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Furious Wallabies coach Robbie Deans accused his outmuscled team of “rolling over” in Saturday night’s 33-6 capitulation to the desperate All Blacks.
In a Tri-Nations dead-rubber where Australia were outplayed right across the park, Deans was most upset they threw the towel in with eight minutes left at Westpac Stadium.
After New Zealand repelled wave after wave of Wallabies attack to make the game safe at 19-6 at the 72 minute mark, they ruthlessly finished off the visitors with easy tries to Ma’a Nonu and Joe Rokocoko.
Deans admitted the three-try rout — a sixth straight loss to NZ — was a sobering step backwards after his developing outfit’s last-start 21-6 upset of South Africa in Brisbane.
“The All Blacks were hugely desperate, played very well and the most disappointing thing from our perspective we essentially capitulated once the game was gone,” Deans said.
“At that point when we weren’t successful in scoring and the All Blacks did we rolled over and that was didsappointing becasue that was the one thing we didn’t want.
“We were competitive throughout but … when the game came out of our reach we actually departed the contest.
“I guess how damaging that is will depend on the response.”
The loss leaves Australia with their third Tri-Nations wooden-spoon in 14 tournaments and continued a recurring nightmare of losses on NZ soil.
It’s their 10th straight defeat across the Tasman dating back to 2001, a record that sorely needs to be rectified before the 2011 World Cup.
Many Australians will want to forget the unacceptable display, none more so than out-of-sorts back-three duo Drew Mitchell and James O’Connor who failed to cope with the Cake Tin’s pressure-cooker environment.
But they must stew on the result for six weeks until the end-of-season tour kicks off in Japan – against the All Blacks.
Deans lamented a distinct lack of intensity and urgency, especiially at the breakdown where Richie McCaw led a spirited performance by the NZ pack.
“The margins are small in Test rugby and you’ve got to earn your stripes in every outing,” he said.
“I think we possibly got a little bit ahead of ourselves and we were looking at our next job when the first job hadn’t been done and the breakdown was evidence of that.”
“The most obvious thing was a lack of volunteers.”
The Wallabies were very much in the tussle at 9-6 late in the first half and holding the advantage with Isaia Toeava in the sin bin but All Blacks winger Cory Jane’s first Test try swiftly swung the momentum.
Speedster Jane, an attacking stand-out in his hour on the field, leapt high over the top of fullback O’Connor to field a Mils Muliaina bomb and then slipped out of a poor Mitchell cover tackle to score.
It gave the All Blacks a 16-6 halftime lead and, while the Wallabies only conceded one more penalty goal until the 75th minute, they were completely outmuscled after the break.
The inconsistent NZ lineout redeemed itself while the scrums were a mess throughout.
Adding injury to insult, Australia’s world-class loosehead prop Benn Robinson finished with a neck injury after a collision with Nonu.
© AAP 2012Recommend this story.
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September 20th 2009 @ 9:33am
JTG said | September 20th 2009 @ 9:33am | Report comment
I think the wallabies should donate last nights match payments to a deserving charity because they certainly shouldn’t be payed for that woeful performance & they call themselves professional footballers, what a joke they were for the WHOLE game , not just the last 10 minutes
September 20th 2009 @ 9:48am
onside said | September 20th 2009 @ 9:48am | Report comment
Deans reminds me of a top class jockey riding a handicap
horse in a group one weight for age race.
My impressions were, ‘ tough rampaging men against boys’
This is not intended to insult the Wallabies ,but when its crunch
time ,they are simply out muscled and outclassed.The Wallabies
are not gutless.Never.They just dont have the personel to take
on either New Zealand or South Africa when these sides are
on their game.
The Wallabies need games against other teams to develop their
style and confidence. Thats the trouble with rugby,there are so
few top quality nations to play against. How do supporters
expect the Wallabies to improve when the only competition ,NZ
and SA, are currently far better and stronger.
