By Spiro Zavos
September 1st 2008 @ 7:13am
Dire thoughts on a massacre at Johannesburg
The Springboks destruction of the Wallabies was the sort of defeat that gives massacres a bad name. This was a thrashing, a walloping and a devastation.
Go through the thesaurus to find all the words for a massacre - a general slaughter, utter defeat, destruction and so on - and you get a feel for what happened at the citadel of Afrikaner rugby pride and power, Coca-Cola (formerly Ellis) Park in Johannesburg.
The Springboks were the ferocious mongols of Ghengis Khan: and the Wallabies were the hapless villagers put to the sword and fire with a vengeance and brutality.
In the manner of wiping away the blood from a victim, lets get some of the statistics out of the way.
This was the greatest margin of defeat for a Wallaby side, 45 points in arrears, since the team started playing Test rugby in 1899.
It was the second-largest points total conceded since that awful day in 1997 at Pretoria when the Springboks ran riot and scored a total of 61 points to 22.
The Wallabies have now won one of 9 Tests at Johannesburg. The one and only victory was in 1963 when John Thornett side, with the wonderful lineout leaping of Rob Heming, defeated the Springboks. This victory followed a victory in the Test before. Thornett’s side remains the Australian team to win two Tests in succession in South Africa against the Springboks.
When things go as badly wrong as this, it’s because everything goes wrong.
The five replacements to the winning team at Durban weakened the side, rather than strengthened it with new energy.
A couple of the replacements, for Daniel Vickerman and Berrick Barnes, were forced on Robbie Deans. The dropping of Stephen Moore as hooker, bringing in Matt Dunning to start in the front row and playing Phil Waugh ahead of George Smith were own goals scored by the Wallaby coach.
Dunning was substituted after 20 minutes and one would think that after Brisbane his Wallaby career is over.
Waugh showed once again that he is too small and just not a good enough player, especially at the linking game with his running and passing, to be a starter in Test rugby. Like Dunning, you would think that Waugh’s career as a Wallaby is coming to an end and some of the young loosies from the Western Force will be brought into the squad for the November tour.
The Wallaby lineout held up well, especially on the Springboks ball. Victor Matfield, usually so dominant, lost a number of lineouts.
And the Wallaby scrum, aside from a crucial scrum on its tryline when the side was leading 3 - 0 that the Springboks demolished, was adequate.
The Wallabies also did well enough in the rucks and mauls, especially when George Smith came on, to have enough ball to do well in general play.
The experiment with Timana Tahu, though, was a desperate failure. He started well with a long flat pass out to Lote Tuqiri’s wing but it was downhill all the way after that. He seemed to have no idea about defence and for the first time in years the Wallabies were being outflanked easily virtually every time the Springboks ran the ball through the backs.
Rugby league tragics are going to be angry at what I say next, so if you don’t want to read the truth drop down a couple of paragraphs. The truth is this: the days when rugby league greats like Rod Reddy could help the Wallabies win a Rugby World Cup (1991, in fact) by teaching them RL tackling methods and systems are long gone. The rugby league players of today just do not have the tackling nous of their rugby union counterparts, when they play rugby union.
We saw this with Wendell Sailor, often with Lote Tuqiri, always with Mat Rogers and now with Tahu. He reminded me of Andy Farrell’s efforts for England at inside centre a couple of years ago, especially when the Irish centres ran riot - rather like the Springboks on Saturday - with Farrell making all the wrong defensive choices (like Tahu).
Perhaps even more similiar was the case of Henry Paul who was hooked from the side on his debut at inside centre for England against Australia after about 20 minutes of being exposed defensively by the Wallaby centres. Tahu lasted 53 minutes, about half an hour too long.
Ryan Cross, a rugby league player admittedly but a former Australian Schoolboys rugby union player, made an immediate difference when he came on.
I think the Timana Tahu experiment is over for the time being and Deans will have to work out a centre combination of Stirling Mortlock-Ryan Cross for the crucial Brisbane Test against the All Blacks.
Also over, surely, is the fancy of playing Adam Ashley-Cooper ahead of Drew Mitchell at fullback. Ashley Cooper was too often out of position. His kicking was poor. His following up was even worse. There was a big improvement in the way the Wallabies handled the long kicking game of the Springboks when Mitchell came on. But by then, as Rex Mossop used to say: ‘Hang up your glasses. The horse has bolted.’
The Wallabies were tactically inept. Early on in the game they tried to run the ball in confused and confined circumstances from inside their own 22. The result was turnover after turnover, especially from bad handling, which got worse as the players tired rapidly. The Springboks exploited Tahu’s ineptitude at reading back plays, and the points piled on.
Of all the major rugby grounds in the world, with the exception of Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria, Coca-Cola Park at Johannsburg is the worst ground in the world to try and run the ball inside your 22. Because of the altitude of the high veldt the ball travels much further than at sea level. So you get field position very easily by belting the ball downfield, and you hope that the opposition is stupid enough to try to run it back at you - which the Wallabies did.
When they did try to counter-attack with the kick-and-chase game they kicked far too deep, and there was no chase, until Mitchell came on to replace Ashley-Cooper.
If you watch the All Blacks their kick-and-chase game in their last two Tests was very successful because the winger positioned himself beside the fullback and ran on as soon as the ball was kicked to put pressure on the catcher. The Wallabies did not do this. Tuqiri is actually very good in the air. But where was his chase? He’s always complaining about not getting enough ball and so on. But he is a lazy player. Forget about his handling mistakes. He does very little work off the ball, particularly on the kick-chase game, and the Wallabies are at a disadvantage because of this.
It seemed to me that the difficulties of playing at altitude got to the Wallabies very early on in the game. After one early long sequence of play you could hear Matfield in his high-pitched voice shouting as the referee NZer Bryce Lawrence, ‘The Wallabies are faking injuries.’ There was a leaden-footed aspect to the play of the Wallabies that suggested that they were feeling the pressure of the lack of oxygen to their lungs and couldn’t get their second wind.
This brings us to the matter of how visiting teams should deal with having to play at altitude. The theory that works best, according to people who should know, is that you spend as long as you can at the altitude and acclimatise to it, a week before the Test if possible: or you go up as late as possible, the day before the Test, if possible.
Several days at altitude, apparently, leaves you in the worst possible position of a long exposure to the thin air but not enough time to acclimatise. This is what the Wallabies did. And the result was the massacre.
Deans now has the record of the first win in South Africa by the Wallabies in 8 years, and the worst defeat (in terms of a points-margin) in 109 years. Rooster one day, it seems, feather duster the next.
