Wallabies Grand Slam could be a Grand Pain
Roar Rookie
By Hoy, 28 Aug 2009 Hoy is a Roar Rookie
- Tagged:
- Grand slam, Grand Slam tour, robbie deans, Rugby Union, Tri Nations
While it was a bit before my time, from watching The Rise and Rise of the Wallabies, I understand the Wallabies from 1982 were expected to sweep all before them.
They had a plethora of talent coming through from age groups, and also old experienced heads. The mixture of experience was touted as just right. Until they went on the Grand Slam Tour that year.
The team didn’t quite live up to expectations, and by all accounts bombed the best chance in years of completing a clean sweep of the much vaunted line up of all four home nations.
At the start of this year, there was a lot of optimism about the state of the Wallabies and the fact that they would be building and hitting their straps after their first season under Robbie Deans last year, plus attempting their first Grand Slam in years.
Fast forward through the stuttering June Internationals and now three Tri Nation’s losses, things aren’t so rosy.
Now I am not so sure we will win half of those games in the UK.
Is Robbie Deans looking to clean dead wood before the end of season and have a go at a Grand Slam with a young vibrant team? You would have to say no, as he is keeping players for the Tri Nations who many on The Roar consider below par (and we are all rugby experts, surely).
Conversely, could the losses this season put them in good stead coming into the World Cup in two years, ala the ’84 Wallabies, possibly the best Wallabies team to play in the last 30 years.
I am wondering if a Grand Slam is indeed the best thing for a team that is very low on both wins and confidence?
There is no doubt when the Grand Slam was announced, the Wallabies were looking to build on some promise, and after possibly taking the Bledisloe off New Zealand this year, head off to Europe to conquer the four nations.
JON could not have predicted the results coming through the Tri Nations, but he sure would have hoped for some better ones after announcing that we would be playing for a Grand Slam for the first time in 25 years.
Now losing three from three, with probably more pain to come the way the Wallabies are playing, a Grand Slam Tour maybe isn’t the greatest thing to trumpet.
Could irreparable damage be done to the confidence of the team if they were to lose more games of this Tri Nations (definitely on the cards) and then fail dismally at the Grand Slam?
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- Explore:
- Grand slam, Grand Slam tour, robbie deans, Rugby Union, Tri Nations
pothale said | August 28th 2009 @ 7:11am | Report comment
Definitely yes.
Let’s not forget Australia are part of SANZAR – the top 3 teams in IRB. The best three teams in the world by a mile. The IRB list is SANZAR 1, 2, 3 and then daylight with the plodding, kick-infested, penalty-ridden, poor ball handling NH teams propping up the table. goes the regular SH refrain.
Winning the Grand Slam should be a foregone conclusion for the SANZAR teams. NZ did it without drawing a breath and playing with an under-strength team last year. The Wallabies are expected to do a similar clean sweep.
AndyRoo said | August 28th 2009 @ 1:42pm | Report comment
Well home ground advantage is huge. It’s why Englands win in 2003 is such an achievment.
Even when the Wallabies were a good team they would smash the NH teams in Australia but England in England was always a real contest.
And it is why France belong in the top 3 because of there results in NZ.
Sam Taulelei said | August 28th 2009 @ 1:08pm | Report comment
In the era of the full length tours achieving a Grand Slam was an extraordinary achievement. To be on tour for just over two months, playing midfield and weekend games, was more of a marathon than the sprint that the end of season tours resemble now. Prior to 2005 NZ had only achieved the Grand Slam once and that 1978 All Blacks team wasn’t regarded as a particularly strong side but are still celebrated because of their achievement. Deans would be a very brave coach to sacrifice victories on the Grand Slam tour for further player development and I don’t think he will. The opportunity to achieve the Grand Slam doesn’t occur that often with an already crowded rugby calendar (although NZ are trying to arrange another one for the second consecutive year by scheduling a test against England) and it would be a great tonic for the team and supporters if their lack of success so far in the Tri Nations continues.
If they don’t pull it off will their confidence be damaged? Probably. Irrevocably so – for supporters probably more so than the players who at least have the power to change things, fans only jump on for the rollercoaster ride.