September 20th 2009 @ 10:21am
oliver said | September 20th 2009 @ 10:21am | Report comment
You reap what you sow
September 20th 2009 @ 11:54am
mother teresa said | September 20th 2009 @ 11:54am | Report comment
so whats the answer ,more of the same ?
who is responsible for change or is it the genes again or the tooth fairy;
have aust won rwcs before;what did they do then;did they have a team mascot and who cared for it
these are important points ;arent they?
September 20th 2009 @ 12:57pm
onside said | September 20th 2009 @ 12:57pm | Report comment
Dont know, Mother T,but it takes time,years. At the moment ,we HAVE more of the same.
I’m tired of watching the same three sides play each other, and it hasn’t finished. Yes I
would enjoy it more if we won a few more games, but the current bunch of Wallabies
are fighting in too high a weight division.They are not good enough, and there’s nothing
Deans can do about it.I actually feel sorry for him.The Wallabies are coming third out of
three teams.They will never improve playing these sides relentlessly.Its quite impossible.
Regrouping takes much longer than two weeks between a game against a superior outfit.
It is this type of schedule ,at this stage of the Wallabies development, that is demoralising.
September 20th 2009 @ 1:15pm
cookee said | September 20th 2009 @ 1:15pm | Report comment
ONSIDE,the all blacks are weak at present,why have previous wallies won agst strong ab teams;please do address what im saying ,dont give excuses give facts.deans was the supercoach when appointed ;now its too much for him agst a weak kiwi team——–shouldnt have taken the job.if we are going to lose may as well get less expensive coach–save some money
i dont feel too sorry for him ;feel more sorry for aust rugby
September 20th 2009 @ 2:31pm
onside said | September 20th 2009 @ 2:31pm | Report comment
Ok understood.Perhaps the best coach in the world(who ever) cant improve a dud
outfit.I am not convinced the Kiwis are (comparitively )weak.I think they’ve got some
real grunt.Perhaps previous Aussie teams were far better than we gave them credit
for. I am not trying to fabricate excuses,though it must seem that way, but offering
possible reasons.Sorry my views are light on for facts.That’s Sheeks department.
Cheers mate,
Onside
September 20th 2009 @ 3:43pm
Invictus said | September 20th 2009 @ 3:43pm | Report comment
Winning the RWC is easier than winning the 3N’s (or 6N’s for that matter) as you have a smaller number of tough matches to contend with. That said, the wallaby sides that won the RWC and the Bledisloe and 3N’s (since inception) were legendary sides. Not just good, they were astonishing, because they achieved so much from such a poor starting point. Those teams also had some of the finest test players to ever grace a rugby field for any team ( I don’t think even the most one eyed AB or Bok supporter would disagree).
Those player groups were anomalies. A freakish occurence of talented players who chose rugby over other codes. The 91 side was amateur, the 99 side had it’s roots in the pre-professional era. Perhaps our current form is what professionalism has done to the code in this country?
September 21st 2009 @ 6:49pm
AndyS said | September 21st 2009 @ 6:49pm | Report comment
Or perhaps what an inability/unwillingness to adapt to the differing demands of professionalism has done?
September 20th 2009 @ 9:51am
Mark said | September 20th 2009 @ 9:51am | Report comment
Couldn’t agree more onside thankyou!
September 20th 2009 @ 10:04am
Kenny said | September 20th 2009 @ 10:04am | Report comment
Why should we bother watching these softcocks anymore?
Robbie Deans must seriously regret taking the job.
September 20th 2009 @ 11:49am
mother teresa said | September 20th 2009 @ 11:49am | Report comment
and a bad tradesman blames his tools
September 20th 2009 @ 10:09am
Arky said | September 20th 2009 @ 10:09am | Report comment
The peformance did not warrant a pay cheque – the broncos game that followed was far more entertaining and an infinately superior performance in the ‘passion’ stakes.
Anyone want my tickets for next years’ wallaby tests – it will take a dramtaic turnaround to see me pay to watch anotehr wallaby test – that was shite of the first order.