The Test in Brisbane against the All Blacks for the 2008 Tri-Nations championship now looms as a huge challenge for the Wallabies. Two slightly hopeful aspects, one short term and the other long term, emerge from all the - justifiable - doom, gloom and recriminations.
First, the short term message is that a number of the players starting on Saturday can’t be starters against the All Blacks. So selection mistakes should not occur for the next Test. And you would think, too, that the game plan for the side would be more appropriate to the skill level of the side.
Second, the long term message is that teams can recover from massacres. The Springboks came back from two comprehensive losses to score some marvellous tries and win one of their great Test victories.
Also, Rod Macqueen, as the new coach, took 13 of the Wallabies involved in the massacre at Pretoria in 1997 to a famous RWC triumph in 1999.
Robbie Deans and the Wallabies trying together the body and soul of the Wallabies after the Johannesburg massacre should take note of this splendid mantra: ‘The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing.’
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Frank O'Keeffe said | September 1st 2008 @ 7:44am | Report comment
What more can somebody say?
I’ll only add that:
“The one and only victory was in 1963 when John Thornett side, with the wonderful lineout leaping of Rob Heming, defeated the Springboks.”
That’s the reason why I put Rob Heming in my all-time Wallabies side. Everybody picks Eales, but who to partner him in the second row? There’s about five other names that could be mentioned, but Heming gets it for me because he was so crucial for the Wallabies in such a significant series against a country that’s renowned for their dominance in the set pieces.
On reflection, when you consider the massacre that was last weekend’s game, the significance of what the ‘63 Wallabies achieved shouldn’t be understated. The Wallabies effort last weekend illuminates the efforts of Rob Heming.
Benjamin said | September 1st 2008 @ 7:46am | Report comment
Spiro, the difference between Tahu and Cross is that Cross has two seasons of S14 under his belt. Tahu has a handful of games at inside centre. It was a bizarre decision for Deans to play him and frankly I feel sorry for him. It was also bizarre that Deans elected to play a gameplan that would suit the Boks down to the ground. If you have won your games by front-on aggression and clever, simple play why decide to forego that and pick a team, and also a bench, built for running in the environment least suited to it? I am perplexed that Deans decided against kicking reinforcements. Perplexed. In sport you are only as good as your last game and now Australia have an extended period to contend with their mental demons prior to the Brisbane meet. It is up to them to decide if they are on the up or not.
Regarding Dunning he can’t be dropped at this point. Who else is there? He has utility value and also experience. If Baxter were to get injured then Alexander or Robinson would have to contend with Woodock, and that’s no good for anyone… except perhaps Woodcock. Deans also faces the issue of dropping TPN. Until he can start regularly for NSW even his bench position is contentious. And what to do at fullback? Obviously the highveld offers a different kicking opportunity from Brisbane but AAC simply is not an international fullback. Latham would have had a field day on Saturday. At the moment I’m inclined to think that this is a more glass half-empty situation. Going into Australia’s most important test in years the front row is again under pressure, there are injury issues, there are no specialist full backs in the squad and the team has just got a shellacking. It will take a lot of work from Deans to ressurect this situation.
vincent said | September 1st 2008 @ 8:05am | Report comment
I can only hope this is a one off and heralds the start of a rebuild especially with some of the ‘old personell who were found to be inadequate. It was a woeful performance.
ohtani's jacket said | September 1st 2008 @ 8:18am | Report comment
The Wallabies have got to get better at backing up after a big win, particularly on the road, and even if they win in Brisbane, Deans will need to make some tough decisions about who has a future in a Wallabies jersey.
There was a lot of talk about Deans taking tired, jaded players and giving them a new lease on life, but I’m afraid the rugby man stuff has to be ditched and the hard decisions made. Deans is getting guys other people coached. He doesn’t have his own proteges like he did in Canterbury. And surprisingly, after years of watching Australian Super 14 sides and the Test side, overestimating the players he once coached against.
I doubt he wanted to step on any toes in his first six months, but here’s a guy who coached the Crusaders over the Waratahs in the Super 14 final and now he’s saying “here’s what I’d do if I was coaching the other guys” and it’s not really working.
They need a new game plan for Brisbane.
True Tah said | September 1st 2008 @ 8:20am | Report comment
Benjamin,
agree re: Cross and Tahu - I watched Tahu rip the NZ Maori a new one at the SFS, my question would be, are the Maori not that good?
I think you’re being a bit harsh on Ashely-Cooper, he played bad, but he wasn’t helped a lot, at times the Boks played as if they had 20 guys on the paddock.
I think Pocock needs to be included in the Wallaby tour, and Mitchell Chapman either…Waugh played well for the Tahs and led them well this year, but I don’t think he can take the step up to test match level.
Spiro,
agree 100% about the differences in defence between union and league, and in union, you need a far greater awareness of your position, something I think Wendell never got into his head, will Tahu be able to master this? He has the skills and the physique thats for sure.
Paul said | September 1st 2008 @ 8:21am | Report comment
One other factor that has to be considered in the post Eales years is that in big games, the Wallabies are the rugby world’s worst favourites.
Wallabies perform great without expectations or “nothing to lose”: examples being RWC 2003, and Sydney 2008, and Durban 2008 the perfect example since for the first time in ages they came to South Africa as true underdogs: playing a wounded World Champions. But every time a little bit of rightful expectation is mixed in: they turn to puffcakes. RWC 2007 Qf being on example, and Auckland and Jo’burg drumming home the fact. The first time this became obvious to me was just as bad… whichever year they played SA twice in Australia: 42-6 (or something) one week, the worst rugby test (17 something?) the week after.
And to fall over like that, to a record margin defeat, and be seen to giggle and laugh and shrug in the hotel afterwards just goes to prove what NZ and SA have always known, which is that there are only two truly proud rugby traditions in the world; and any periods of dignity from the “men of gold” - the Eales era being the greatest - are simply an anomaly.
Of course now they’ve lowered their standards to the basement, I expect a tough match in Brisbane, a la the 13-9 a few years back.
Jerry said | September 1st 2008 @ 8:28am | Report comment
“watched Tahu rip the NZ Maori a new one at the SFS, my question would be, are the Maori not that good?”
The mid-field for the NZ Maori in that game was Tamati Ellison (arguably the 3rd choice Hurricanes 2nd five) and Jason Kawau who hasn’t even been able to get a contract for the Highlanders the last couple of years - so yeah, the Maori were not that good.
Benjamin said | September 1st 2008 @ 8:31am | Report comment
Tah, I don’t think AAC is a bad player, but he is not an international 15.
