn’t “almost” fulfil our world-shattering potential.
Something stinks at team Wallaby.
We rolled over and said “Hit me again Ike, and put some stank on it!”
The only place where the Wallabies can win matches is Suncorp Stadium Brisbane. It must be the configuration of 53000 screaming supporters sitting right on top of the game that makes the Wallabies get off their backside and work. I vote for all future Wallaby tests to be played in Brisbane.
Now there’s a point.
Why, why on earth do the WBs play like demons against the Boks at Suncorp and make the breakdown such a blistering oven for them that they actually wore the Boks down, then go to Wellington two weeks later and? ……… you know the rest.
Why is that? I can’t understand it.
What sort of hoodoo do NZ rugby parks have on the WBs? The WBs have won at least once in SA in the last two seasons. But NZ grounds freak them out to freezing point. I don’t understand it.
Here is another question.
Thinking about the past two seasons, would the WBs have done any better or any worse under Knuckles Connelly?
They couldn’t have done much worse could they?
So……….???????
As a kiwi I should be washing my mouth out with soap, but as much as I admire and respect Robbie, the man they now call Dingo, I think the question has to be asked.
If things don’t improve on the EOYT, I believe Robbie’s got to give someone else, at least one season, to try to put the jigsaw that is Australian rugby together again before the RWC comp in 2011.
And by improve, I mean that they will have to win convincingly at Tokyo and take all four of the four home unions to the cleaners.
Nothing less than that is really acceptable. In fact nothing less than that is needed as an indication that the corner is in the process of being negotiated.
That’s the very least that has to be affirmed, because we won’t know whether the corner has actually been turned until the WBs meet the ABs in NZ again and the Boks in SA again.
So who is in the wings?
There is no heir apparent; unless you start thinking outside the square like John Eales and Tim Horan. Like McKenzie and Daniel Herbert and McKenzie is not so far out of the square these days either.
I feel that a change definitely has to be contemplated (even if it’s just to have a back up plan) and I wouln’t be surprised at all if these thoughts are not passing through O’Neill’s mind aleasdy.
Wow – depressing.
The biggest problem no doubt was that noone seemed able to generate forward momentum – in the backs or the forwards. At the game in Perth I noticed how lateral the backline ran with the ball. We need diggers or morty in the team and some good old fashioned crash balls with guys in support to generate some go forward and preserve the space out wide.
What is amazing though is how each of the Tri nations teams seem to be one or two losses away from oblivion at the moment. The Boks lose a couple, and all of the PDV/smit/quota stuff rears its head. The Blucks lose a couple and Henry is tired and should be cut loose before its too late. The WBs lose a couple and they are mentally weak and Deans is not who we thought he was.
It was a good performance by the blucks, and a very sad one by the WBs – but judging by how things have gone thus far, the next game is the one that counts. Hopefully they can get their sh1t together for the next one!
I just hope this beautiful game survives in this country because with the way things are going at the moment, I just don’t know. There could be multiple reasons for this (lack of a domestic competition leading to a lack of players coming through the ranks), the code itself being ‘isolated’ Australia (it’s not a sufficient ‘driver’ of patriotism like in SA or NZ), a lack of mental aptitude from players in recent years. I don’t know. After 2003, things have gone progressively downhill in Wallaby-land and it is still happening (but the downhill angle is suddenly more acute).
Why is AFL such a big ‘thing’ here (where suburbs play suburbs week in and week out) but our COUNTRY is neglected in a sport played at international level? WHY?
I’ve just scanned most of the blog entries and you’re missing the point. We didn’t lost because of technical this or technical that. We lost because we were gutless.
@SA,
What’s your opinion on the abs performance last weekend?
Simple, non smart arse, and effective.
That is, a huge change on the rubbish offered since May 2007.
But face it; Wobblies were very poor. Poor in tactics (not challenging our paper mache lineout) and poor in execution (O’Connor)
But no, I don’t think we’ve turned the corner. 2 tries from individual brilliance, and then finally a team try in the last minute.
From a forward pass.
BTW, most telling thing for me? All the ironic cheers every time we won a lineout.
Hey boys,
Long time listener first time blogger.
I know I may get thumped for this but I can’t help but notice we are forgetting one thing in all this. No excuses the Wallabies were beyond poor- regardless this is still NZ IN NZ. Even the boks crapped themselves in the last thirty seconds cos the Blacks are dangerous even when they suck.