O’Connor was useless – he might have tickets on himslef but someone ought to teach him the basics of the game. Mitchell was pedestrian. Giteau is not the flyhalf that we need – why not have him switch with Barnes? The bask row were ordianry at the breakdown – and the locks both went missing on the night. The front row were fine in the scrum but that was it.
Woeful, woeful, woeful. Bring on the NRL finals I say.
And to think that JO’N thinks dishing that up again in five weeks in Japan is a money maker – the world will walk from the Wallabies and the game if that is all they can deliver against a very ordinary opponent.
September 20th 2009 @ 10:32am
bennalong said | September 20th 2009 @ 10:32am | Report comment
It was as I predicted. Joubert DIDN”T police the breakdown and we succumbed to illegal play. Black jerseys on our side of the ruck all tthrough the match. And not from drive through
Woodcock was not penalised for not binding at virtually every scrum –dropping under, hand on the ground.
Offside not policed
Lineout throws were not policed.
I’m a one-eyed Wallabies fan so it’s impossible for me to credit the ALL-Blacks with such a disgraceful refereeing display
Can you imagine the result if penalties went our way—justly—last night.!????
Onside .Watch the match again and see how they gained that dominance. When reffed by NH refs the AB’s leak penalties like a bloody sieve. Then they look terrible
They were allowed to play THEIR game, and it’s built around cheating.
September 20th 2009 @ 10:42am
QC said | September 20th 2009 @ 10:42am | Report comment
You have got to be kidding right?
Are you telling me Bennalong that even Australian refs let the ABs get away with cheating?
Why is it that refs from South Africa currently the best rugby nation on earth ref the ABs just like the Aussie ref?
I’ll give you a clue Northern refs do not understand the game as the Southern nations play it and the best people to be reffing southern teams are southern refs. The styles of play between the two hemispheres are significantly different and the refs mindsets are tuned into this way of thinking.
The wallabies got spanked becaue they were absolutely off their game noone else to blame bar themselves. Here’s a hint maybe players like Pocock should refrain from writing articles for the roar a few days out from a test match and focus his energy on his play and that of the team!
September 20th 2009 @ 10:49am
Ziggy said | September 20th 2009 @ 10:49am | Report comment
As a fellow QC I agree with you. It’s time these players egos are deflated. In fact Joubert was fairly kind to us, even sending off an undeserving AB to help us along. Insead they scored a try!
September 20th 2009 @ 11:41am
mother teresa said | September 20th 2009 @ 11:41am | Report comment
yes right ,smacks of the first fifteen and deans the sportsmaster and the journos get in behind for the crumbs they drop;guess there is guck all else to write about.
journos should realise that the crusaders are an outfit with a strong overall focus and deans was a spoilt conductor ;now the lack of advantage has exposed his flaws;oh no;now hes furious with capitulation not himself thats too painful.reminds me of how he stuffed nz in 2003.overrated QC
September 20th 2009 @ 10:48am
Realist said | September 20th 2009 @ 10:48am | Report comment
Keep telling yourself that – that child at fullback only has the ref to blame, right??
September 20th 2009 @ 10:50am
Ziggy said | September 20th 2009 @ 10:50am | Report comment
He’s no Steyn is he?
September 20th 2009 @ 6:58pm
Invictus said | September 20th 2009 @ 6:58pm | Report comment
Nobody is except Steyn!
September 20th 2009 @ 10:51am
Harry said | September 20th 2009 @ 10:51am | Report comment
Don’t blame Joubert. Yes I thought the Blacks got away with a lot but they just smashed us at the breakdown and got all the momentum, while our softcocks sat out amongst the backs. The fact is we were hammered by a more committed, cohesive and skillfull team.
Agree that Deans should not focus on the last 8 minutes, disgraceful though that was. From 25 minutes to 72 was where the real problems were. Delusional to focus on anything else and a sideshow.