That specific Maori team wasn’t that great,
Australia A: 1. Sekope Kepu 2. Sean Hardman* 3. Guy Shepherdson * 4. Al Campbell* 5. Peter Kimlin 6. Hugh McMeniman* 7. Julian Salvi 8. Richard Brown 9. Brett Sheehan* 10. Daniel Halangahu 11. Digby Ioane* 12. Timana Tahu 13. Morgan Turinui* (Captain) 14. Drew Mitchell* 15. Mark Gerrard*.
Replacements: 16. John Ulugia 17. Salesi Ma’afu 18. Van Humphries 19. Leroy Houston 20. Ben Lucas 21. Sam Norton-Knight* 22. Matt Carraro.
* denotes capped Wallaby
NZ Maori: 1. Jacob Ellison 2. Aled de Malmanche 3. Bronson Murray / Ben May, 4. Ross Filipo 5. Jason Eaton 6. Liam Messam (Co-captain) 7. Tanerau Latimer 8. Thomas Waldrom 9. Piri Weepu 10. Callum Bruce 11. Hosea Gear 12. Tamati Ellison (Co-captain) 13. Jason Kawau 14. Shannon Paku 15. Dwayne Sweeney.
Replacements: 16. Hikawera Elliot 17. Bronson Murray / Ben May 18. Hoani MacDonald 19. Scott Waldrom 20. Chris Smylie 21. Tim Bateman 22. Zar Lawrence.
Bob McGregor said | September 1st 2008 @ 8:50am | Report comment
Spiro,
I’m not about to give up on Waugh’s test career just yet. However, for some time I’ve thought he may cut the mustard as a hooker where his strength and courage could be useful. Any thoughts?
From your article it appears Walsh was not the Referee last Saturday - as I was advised by text. Is there a site one can check out such information prior to the game? I’m already shaking at the thought Kaplan will officiate in Brisbane.
Benjamin said | September 1st 2008 @ 8:53am | Report comment
Bob, I couldn’t see the logic in promoting a man of his age to a postion where he would be equally undersized. Moore has been in excellent form and TNP has promise. It takes years to gain intimate knowledge of hooking. The only other players to have made the switch in recent years have been Thompson and Servat and they dwarf Waugh.
Justin said | September 1st 2008 @ 8:55am | Report comment
Bob - no disrespect but considering Waugh can barely catch and pass how would he go throwing into the lineout even if he could manage the scrummaging (and thats a bloody big if)?
vincent said | September 1st 2008 @ 8:55am | Report comment
Hi Bob,
I noticed that http://www.planet-rugby.com usually lists out officials to test games prior to the game
Nick (KIA) said | September 1st 2008 @ 9:13am | Report comment
Tah/Benjamin
Re: Tahu
Agree Maori side not great - NZRU made strange choice in including them at expense of NZA, meant that a number of players who could have done with higher level competition in preparation for being replacements in ABs missed out (esp forwards like Tom Donnelly, Anthony Boric and Hayden Reid). Contributed to Dunedin loss to Boks.
Also, no one is doubting Tahu’s skill with ball in hand. He showed a couple of good touches on Sat. But as I and others pointed out prior to the game, was shown up on defence in the win over boks when he came on last week. Vs the Maori, Aus A were running riot, and the quality of the midfield attack against him, meant that he wasn’t tested on defence.
Statistically speaking, he’s likely to be like the rest of the league converts, Brad Thorn excepted, who never really figure out how to adjust their play to the new game in front of them. Defence is much different to league, you could see Tahu trying to double team the ball carrier all the time rather than take his man. Directly lead to at least one try.
I’d be pleased to be proven wrong, but as Benjamin/Spiro point out, give the bloke a chance to learn what to do and see if he’s up to it before lauding him. S14 will be good if he can break into the starting Tah’s centres. I don’t think that is necessarily certain at this point.
sheek said | September 1st 2008 @ 9:23am | Report comment
Spiro,
In another thread, I suggested that the two heavy defeats in Auckland & Jo’Burg showed that this was still an ordinary team that had been coaxed by a canny coach to mostly play above itself.
The Wallabies will eventually improve, as Deans’ learns what the the team is capable of, & as better quality players come into the side. But for the moment, he has to make the best of what he’s got, which he has mostly been able to do.
The Link said | September 1st 2008 @ 9:41am | Report comment
Spiro, any coincidence, as Mark Ella has pointed out, that this happens when John Muggleton is no longer defensive/assistant coach? I find it a bit strange that you leave him or Les Kiss out of any analysis.
eric said | September 1st 2008 @ 9:41am | Report comment
Spiro, “the Wallaby lineout held up well”?!?
I’ll admit I nodded off occasionally, but I did hear Gordon Bray say that we had lost 7 of our own lineouts in a row.
I wouldn’t be so harsh on Tahu just yet. He might be better at outside centre.
Give AAC a bit of slack too. He has just come back from some weeks with a broken hand.
I am at a loss to explain how the Boks scored so many unopposed tries. Nokwe wasn’t touched until his fourth try!
One thing, the Wallabies didn’t defend well against the pass in tackles, leaving gaps for the runners, eg Bekker & Jacobs’ tries.
OldManEmu said | September 1st 2008 @ 9:46am | Report comment
I agree with most of what Spiro has written but I must take issue with two points he makes about Waugh and Dunning.
Phil Waugh will leave the Wallabies on his terms. Anyone that writes him off does so at their danger. I see a posting suggesting that Phil Waugh can barely catch and pass - that is probably not inaccurate so imagine how much Phil Waugh would have achieved in the game if he had good ball skills. One incident about Phil Waugh that for me defines the man. After Sydney Uni RUFC won the Sydney First Grade premiership in 2001 having been in the 99 and 2000 GFs there was a big party back to the Grandstand, Uni’s clubhouse. I’ve bailed the great man up to have a beer with him. Couldn’t get him to have a beer. I was staggered -”You’ve just won the comp mate” . For a battler like me who had been through the dark days of Uni in the mid 90’s it was incomprehensible. His reply ws something along the lines of “I’m in training for the November Tour”. Amazing. If Phil Waugh is dropped, then he will return.
Dunning should not be written off neither. Like Waugh I think he is a very determined footballer. He has been pilloried for a lot of his career, I think unfairly. This is not the forum to discuss international referee bias against the Wallabis at scrum time - a phenomena that I think has dogged the Wallabies since the aftermath of the RWC 2003 Final when the Poms whinged about Bill Young’s tactics, but my view is that Dunning is a good scrummager who continues to improve, is very good in the lineout, is an excellent player around the field, and a player who is popular with his team mates. Why drop him? And who would replace him?