Hammer said | August 28th 2009 @ 1:33pm | Report comment
I said awhile back the only game they could consider a banker is Scotland … which may turn out to be the only game they win for the rest of the year ….
The writing has been on the wall for quite some time but everybody seems to want to ignore it – they were average in the NH last season (yeah I know they won at Twickers – but that result was put in context by SA and NZ in the weeks following that result) .. and they were overhyped after both Babas games …
this is a team with a preponderance of average talent – with wanning stars … that are poorly coached
AndyS said | August 28th 2009 @ 2:51pm | Report comment
Funny, this all sounds very similar to last year – the Wallabies don’t look good against NZ and SA, therefore they must be rubbish. I guess we’ll see in November.
Jam said | August 28th 2009 @ 3:31pm | Report comment
Nothing ventured, nothing gained. This is the sentiment the Wallabies need to embrace as they engage in melding as a unit.
A tour of Britain and Ireland – the home teams – has such resonance for teams from the antipodes. Engaging with the proud history of the game could be just the incentive to bring the wallabies together.
Tri-Nations games are such a huge challenge. The quality of these teams is high and the sense of competitiveness is massive. The Wallabies simply cannot expect sucess. It’s more a match-by-match proposition.
A northern hemisphere tour contains a greater likelyhood of success, and a greater likelyhood of confidence building.
HOY, take your doubts elswhere. Let the wallabies tour Britain and Ireland for it’s own sake, and if we are good enough, let the tour be a Grand Slam.
Campbell Watts said | August 28th 2009 @ 3:57pm | Report comment
Bah!!!!!!
Modern-day grand slams are but 4 games! Hardly worth ringing the church bell over a 4-game winning streak. The fact that it’s a 4-game winning streak over NH teams makes it even more laughable.
Now the 1924 Invincibles (5 months, 32 games) – THAT is a grand slam to write home about!!!!
ohtani's jacket said | August 29th 2009 @ 2:36am | Report comment
If only they’d played Scotland.
Knives Out said | August 29th 2009 @ 4:51am | Report comment
Well.. the Boks get to play Leicester Tigers, thereby following the tradition of the All Blacks playing Munster and the Ospreys playing Australia. For the sake of Bok fans I hope they don’t pull an Australia.
Bonza said | August 29th 2009 @ 4:01am | Report comment
Can you have a grand slam of losses??? Interesting in the press the Wallabies are talking new tactics and actually might run the ball a bit. This must be some recognition that the path they were on was failing or that they read our posts and we have finally convinced them that this is actually the case. Looking forward to victory against the Boks and saying “I told you so”
johnno42 said | August 29th 2009 @ 4:02am | Report comment
well i have to agree with pothale… a grand slam is almost a foregone conclusion, and with the “best coach in the world” (trying his hardest to make a silk purse from an ol sows ear) they should cruise through the plodders up north
Jerry G said | August 29th 2009 @ 8:09am | Report comment
When was the last time the Wallabies had an unbeaten NH tour?
pothale said | August 29th 2009 @ 6:01am | Report comment
That’s more like it, Johnno. Foregone conclusion. Stroll in the park. Should be a doddle. For the Wallabies.
Us plodders in the NH look forward to receiving another lesson in how to really play rugby at the highest level.
Swimming around here in the mudpool from one end of the year to the other, stumbling from one penalty to the next, this is the only bright moment of the year, when we get to see the real stars of the game, as we are out-fought, out-thought, outjumped, and generally bamboozled with the delights and skills of the SH running rugby game.
It’ll be a treat to be thrashed so soundly by such exalted talent.
Thankfully, we’ll only be seeing the weakened, development second-stringer SH teams beat us. God knows what it would be like if the first team turned up. Utter chaos as they run in 14 tries apiece each game.
But we’ll be happy to buy the Aussies and Saffas a drink afterwards. In undying gratitude for bothering to make the trip.
johnno42 said | August 29th 2009 @ 11:32am | Report comment
pothale dont be so hard on yourself… do you know that Ireland has beaten both the saffas and wallabies recently? it shouldnt be all doom an gloom (this year)