Anyways thanks for the site – keeps me sane as an Aussie in Cape Town
Cheers
Welcome Zeeman, I like the positivity.
I feel that the Wallabies where more than capable of winning if they were not so self centered or should i say they were not so individualistic .They did not play as a team but rather as 15 individuals.It could have been totally different game if they started to trust one another.
What the Wallabies don’t have that the ABs do is Cory Jane. Why the hell wasn’t this guy starting every test for the ABs? Everytime I see him Super 14 or test, he seems to make good things happen for his team. And he was on the bench for a long time before he broke in. He’s smart, tough, dedicated and now the AB wingers know that if they aren’t up to their best every week, Cory Jane will take their spot. The Wallaby wingers just seem to hope that the coach will think they are slightly less crap than the current guy.
There needs to be more competition for spots. For one thing, that builds the mental toughness everyone is talking about. If you can handle the pressure of someone breathing down your neck for your spot, then you can deal with big games. I have no idea how you would achieve this depth in Australia, and I think Deans has been trying to build it, but its not there.
I remember one year when a Kiwi announcer noted that the 3 best Fullbacks in the Super 14 were all Aussies. WHAT HAPPENED? My theory, which I don’t have much proof for, is John O’Neil failing to build a deeper system for developing players. Beale, Cooper, JO’C could all have learned plenty from playing in a Currie Cup or NPC competition.
Now, this is the question I have for those who actually no about the club competition in Australia. Can you unite the Queensland and Sydney club competitions? Would it make them any better?
Also, how much better would the team have been with Ioane and Mortlock available? Then AAC could go back to 15, not his best position maybe but better than JO’C.
There, I have solved all of Australia’s Rugby problems. You’re welcome.
Go ask Robbie Deans for a job then. He’ll probably tell you that you can have his.
I haven’t read much of this thread but for me it is pretty simple at the moment…
There is nothing intimidating about the Wallabies at present. If you were an All Black or Springbok then you might look at Elsom, Smith or TPN as slighlty intimidating but a couple of individuals don’t matter.
Look at the backline. Gits, JOC, Barnes and Turner… bloody hell, Wayne Rooney would bash those boys up!
I know the argument is that if you give these boys space they can carve up the best (well Gits can), but there is just nothing there to offer any punch. I know Mortlock is out, but he is on his last legs, so what is next?
Look at the All Blacks and Boks, there is plenty to intimidate even the most confident of player. Rokocoko, Nonu, Toeava, Carter, Mils, Du Prez, Habana, De Villiers, Fourie and Steyne… And that is just the backs!!
It has been a case of boys v men this series and at the moment I fear for the next couple of seasons. I don’t know about you guys but when I was playing I remember an extra 10kgs being pretty important at the breakdown and that is where we are getting dicked.
The real unfortunate thing is the possibles probables game would have provided an opportunity for some of the bigger, harder players to prove their cause.
I remember when I was finishing up playing in Sydney there were some massive talented young units coming through in the centres… where have they gone? Did they get the shits with rugby like everyone else??? Shame we have such a bunch of midgets running around at the moment.
Oh yeah, someone give JOC a haircut too, that rubbish will take him nowhere!
Digby Ioane and Mark Gerrard would fill the gap you are talking about nicely.
There’s no doubt it was a shocker from the Wobblies (the score flattered them), but it’s silly to overreact to one game.
Of more concern is not that we were well beaten on the night by an committed and skilful AB team, but that we were beaten in the same way they usually beat us – at the breakdown. Just as a few years ago we had to concentrate on getting our scrum up to scratch before we did anything else, now we have to concentrate on getting to the breakdown quickly and skirting the edge of the laws once we’re there (as the ABs always do so skilfully, and good luck to them).
I actually don’t think there’s too much wrong with the backs – having the forwards going backwards is always going to make them look bad. Yes, Ashley-Cooper had a shocker, but it’s even less accurate to judge an individual on one performance than a team. That same backline has proved pretty potent in those matches where they get enough fast clean ball, and pretty good at defence in most matches where they don’t.
Just pick mobile forwards with some mongrel attitude and drill them properly.
So what are we actually trying to prove now? That size matters in rugby? Or skill?
Or both? Meaning it’s advantageous to have both these characteristics in today’s game whereas the Wallaby backline has only one of these (i.e. skill but not size)? Is that the problem?