Finally, I am not the least bit surprised by the flogging. The Springboks are proud people - they were never going to cop the criticism lying down. And a prediction for the Brisbane test - the Wallabies in a whale of a game that will go down as one the greatest tests of all time.
Peter K said | September 1st 2008 @ 9:50am | Report comment
No doubt that Deans is a better coach than Jones or Connolly, however how much better.
So far he has marginally improved the performances in terms of results.
Yes we had our first away win in SA for years. The question is that could of been more due to SA and PDV being poor than Deans and Wallabies being good.
We always had a good home record.
The real test will be the NH tour.
I had stated that we would be poor with only 1 real kicker in Giteau and at altitide it really hurt us. This comes down to selections.
Tahu needs another season at 12 at S14 level.
Burgess is sorely needed. The scrum we were turned over on , it was clear the boks pushed off the mark way too early, a better scrumhalf would not have fed the ball whilst it was going backwards. He would of done a Gregan and held the ball up and said the scrum is not steady sir.
McMeniman did ok I do not see why he should be dropped.
That was Mortlock’s worst game I have ever seen. A bit early to say his career is over, people of short memories, he has had a couple of blinders this season, more than can be said of the other backs.
For Brisbane, Moore in, Baxter in, Smith in, Burgess in, Cross in, Mitchell in.
Benjamin said | September 1st 2008 @ 9:56am | Report comment
Good point about the Maori, Nick.
LeftArmSpinner said | September 1st 2008 @ 10:08am | Report comment
Spiro, We are seeing the cleverness of the concept of the Roar in its full glory!!! A brilliant article with rapid fire, observations from passionate supporters. In the meantime, the mainstream are going with bland, unimaginative and lightweight, one dimensional AAP! ROAR!
Now to the rugby, yes, a disaster by reference to the scoreline, and by the performance of several Wallabies, though I don’t include Tahu in this. More later.
But, it is darkest just before the dawn. We learnt a lot, much of it old lessons previously ignored and Deans now has a mandate to renew the team. It is over for Dunning and Waugh (the invisible man). Mortlock was missing for most of the game, particularly in defence. He provided no leadership, no direction, particularly as they repeatedly stood in the in goal waiting for conversions to be missed!!
AAC actively chose to run backwards after his kicks, waiting for the reply. The alternative is to kick it so that they can’t return it. Kick chasers and better kicks followed by aggressive tackles and counterrucking! He was clearly short of a run and might have been better served by coming back through the bench. Also, he was not seen running the ball at all, and I had thought that that was why he was in the team!
Tahu: I disagree with Spiro about Tahu. On numerous occasions, the Boks swept the ball to the left after strong driving play by their forwards. Many of these same forwards then popped up out wide whlie their Wallabies brethren were buried at the bottom of the ruck and/or sucking in big ones for deear life. Tahu was presented with 2 and 3 man overlaps outside and no cover defence. There was nothing to lose and everything to gain by trying to close off the attack by coming up AND in. He was still going hard at it, in cover defence, getting back to try to stop Nokwe’s 4th try.
As regards the Wallabies tactics, I thought they looked good initially, crisp, good at the breakdown, organised in attack but in the 15th minute, there was a sustained period of Wallaby attack, repelled by the Boks, and ending with a 70 metre clearing kick to touch. I suspect that, with lungs burning, the Wallabies mentally surrendered while the Boks sensed this and went up a gear. Then, even more oxygen deprived, they lost the plot with suicidal attacks in their 22.
Positioning the winger just behind the FB and on the fly chasing the kick to pressure the catcher and put teammates onside is rugby 101. Didn’t happen!!!
I can only agree with Spiro about Tuqiri and his laziness. A summary of the 2008 Tuqiri is, lazy, not quick enough for a winger, average kicker, until recently, good in the air, good tackler but not last Saturday. Hmm, note to Dingo, drop Tuqiri: Less talk and more action.
So, Dunning, Waugh, Mortlock, Tuqiri and of course, Cordingley to go after the Brisbane game. In comes a real tight head prop, Pocock, Cross, Turner and Burgess. Giteau goes to Captain!
David Glesson said | September 1st 2008 @ 10:19am | Report comment
the defence has gone to sh*t since Deans arrived. The whole ten years John Muggleton was doing it we were arguably the best defenders in world rugby. Not anymore and even in the Sydney Bled we looked sh*te and would have more tries scored against if the ABs handling wasnt so crap. Bring back Muggo the Mungo!!!
Jerry said | September 1st 2008 @ 10:21am | Report comment
Left Arm - Tahu messed up on first phase defence also. Most notably when he came in on De Villiers (and missed the tackle) leading to Jacobs clean break and try. Also, blaming altitude is a bit lame.
Peter K said | September 1st 2008 @ 10:33am | Report comment
Horwill should be captain IMO.
chas said | September 1st 2008 @ 10:55am | Report comment
Spiro:
Your anti-League bias is showing through. Was it not John Muggleton and Les Kiss, two RL luminaries, who were responsible for the Waratah’s and Wallabies’ great defences through the glory days? Before professionalism Mark Ella and his brothers, together with Tim Horan, Michael O’Connor and David Campese and numerous others won their reputations when RU players preferred not to tackle. O’Connor learnt this skill when he became a Leaguie. Mark Ella and his mates would not star ro the degree they did if they played today.
To play Tahu at inside centre. a position he never played in League, was demonstrably stupid. In that Maori game he touched the ball five times and was playing against third rate opposition. He may have more knowledge about defence than all of the Wallaby coaching staff combined. He won’t express this, though.
If we are honest we would have to admit that the Wallabies are a ragtag collection of second grade leaguies, gold-diggers (Tahu and Tuqiri) and wannabees from private schools. The depth of OZ Union is worrying. Who replaces Dunning?
Could you imagine an Oz League’s backline selected with Sheehan, Giteau, Barnes, Mortlock (who never passes), a lazy Tuqiri (who is waiting for his next payday), and the tackling machine, Drew Mitchell?
Mitch O said | September 1st 2008 @ 10:58am | Report comment
That was a disgraceful Wallabies performance. The one positive is that sort of a hiding has a team questioning every aspect of its game. How you can rebuild fundamental confidence (not captains rhetoric that Mortlock’s gushed about in the build up to other must wins) over the next two weeks I don’t know, doubt it can be done.
Yes Spiro, Macqueen did take a group of players forward from a similar result but too many critical players in this side are in the twilight of their careers. By contrast the Boks look like a team with plenty of time to build for the next WC.
Hoy said | September 1st 2008 @ 11:01am | Report comment
Mortlock had an absolute barry of a game.
