By Armchair-critic -
July 16th 2009 @ 1:10am
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Wallabies ready to kick into gear
This weekend provides the Wallabies with a golden opportunity to get one up on their traditional foes. For the first time in a number of years, the Wallabies hold the advantage in a key area of the game.
Throughout recent Bledisloe Cup series’, the All Blacks have had Dan Carter steering their side around the park. At the top of his wide array of skills is Carter’s ability with his left boot.
He has consistently been able to get the All Blacks out of trouble, and into attacking positions, through his prodigious tactical kicks.
However, come Saturday, the All Blacks will have Stephen Donald at first-five.
In comparison to Carter, Donald’s kicking game lacks both the distance and accuracy. In fact no one in the All Blacks backline possess a strong distance kicking game, except perhaps for Muliaina.
However, even he is a second string kicker.
This provides a clear advantage to the Wallabies, who possess strong kickers throughout their backline. Matt Giteau and Berrick Barnes, in particular, have proved to be strong in this area during the French and Italian Tests.
During these Tests, tactical kicking was one of the more pronounced tactics adopted by the Wallabies.
Were these matches used as a testing ground for possible tactics? It would appear so.
The Wallabies would be silly not to utilise the kicking skills within their side to ensure the game on Saturday night is played at the All Blacks’ end of the field.
It seems this fact has not been lost on either side, as their selections would indicate.
The inclusion of both David Pocock and Phil Waugh, two specialists breakaways, on the reserves bench will allow the Wallabies to kick long and then attempt to force turnovers at the breakdown if the All Blacks choose to run it back.
However, the selection of Cory Jane ahead of Jo Rokocoko suggests the All Blacks are awake to this tactic.
Assistant coach Wayne Smith explained: “Cory’s got a fullback’s all-round skills, he’s a high ball catcher, a kicker, and he’s a good finisher as well.”
It would appear then that the All Blacks may be reluctant to counter attack and will opt to simply kick the ball back.
The counter attacking ability of Muliaina, Sivivatu and Rokocoko has proved to be a constant threat for the Wallabies over recent years. The inclusion of Cory Jane does not diminish the ability of this back three.
However, if their willingness to attack has decreased, then one would think the Wallabies are in with a real chance to succeed on Saturday.
In saying that, this is just one aspect of the All Black’s artillery, and if the Wallabies are to succeed, they will have to dominate right across the park.
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katzilla said | July 16th 2009 @ 3:07am | Report comment
With the weather leaning towards rain its going to be Ping pong kicking and try to force an error at the wrong end.
Perfect Opportunity for Jane.
Rain will help Donalds cause also, he wont be expected to do much more then kick it and let the forwards do the hard yards.
jools-usa said | July 16th 2009 @ 3:26am | Report comment
Win lose or draw the difference could be the back three, but after watching re-runs of Leinster’s road
to the Heinekin Cup (thanks to Setanta filling in a down week), I have to ask where is Rocky & how long
before he’s in Gold?
He, without doubt, is the edge we need in the Tris.
Jools-USA
Knives Out said | July 16th 2009 @ 5:05am | Report comment
You have to consider, Jools, that the NH rugby is perhaps more suited to Elsom than Super or 3N rugby. I think it may be unfair on Elsom to harbour unrealistic expectation.
pothale said | July 16th 2009 @ 5:49am | Report comment
Yeah I agree. In fact – Elsom would be useless down there. No good to you at all. Can’t tackle, keeps missing his man, falls over at the first provocation.
If you happen to meet him, tell him we’re keeping his seat warm in the RDS.
Knives Out said | July 16th 2009 @ 6:16am | Report comment
Ireland has their own Rocky Elsom now. Step forward Stephen Ferris. And Leinster has … Stephen Keogh. Goodness knows what Munster were thinking letting that man trot across to play with the Dubs.
pothale said | July 16th 2009 @ 6:29am | Report comment
He’s big boots to fill. Interesting to see how the boys will kick on in August. Big high very difficult to follow through on. Does Cheika set the target of the double for this season? Although the Magners will have a bit more skelp to it with the play-offs in May.
Ferris will indeed be good – but he needs to get out of Ulster.
Knives Out said | July 16th 2009 @ 6:42am | Report comment
Realistically, the only direction that Irish rugby could travel in is downward. The only trophy the country lacks is the World Cup. That said, the Lions tour should be a boost to what is generally a very young set of players. Over the next two years if Ireland uncover a new fly half then they could be a serious, serious team.
Maybe Ulster will be on the up and up what with ‘Mad Max’ Matt Williams on the out. It’s not as if they don’t have some good players. In an ideal world it would probably do Ferris the world of good to play elsewhere, but Munster has an ageing collective so Leinster is the only option, I suppose. Frankly, I think he has the potential to be phenomenal. Like Eddie Halvey, but much, much better.
rugby scribe said | July 16th 2009 @ 9:01am | Report comment
It seems Carter may not be to far away from playing again..
http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/2597968/Daniel-Carters-rehabilitation-nears-end
JamesB said | July 16th 2009 @ 10:28am | Report comment
The AB’s are going to take the Aussies on up front, which is why Deans has packed his bench with flankers. The AB’s have taken a gamble by not including Latimer in the bench, though Read and Eton are both versatile. If the AB’s manage to dominate up front, it will crucially allow Donald more front foot ball. The Wallabies look a well balanced team and brimming with confidence, but are they too predictable? i.e. a game based around kicking only and Crusaders type footy. It is going to be a nail-biter (as usual), but the home advantage and cool wet weather may just tip it for the AB’s. Given the draw this year, if the Wallabies don’t win this match, they can forget about winning back the Blesdisloe Cup. AB’s have another home game, and they have a far superior overseas record, and the Japanese love the Men in Black!
