The Wallabies return to some old ways
Roar Guru
By LeftArmSpinner, 24 Nov 2008 LeftArmSpinner is a Roar Guru
- Tagged:
- Giteau, rugby, Rugby Union, wallabies
The Wallabies have once again failed to put two good games back to back after last week’s the excellent work against the English.
The first twenty minutes of their test against France were cut and parry as Australia’s superior ball retention forced France to continually kick from their own territory, often poorly. This pressure forced the French to revert initially to a safety first, field goal attempt on their first brief visit to the Wallaby 22.
Ten minutes later, and in typical French character, they adopted an expansive game plan with several highly dangerous and ultimately unsuccessful running plays in their own 22.
These “off the cuff” tactical changes were exactly the opposite of what was required and signaled that the French were vulnerable and lacking the necessary self confidence and leadership. Who was leading the French?
However, the French had done their homework and targeted the sloppy work at the back of the Wallaby ruck. Burgess got a torrid time. Australia paid the price.
The first try demonstrated why Adam Ashley-Cooper, a wonderfully skilful rugby player, is ideally suited to 13. Big, fast and elusive, he carried the ball deep into French territory and ensured quality ball for Moore to crash over.
But the Wallabies then fell back into their old ways and allowed the French back into the game.
The pressure on Burgess told with a shocker pass on 39 minutes. This put the spotlight on the Wallabies pack. It completely disintegrated under pressure.
The Wallabies had let the French back into the game. This was a massive momentum shift to the French who took full advantage with a penalty goal and drop goal in the first 10 minutes of the second half. All of a sudden, the French cockerel had its tail up.
The Wallabies rallied with a series of precise plays in the French 22 resulting in Hynes try. This was a good sign that the team has character. As Skrella continued to miss penalties, the Wallabies successfully closed out the game.
My overall assessment is that the Wallabies are getting better and at a satisfactory rate for them to become a winning team like those of 1984, 1991 and 1999. I would have happily settled for this at the start of the international season in June.
Lessons learnt:
1. The Wallabies are still quite a way off being the finished article, particularly in terms of consistency. They need to stop going to sleep in Test matches.
2. Mortlock, while a very good player, is not providing the strong consistent leadership in every match to ensure that the team will eventually improve the team’s overall consistency.
3. The Wallabies defence is back to previous high standards, and is an indication of the underlying character of the squad.
4. The pack is not yet the finished article in set pieces or at the breakdown and does not have the depth required.
5. Australian S14 players are not fit enough. The latest Wallabies pre tour boot camp has identified and addressed this issue for this tour.
6. The Wallabies are best served by Adam Ashley Cooper at 13. He must be returned there immediately and Mitchell installed at 15.
7. Burgess needs to more time to get back into form. He and Giteau are yet to communicate effectively. Giteau is probably not the long term solution at fly half.
8. The Wallabies back line has not developed in terms of its fluency, and structure/pattern and set plays. In particular, the fullback/back 3 play is unimaginative. Attacking opportunities from scrums are not being taken.
As school teachers are currently writing on school reports across Australia, Johnny has the necessary ability and is improving but needs to concentrate more if he is to achieve his full potential.
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ulysses said | November 24th 2008 @ 8:27am | Report comment
LAS – agree with much of what you say. But I think even you were fooled by the hopeless commentator – am pretty sure it was Ione not AAC who made the long run into the French 22 before the Moore try. He was great! AAC also good at 13 so I don’t disagree with your overall point. That said I reckon he will be on the bench against Wales with Cross getting his spot back, Mitchell and Ione remaining.
MarkH said | November 24th 2008 @ 10:28am | Report comment
Not entirely, The ref was blowing it up every 5 seconds. I understand that the players were to concerned about creating a penalty for nothing which was the case. We all say the players should do this or that but in the end the ref is the man who makes or breaks a game. he called 28 penalties!!! now thats a guy looking to get on TV.
Mick Gold Coast QLD said | November 25th 2008 @ 1:36am | Report comment
I agree with much of what you say – given these blokes have been taking their high fees under false pretences for a very long time, I am looking for a confident, competent showing several times in a row before I am convinced they have actually improved.
Media reports are virtually useless in assessing progress because they so happily lapse into hyperbole – “Kurtley Beale is the finest first five since Hugo Porta / fiercer than Medicare Mat Rogers” – the moment a Wallaby backline catches and passes from half to wing without mucking it up. And don’t they overdo it when an Australian scrum stays up twice in a row – “Baxter of the Fierce Glare monsters Woodcock / Mtawarira / flattens John Smit and slippers him within an inch of his life.”
I’m not looking for much – a low error rate; someone in the middle who calmly puts the fellas around him through, who carefully kicks the ball into the slot, and who occasionally runs the ball with purpose thought through sometime prior to the moment after he receives the bloody thing; a low error rate; and a half that unrelentingly drives the big dumb bastards forward over the ball in numbers time after time after time. And a low error rate.
What we have still is a full back that gets the ball, thinks about it for a bit, kicks it somewhere – anywhere, watches it land, then waits ’til it comes his way again, to show us his limited repertoire over and over. I disagree with you, Lefty, about Adam Two Fathers. The other bloke, Mitchell, used to be better but he watched too much League and now thinks (like Barnes and Qwaide Schoolboy) he has to make THE BIG INDIVIDUAL PLAY every time he gets the ball.
I won’t go on much about the forwards – the just now approaching barely adequate front row (did you see the scrums in the Argie’s match? – beautiful work from both front rows nearly every time), a young lock / back rower (the Reds captain) who you’d target for a short arm jolt all game long because he’s good for a hot head penalty at a moment’s notice, Sharpe who has been a well behaved lad all his life and isn’t going to change that – none of whom like each other very much, you can tell because you rarely see the forwards do anything together.
Of course it takes time but, while we are teaching them how to pass and catch, Henry and that galah from South Africa are rolling out thumping big new trundlers and sharp new backs on this very tour.
As to the impact of refs – play to the whistle! George did that on the weekend and got away with it, mostly. Whatever they do affects both sides pretty much the same – be better at what you do before blaming those blokes.
You mentioned the school teacher’s report – “Little Johnnie, whilst he has developed an excellent relationship with his stockbroker, needs to repeat a year to give him any chance to catch up with the boys from other countries.”
LeftArmSpinner said | November 25th 2008 @ 6:42am | Report comment
Mick, As a former fullback and with Robbie Deans a fullback, I am surprised by the tactics. it occurs too regularly not to be scripted. it mistakenly assumes that the kick chase is always a good one. Call to all aspiring ball running backrowers in the Wallabies squad, get your arse back to support 15 and there will be gaps to run into!!