League backs are not great defenders. Fullstop. You only have to watch a game of league to see that. And I am not talking about the tackling, although Tahu did fall off a few. I am talking about reading the game. Leagies come in off their man, they don’t trust the inside player, they rush up to put on a hit etc. Tahu was guilty of all of these things.
Hugh McMeniman was slowing the rot when he got aggravated but there was noone helping. I am not sure what it was, but it seemed that the whole team had forgotten how to hit in a tackle and make the tackle count.
I also noticed AAC kicking then not chasing his own kicks. The kick chase was poor all game from the Wallabies. Even once after a kick off, then there should have been a solid chase, there was time for the Boks to set a maul and still wait for the Wallabies to get there. No urgency whatsoever.
It seems the Wallabies are a little prone to turning off completely this year. Two hidings so far. Lets hope for no more.
Jim Boyce said | September 1st 2008 @ 11:10am | Report comment
Spiro - Great piece and what makes ” The Roar” compulsive reading.
Firstly on playing at altitude at Ellis Park ( We will be calling “Lords” ,Hungry Jacks Oval” next) I thought they should have gone from Durban on Sunday morning. Beside the breathing which is just as much psychological as physical, the ball does different things and the game consequently has a different shape. The Boks played the stadium to the letter, we looked as if we thought it was Durban. Re 1963, some people forget the field goal by Terry Casey from the 10 yard line, we only won 11-9. The interesting thing about that tour was that we played 2 matches before there and had a cumulative training time of about 15 days. The majority of the Wallaby backline in 2008 had very little time there.
Secondly, the 2008 Wallaby captain went missing. When you think of McCaw, Smit at Dunedin and Matfield , there is a pretty large gap and no-one of the stature of Eales. The Wallabies need a forwards captain urgently and not one where you pass the black armband midway through the second half.
Thirdly, Bray did make the comment half way through the second half that we had not won a lineout since 20 minutes into the first half, which presumably was right. I am not a fan of Bray’s commentary as it seems he has a data base beside his microphone and is intent in squeezing every scintilla out of it. Unfortunately Wallaby throwers have now earned a reputation of being off course. I thought he was hard done by on some occasions.
Lastly some of the Bok backs are growing in confidence and starting to show real class. The winger was in the right position at the right time but the guy who I thought had a great game was the Full-Back. The move he put on Tahu for the first try was a beauty.
Deans is capable of lifting this team but without a captain like McCaw at the Crusaders, he will struggle. No-one said his job was going to be easy and this is where the sea change that he is capable of bringing to Australian rugby will be seen to be a longer process than the arrival of the messiah. The Wallabies have been carrying serious baggage for a long time eg Front Row, Captain, Backline Back 3. Deans got overconfident after Durban and made some strange selections that bit him. He now has to make sure he sees what is in front of him.
Great article Spiro and all the contributors of which your humble self is one. Jim Boyce
LeftArmSpinner said | September 1st 2008 @ 11:13am | Report comment
jerry, My apologies. I was not making excuses, but giving possible explanations. The Boks murdered us with great rugby and they breathed the same thin air.
I really hate those that never accept a defeat, no matter what the reasons are!!! All praise to the Boks. Its a very big back row!!!! and Spies had a blinder, almost like he had taken off his invisibility cloak!!
As for Big Kev being Captain, I’m all for that. As a proposed Giteau, I thought, geez, we are loading him up with so much, playmaker, goalkicker, gen play kicker, senior player and now captain. Big Kev would be great!!!!
LeftArmSpinner said | September 1st 2008 @ 11:14am | Report comment
oh, and By the way, Palu, he must have mistakenly picked up and worn Spies Invisibility cloak!!!! or does he have one of his own, specially made for when he plays for the Wallabies.
vincent said | September 1st 2008 @ 11:15am | Report comment
It was probably too late but I noticed that once Sheehan and George Smith came in the phase play was more structured and there was a bit more go forward. At one point there was George Smith diving on the ball on the ground a basic and necessary skill to retain possession that no one seemed to be excecuting.
Any takes about George Smith as a captain?
LeftArmSpinner said | September 1st 2008 @ 11:21am | Report comment
Jim, With you all the way. who do you bring in:
To the back three? Mitchell (15), Turner and give Hynes the benefit of previous good performances?
13, Cross?
Brown for Palu?
Dexter William said | September 1st 2008 @ 11:24am | Report comment
All this talk of Deans making selection errors is ridiculous.
If at the start of the 3N, if we were given the result that we are still in for the chance of winning the 3N at home, we would have been more than happy to have taken it.
Deans has somehow got a team of pretty average players to somehow come up with several good wins against the adds. Yes we have lost two big games, but so has the ABs and and Boks.
Even with this result, I doubt if anyone dare front up and say Connelly and Jones are going to be better. Deans is the best bet by a long shot. Please remember that we have very little depth after we field the best 15. Can’t polish turd.
Let’s stop the excuse of high attitude. Not all S Africans leave in high altitude and have better lung capacity. As much as the Wallabies are sucking in air, the Boks (most of them) are too. We just played a “I don’t want to be there” game.
Tactically, we lost because we kicked to the bald headed FB who loves running and kicking the ball back with interest. Also our kick chase game was a joke, especially AAC. We have had two games in a row where our kick chase has been dreadful, just don’t understand why Deans can’t fix it. It is such a simple principle. If you chose to kick, you must chase after the it.
The thing that I do not like about the ELV is the continuous kicking from end to end.
Tuiri goes back into running like a crab. Give him his last warning and and get rid of him. Problem is who is there? Turner?
As for Mortlock losing it. You guys must be joking. He is our go to man in the team and is playing very well. He is doing a wonderful job teaming with Cross and Barnes lately and unfortunately Tahu is a bridge too far.
Posters like Link and Oldmanemu are typical posters that support players and coaches who they have personal association with. Please stop politics and stay open for forum discussions. Stop this, I had a beer with him and I tell you, he is one hardworking dedicate fella. Link, it seems that you are waiting for the fall just so that you can tell us: I told you so. Stop it.
Sheek and Peter K, please keep up your posts.
stillmissit said | September 1st 2008 @ 11:28am | Report comment
The Link and Chas - you have a strong point regarding Muggleton and Les Kiss. The key to these guys is that they came onboard from a time when League had great defence and Union didnt. Not only did they bring in new structures that gave the Wallabies 2 world cups but they adapted to Union over time. Les Kiss should have been in as the Wallabies defensive coach if they couldn’t live with Muggleton anymore.