Rickety Knees said | July 16th 2009 @ 11:21am | Report comment
IMO it is going to be the bounce of the ball in the last 5 minutes. We may be better prepared than our last outing at Eden Park -however that should not lead to over confidence – write the AB’s off at your own peril.
Even looser said | July 16th 2009 @ 11:59am | Report comment
So help me Bob if the name of ‘Deans’ didn’t appear on these blogs, you would swear these posts were years old.
It’s the same old same old. Isn’t it? ‘The cold wet weather could be the difference’. ‘Could come down to the man with the whistle’. ‘It’ll be decided in the forwards’. ‘We have to start well’. ‘We must to play for the full 80′. ‘We need to play what’s in front of us’.
Doh! These are the All Blacks for f#@ks sake. Nothing but 100% committment & standing by your mates will do. Otherwise don’t bother showing up.
Can we win? Yes we can. Will we win? Possibly. Hang on I think I wrote that several years ago.
Peter K said | July 16th 2009 @ 1:49pm | Report comment
The ABs have the edge in the scrum. The Wallabies in the lineout. The ABs in the ruck. Overall the ABs have a slight edge in the pack. In the backs the Wallabies have a better kicking game and edge out the backs.
Also for once the bench of the Wallabies is slightly stronger.
Such a close game on paper. Obviously big home ground advantage for the ABs.
Normally in the wet ABs would be a shoo in to win but this Wallabies team has the better kicking game so even in the wet it will be close.
CronullaKiwi said | July 16th 2009 @ 2:06pm | Report comment
Spot on there Peter K.
JamesB said | July 16th 2009 @ 2:08pm | Report comment
I think you’ll find the AB’s lineout has the advantage (for a change). Ross is very good in the air, and in So’ialo and Kano you have two other top class options. The Wallabies will miss Rocky Elsom, the white version of Jerry Collins. If the Wallabies win, it will be their kicking game that is the difference. Generally this, along with drop-kicking is a major weakness in the NZ across all levels of the game.
Stash said | July 16th 2009 @ 3:17pm | Report comment
The all blacks have been having a torrid time with the press… historically this has proven more than motivating for NZ.
While this is obviously a very important game for the Wallabies – it does pale in comparison to the “last chance” for the ABs to play on homeground until September!! After this game the ABs are very aware that the odds get harder as they play on foreign soil… a tough prospect indeed. And that is before the NZ rugby giants rain their wrath upon them.
Expect a very hungry AB side -
Simon said | July 16th 2009 @ 4:01pm | Report comment
Ahhh… it’s great to just sit back and suck in the atmosphere created by this game. I love that nervous and excited feeling leading up to it. How good is rugby? We’ll be having a big get-together and watching it on the big screen. I’ll be inviting a lot of non-rugby followers to give them a taste of the good stuff. Can’t wait! Whatever happens, rugby is the winner.
Can I just say how important it is for AUS to support NZ rugby, and for NZ to support AUS rugby. The more we can help each other the more we will be doing ourselves a favour. And add to this SA. While they have always had a great connection with NZ in this re, it’s getting stronger and stronger with AUS. And this is a good thing.
While there is always a lot of water needing to pass under the bridge, the SANZAR relationship is so important. In the past it would have been the stuff of dreams. The 3N is a magic tournament!
Stash said | July 16th 2009 @ 7:05pm | Report comment
Good Job Simon -your right, they are all rugby mad/proud nations.
I’ll be watching on the big screen in a brit. pub in Phuket, Thailand. Bound to be a mix of Aussies and Kiwis sledging each other. And throw in a couple of SA (whom will be telling anyone that listens that THEY will be winning the 3N this year).
Excellent, can’t wait.
Jolly Jupes said | July 17th 2009 @ 1:00pm | Report comment
The wheel has turned as you guys count the plusses and minusses; The only mention of the Wallaby backs so far is in relation to having a better kicking game. In years gone by it was innovation and the skill of using the ball which was our strong point but that all seems to have been forgotten. We enjoy bagging kicking as a S14 tactic but in fact it provides the skill base for our current Wallaby game. So next year if the Tahs and Force continue to use kicking tactics we should not complain greatly
Armchair-critic said | July 17th 2009 @ 1:04pm | Report comment
The difference is that the Waratahs and co persisted with aimless midfield bombs where as the Wallabies use kicking as a way of gaining territory
Rickety Knees said | July 17th 2009 @ 1:15pm | Report comment
Good point ACC
JJ – there is a massive difference between countless up and unders (and hoping for the best) and driving kicks to the corners and hopefully winning an ensuing scrum feed in an attacking position.