These 2 guys in my opinion have been the greatest league imports ever!
stillmissit said | September 1st 2008 @ 11:32am | Report comment
Vincent - I think we should play Sheehan whenever we play the Boks. His agressive style stands up well against the Boks and that was obvious on Sat when he came on. He is very hard to intimidate and get over. I don’t think his game is good enough to take the role off Burgess but for the Boks he is great.
vincent said | September 1st 2008 @ 11:33am | Report comment
Dexter I agree with your line of thought, we know this Wallaby team is capable, its just that on the day they played like they were not interested, going through the motions re: Dexter ‘I don’t wan to be there’), I don’t think they can say they gave their best. Again I agree with Dexter, tactics, execution and hunger was just not there on the day. I dare say that I am suspicios that because this game had no real outcome either to the tri nations or even to the Mandela Cup they had one eye on the Brisbane Game against the All Blacks in a fortnight.
old goalie said | September 1st 2008 @ 11:40am | Report comment
Paul - so true - “just goes to prove what NZ and SA have always known, which is that there are only two truly proud rugby traditions in the world; and any periods of dignity from the “men of gold” - the Eales era being the greatest - are simply an anomaly.”
Whenever the Wallabies have enjoyed a successful and sustained period of rugby dominance it was due in large part to the brains on the paddock
Think Farr-Jones, Lynagh, Larkham, Burke, Eales, Wilson, Foley, Roebuck et al
These were not only good rugby players, but intelligent players
Brains are sadly lacking now
How many of our current back line could you say were as smart as Farr-Jones?
And how many forwards could you say are as smart as Foley?
It looks as though there’s not a lot of thinking go on out there, particularly from the Captain, who can make some damaging charges occassionally but lacks the inspiration and smarts required to lead his team out of a hole
Polota-nau was woeful - it’s not hard throwing into a lineout and when you practise it as many times a day as he must, there are no excuses. And he played Hooker for Aus. Schoolboys so it’s not like it’s a new skill to him. Imagine if at your place of work you kept making a simple mistake, all day everyday, over and over…
Buying dumb leagies isn’t the answer either (Tuqiri, Rogers, Sailor)
I hope Dingo clears the decks and takes a fresh, intelligent new team North to mould in his own image and return to play smart, stylish winning rugby - I’m getting way too old to stay up past midnight watching the Wallabies get smashed
LeftArmSpinner said | September 1st 2008 @ 11:45am | Report comment
dexter, I’m in agreement with you, except for Mortlock. I’m not excusing anyone for altitude. Altitude in and of itself is not the problem. Its what happens to your mental processes and commitment and passion when you are gasping that is the telling factor. Wallabies went missing!!
Lets hope that Dingo does clear the decks, including a captain, as said before, Big Kev. Smart, plenty of ticker and will be around for the RWC in three years.
Darryl said | September 1st 2008 @ 11:45am | Report comment
Spiro, I believe someone once said “good coaching is nearly all about good selection”, it’s time you got cricial at Deans. Don’t be scared!
Jerry said | September 1st 2008 @ 12:10pm | Report comment
“Smit at Dunedin”
I thought he was completely invisible. Didn’t spot him during the game at all. Not even in the warmups or when they announced the starting lineups and (baffingly) not even when they interviewed the Springbok captain after the game! He may as well have been back in South Africa nursing a groin injury for all the effect he had on that game.
Worlds Biggest said | September 1st 2008 @ 12:16pm | Report comment
I stated in the blog yesterday, the players mental state of mind has to be questioned going into that game. Were there heads thinking ahead to Brisbane ?. The Boks played well but I think they are an above average team at best at the moment. Clearly there are issues in the playing squad, two beltings in the Tri Nations backs that up. Dingo will have learned a hell of a lot about some players after Saturday. At last there are more people out there now admitting that Waugh just doesn’t add that much value. He is the annointed one for a lot of Tahs fans but while gutsy he is limited at Test Level now. I have always agreed with Spiro about Waugh. Tahu will learn from that and I think will become a good player. TPN throwing is woeful. Why don’t they look at him as a prop, he is extremely strong and would fill a much needed hole. So many things to rectify for Brisbane, I still think they can turn it around but it’s going to take all of Dingo’s tricks to get them up for it.
mudskipper said | September 1st 2008 @ 12:22pm | Report comment
Where do you start? Well here’s my summation
Benjamin…You’re quite correct about TPN and one point I have often wondered. If TPN isn’t a starter for the Waratahs why is he in the Wallabies? TPN lineout throws were woeful and he needs more time to develop in the Super 14.
Perhaps we should apply the blame George Gregan rule to Jeremy Paul. Now I’m being cynically but…Do we blame Jeremy Paul for TPN lack of development as a player? Like some have done with George Gregan regarding the development of Australian halfbacks? Nonsense isn’t it Gentlemen, to blame one individual for a nation’s progress.
Ben…I also agree with your fair-minded observation of Tahu compared to Cross. Unlike Cross, he hasn’t played much tier 1 rugby and hasn’t settled in as a Wallabies 12 yet. Tahu needs time to develop however is such a talent that he has been given an early call up to the Wallabies. I was one who was pleased to see Tahu get a run and I hope Deans doesn’t give up on him and do a Coach Knuckles and banish him forever to save face. Deans could afford to start him as the match didn’t effect to Tri-Nations outcome. Only one team was playing for pride the other was just participating. I’m sure Deans didn’t expect to see the Wallabies get such a pounding.
While I’m not a great rugby league fan, I am often surprised at the public beatings the ex-league players receive and for that matter former Wallabies coach Eddie Jones and include Gregan. Do rugby fans forget that Jones, Tuqiri, Sailor and Rogers did get into the 2003 RWC final and only lost the game in extra time…While it was disappointing to lose; it was a great team effort.
I’m happy to defend Adam Ashley Cooper, he always chases his kicks; I was surprised he didn’t chase as many in the Highveld match. It looked to me like he was under instruction to stay back. I don’t agree with Spiro he was often out of position. He is a better player currently than the ever improving Drew Mitchell at fullback for now. Additionally Peter Hynes has now had 2 ordinary matches. Get Clyde Rathbone on the NH tour…
The Waratahs pack were ordinary at best…Dan Vickerman was greatly missed. I need to see the match again to see about Matt Dunning being replaced early. I can’t comment. And it looks like Waugh’s last tour…sadly he has only half a game at this level…
I watched a couple of video interviews early in the week at ARU website and wondered if the guys just looked like they were on summer holiday at a lovely beach side hotel and not focusing on business. I think the 4 main problems were:
1… The 5 replacement players didn’t anticipate at the level required by a very physical and determined Springboks
2… Each player independently paced themselves for the altitude effect with the result that randomly at times the Wallabies were under strength around the break down and the Springboks broke out
3… I think Deans’s game plan was to surprise the Springboks and run the ball at the veldt. Result, he only out flanked himself. Early in the match this strategy nearly worked but the Boks held strong on their line. Did Deans think if the Wallabies could get ahead in the first 15 minutes the Boks would become overwhelmed with doubt and would mentally deteriorate to a rabble? We will never know.
An important moment of the match was when Brock James was penalized for that blatant pro foul when he stood behind the ruck offside for sometime and kicked the ball away stopping the Wallabies attack. If he had been yellow carded things may have been different.
The greatest generals study their defeats. Clearly Deans wants to win the war not the battle. He wants the Tri-Nations trophy. Now he has 2 weeks to rebuild the team before they take the field
4…Finally suspect that mentally the Wallabies were still at the beach resort Durban by the pool thinking about wining the Tri-Nations in Brisbane (and Campese didn’t hand out the jerseys at Ellis Park)
stuff happens said | September 1st 2008 @ 12:27pm | Report comment
Excellent article Spiro:”Hang up your glasses, the horse has bolted” is terrific.Good old Rex Mossop.
Much as I applauded the Dingo’s selection as coach it is already starting to wear thin. In both Akl and J’burg we saw a complete failure to change tactics after first half latherings.
My ‘favourite’ moments were when the the ‘Boks ran straight through the Wallaby lineout only to be recalled by the ref and then being able to repeat exactly the same play 30 secs later ;Juan Smith to Spies who was held out by Tuqiri. Scrum to the ‘Boks who decimated the Wallabies.
For one of the early tries ( I forget which one) there were five Springboks attacking to the left and one Wallaby defender!
The Australians and the Dingo are very lucky that they have a chance to atone for this appalling performance in two weeks and not wear the defeat for 12 months until the next TN.
As for the Springboks this was the rugby I expected throughout the TN - fantastic, well done.And to think Ruan Piennar is a reserve!
Rickety Knees said | September 1st 2008 @ 12:35pm | Report comment
Well done Spiro - I just wish some of those other Rugby hacks would sit up and take notice of the quality of your journalism instead of serving us up with their bland literal laxatives.
Your point on League defence is a good one and your tacit point that we are wasting our time recruiting Leaguies is also poignent. Though Muggleton and Kiss should be acknowledged for their contribution to Australian Rugby. I guess it is easier to teach rather than do.
It is time for a Wallaby generational change and there is no better man than Deans to effect that. This season was always going to be tough, The fact that we now have the Mandela Cup/Plate and we are in the hunt for both the Bledisloe and the 3N is beyond my expectations. Sure I am not happy about our fizzer at Coca a f……g Cola (I hate that bullshit marketing) but can I suggest that given Deans inclusive management style, and along with his old mate at the Force, with second timer Mooney and first timers in Hickey and Friend, that Deans will mentor/befriend these guys and have his finger right on the pulse and bring through the next generation of Wallabies. The experience he has now will hopefully guide him to the type of player that will deliver consistent results for the Wallabies.
mudskipper said | September 1st 2008 @ 12:43pm | Report comment
Rickety Knees…there are some terrific roar talent coming through the Super 14… I’m sure Deans, Williams and Nucifora will get involved next season, I just hope the S14 will listen…
jam said | September 1st 2008 @ 1:11pm | Report comment
yes vincent i’ll take george smith as captain. it worked in sydney.
There’s been some suggestion of horwill as captain. I’d qualify that. I’d make him forwards captain when smith is off the field.
Having a first year player as captain doesn’t seem right, but he is pretty much unofficial forwards captain anyway, so maybe next year.
Peter K said | September 1st 2008 @ 1:16pm | Report comment
I find it interesting how many posters have heroes and villains.
They have players they cannot wait to sink the boot in, they stay quiet when they have good games, 1 bad game and they clamour for them to be dropped. The same for Heroes they overlook all their bad games and keep harking to their glory days long ago, or they keep pushing for them to be included.
An example is Tuqiri. Sure he was lazy this game but hardly a main contender for that, the forwards lacked intensity and committment, AC hung back (but assumed coaches orders, no such treatment for Tuqiri). Tuqiri has been our best winger this series.
Mortlock one bad game. Hynes 2 average games but some real good ones.
Mitchell has had 1 start and he had a shocker. He has had bench time and looked good sometimes, average others.
George Smith has had a couple of poor games as well but his fans overlook this.
Moore threw very poorly in the last game as well but no one wants to recognise that, selective demonising of TPN.
Palu was one of the few forwards who was committed. He was not supported. He once again had the highest tackle count. He did make the advantage line almost everytime he got the ball, but what people expect is for him to run 20-30 metres instead.
muskipper is a classic calling it the Waratahs pack, forgetting McMeniman and Horwill, also defending the Brumbies players (even Gregan).
seems far too much provincial bias to me.
Robinson is not our best loosehead, Greg Holmes is but he is out injured, hope he goes on the tour. Kepu potentially is our best hope he goes on tour.
Moore is 1st choice hooker BUT his throwing is brittle as well and needs work!
Tighthead Baxter and Dunning are our best , Henderson, Shepherdson etc are all worse. Blake when he comes back is our hope or a new guy.
Locks, it is obvious Vickerman by a country mile is our best. After him Horwill, and he is very new so lots of potential there.
McMeniman is a better 6 than lock, at least he has mongrel. Kimlin looks good BUT has only had 1 year of S14 , see how he goes next year. Hope he makes NH tour but don’t expect him to start.
Elsom easily our best 6, then McMeniman then a big gap.
Smith our best 7 , then Pocock, I agree Waugh is past his best, and can’t play a whole game anymore in the style that is effective for him.
Palu is our best 8, no other comes close.
Brown would a god bench player since he covers 6,7,8 at a competent level, a better choice than Hoiles.
Burgess, Lucas best bets at 9.
Backs we have more choice. Giteau best 10 but the jury is still out whether he is a better 12.
Barnes is good but not great at 10 and 12. Good kicker , great defender, very average attacker.
Mortlock still world’ best 13, takes more than 1 bad game. Cross or AC good backups for 13.
Tahu can’t be considered for 13 since that is even harder to defend than 12.
Tuqiri, Hynes and Mitchell are our best wingers.
F/B maybe time to give Sam 2 dads a go, everyone else who has been tried has been found wanting. I thought AC our best option at 15 but shows he is a converted 13, he needs to learn better positional play and kicking needs to improve.
Not to despair, another year of S14 and some new guys might come good.
Horne, O’Connor, Naswadeki ? (Lote’s cousin), Pocock (I argue he is there already), Kimlin, Kepu, Dwayne Edwards, Holmes, Lucas.
We do need mongrel in the pack. With Vickerman and Elsom gone, that leaves McMeniman and Horwill left who have a bit, thats not enough.
Rickety Knees said | September 1st 2008 @ 1:16pm | Report comment
Mudskipper - no argument there!
Peter K said | September 1st 2008 @ 1:27pm | Report comment
I do agree league backs have poorer defense than union mainly because they only have to defend a channel and are not used to having worry about pattern defense across the whole field. They have no idea where they should be and who they should tackle in rugby.
The forwards though teach our guys to hit harder and drive them back past the advantage line, unlike our soft bear hugs.
Being stepped by forwards in tight is not that big an issue.
Elsom and Palu both learned how to tackle hard in league, and they are hardest tacklers, they really shorten them up.
Harry said | September 1st 2008 @ 1:36pm | Report comment
Good summation Peter K - we also have the 2 boom 5/8ths Beale and Cooper - are they both currently injured, haven’t heard of them playing club rugby? Anyway I’m hoping they will be strong in 09, we urgently need options there.
Justin said | September 1st 2008 @ 1:57pm | Report comment
Peter K - where do you get your stats from? Are they on the net?
Peter K said | September 1st 2008 @ 2:08pm | Report comment
Justin - I am so gald you asked, shows people want hard facts instead of assumptions ‘Palu is lazy, invisible, pull his finger out etc’.
On rugby heaven, you go to the game stats, there is a tab for player stats.
VERY VERY illuminating.
Australia Pos Tack Off load Kicks Try Assist Line Brk Ruck Maul Mtrs Runs Turn Over Missed Tack
Benn Robinson LHP 3 0 0 0 0 3 20m 3 0 0
Tatafu Polota-Nau HOOK 4 1 0 0 0 2 7m 3 3 2
Matt Dunning THP 4 0 0 0 0 2 5m 2 0 0
James Horwill LCK1 5 1 0 0 0 5 44m 6 2 1
Hugh McMeniman LCK2 4 2 0 0 0 6 39m 8 1 0
Rocky Elsom BSFL 9 2 0 0 0 5 23m 5 2 3
Phil Waugh OSFL 9 0 0 0 0 3 9m 3 1 1
Wycliff Palu NUM8 8 2 0 0 0 10 54m 10 2 1
Sam Cordingley HB 5 0 1 0 0 2 1m 2 1 4
Matt Giteau FIV8 7 2 13 1 1 0 54m 3 1 0
Lote Tuqiri LWNG 4 1 6 0 0 6 22m 5 2 1
Timana Tahu ICEN 1 1 0 0 0 1 22m 3 0 3
Stirling Mortlock OCEN 6 0 2 0 0 3 18m 3 0 4
Peter Hynes RWNG 5 1 1 0 0 2 20m 3 0 1
Adam Ashley-Cooper FBCK 2 1 10 0 0 8 68m 8 0 1
Stephen Moore RHKR 2 2 0 0 0 5 21m 5 3 2
Alastair Baxter RPRP 2 0 0 0 0 0 0m 0 0 2
Dean Mumm RLCK 1 0 0 0 0 1 3m 1 0 2
George Smith RFL 4 0 1 0 1 4 34m 4 0 2
Brett Sheehan RHB 0 0 0 0 0 4 14m 4 0 2
Ryan Cross RBCK 3 0 1 0 1 3 37m 3 0 1
Drew Mitchell RES1 1 0 1 0 1 0 6m 1 0 0
Lets take Palu.
8 tackles, 2nd highest behind 9.
2 offloads - equal highest
10 rucks and mauls - highest
10 runs - highest
1 missed tackle
metres made 54, 2nd highest behind Ashley Cooper
Sam Taulelei said | September 1st 2008 @ 2:11pm | Report comment
It’s easy to criticise players who missed tackles and point the finger of blame but in a defeat of that magnitude you have to look at why the defensive system broke down so poorly.
In the first half SA scored four tries, only the first was due to a defensive error by Tahu who didn’t trust Palu in making the tackle and moved in off his line to help out and exposed the hole for Bekker to run through. Australia had numbers in defence and were sliding across to herd them towards the touchline but Jantjes in trying to wrongfoot Palu held the Wallabies up just a fraction to cause enough doubt. If he had continued to pass the ball along the line as the Wallabies expected chances are the attack would have been thwarted.
The next three tries was simple rugby executed accurately and at speed. Quickly won ruck ball compressed the Wallaby defence and it was letting the ball beat the man and free the unmarked winger Nokwe. Look how Du Preez’s long pass took out Tahu and Mortlock creating a two on one overlap for Nokwe’s first. Error at the lineout and scrum enabled SA to pressure the line and force the defenders in close, leaving five SA players against 1 Wallaby, the same thing again for Nokwe’s third.
It was simple, direct rugby and as the Boks gained in confidence and their passes were sticking, their heads and tails went up and the Wallabies dropped. I agree with Spiro and mentioned in another thread that Australia were tactically naive in trying to move the ball from anywhere on the field while James and Jantjes were happy to kick the ball downfield, turning the Wallabies around to try and repeat it again. At high altitude that approach will always take an aerobic toll and Mortlock needed to calm his troops and tell them to slow the game down and play for field position.
It’s too simplistic and arrogant to suggest that if this player played and this one didn’t that the result would have been different, I thought it was a good side that Deans selected with the players available, although I quibbled over Dunning and Polota-Nau over Baxter and Moore but they weren’t at 100% mentally and only they can answer for themselves. Their work at the setpieces was like watching dominoes falling the longer the game wore on.
Australia couldn’t maintain or generate any momentum and SA had it in spades, all the best tacklers in union and league would have struggled against the Boks onslaught in that first half because they were on the front foot. It’s also overlooked that Australia had two clearcut tryscoring chances that were lost because the final pass didn’t hit the target, just the basics really but under pressure that’s usually the first thing to wobble.
Despite their previous two losses SA had created enough scoring opportunities to win both games, this time they finished them off.
mudskipper said | September 1st 2008 @ 2:13pm | Report comment
Peter K…There were 9 Waratahs forwards to 4 Reds/Brumbies of which 2 started on the bench…I think your being a little susceptible to Tahs analysis…The front row and all loose 3 were Tahs…
Yes I have an openly Brumbies predisposition…but are a supporter of Wallabies Tuqiri, Elsom, Vickerman, Palu, Giteau (who really is a Brumby on a western sabbatical), Cordingley, Moore (new Brumby), Cross, Tahu, Turner,