September 20th 2009 @ 10:58am
ohtani's jacket said | September 20th 2009 @ 10:58am | Report comment
I can’t stand it! I know you planned it! I’m a set it straight this Watergate!
September 21st 2009 @ 12:29am
mcxd said | September 21st 2009 @ 12:29am | Report comment
maybe the aus forwards should be more “body moving”.
September 20th 2009 @ 11:47am
mother teresa said | September 20th 2009 @ 11:47am | Report comment
ONE EYED WALLABY SUPPORTER ;RATIONALLY each different referee has contributed to similar results;one eye or one neuron;let others decide
September 20th 2009 @ 10:44am
JamesI said | September 20th 2009 @ 10:44am | Report comment
Arky, you didn’t have to wait until the NRL game – there was more passion and commitment in the Broncos-Manly U20s game that was on at the same time as the Test. Found myself switching channels more and more in that dismal second half.
I’m also sick of all the tough talk before these AB games from the Wallabies. Just shut the @#$% up and turn up on the night.
And why don’t they learn to adapt during the game – they kept getting smashed at the breakdown yet when ever one of outside backs (and a few forwards) went into the defensive line they had high body positions and always got turned.
And I thought following the Reds was depressing.
September 20th 2009 @ 10:53am
David said | September 20th 2009 @ 10:53am | Report comment
While the Wallabies were very poor across the park, most obvious was our inability to maintain possession, and pressure the ABs at the breakdown. Not taking anything away from the Blacks, as they were ferocious at the ruck, but there were a lot of frustrated Wallabies fans at the pub I watched the game yelling at the ref to do something about the bodies lying everywhere.
For much of the game there was no attempt by the Blacks to stay on their feet. They were just diving in, straight to the deck. Brad Thorn several times just flopped onto the Wallabies side and lay there, sealing the ball well away from our half. It’s pretty hard to clean out a guy lying on the ground.
But that’s hardly new, it’s a common tactic and the Wallabies need to find a way to counter it, because the refs aren’t helping.
Well done NZ. Great passion.
September 20th 2009 @ 1:26pm
Bruiser said | September 20th 2009 @ 1:26pm | Report comment
David, have to agree we have to find a way to counter it. But the difference i think between the Wallabies and NZ/SA is that they play the Ref, and are able to adjust when it is not going their way. We seem to think we have some god given right that the Referree should look after us, whereas we should be doing exactly what the Ref is allowing us to get away with. This is what the AB’s did so well last night and i can only congratulate them.
September 20th 2009 @ 10:55am
JustinB said | September 20th 2009 @ 10:55am | Report comment
O’Connor was everyhting I’ve thought of him the last few months – over-rated, over-inflated ego and out of his depth.
Next time he might want to jump and compete for the high ball rather than gifting NZ 7 points. But that might mess his hair, which at the moment is his most positive contribution to the Wallabies.
September 20th 2009 @ 11:27am
mother teresa said | September 20th 2009 @ 11:27am | Report comment
yes justin but you are talking about a highly paid sportstar who we have to wait till 2011 to see if noddy deans has got it right ;and he hasnt got much right so far.lote must be grinning.
you are right oconnors mistakes were waiting to be magnified soon but he served the spin doctors line on youth which translated is an excuse for failure thru building cos no depth.and maybe previous success on world stage by wallies had more to do with mgt and less to do with playing to the gallery
September 20th 2009 @ 11:54am
exile said | September 20th 2009 @ 11:54am | Report comment
It would not surprise me at all if Mortlock were to announce his retirement from international rugby before the EOYT (no inside info – just guessing). If AAC stays at 13 (or if Digby goes to 13, AAC will be needed on the wing) that leaves JO’C as the only fullback. Meanwhile Australia’s best fullback is carving up the Japanese 2nd division, and Cam Shepherd – where is Cam Shepherd? Does that give me confidence? No.
September 20th 2009 @ 11:02am
ohtani's jacket said | September 20th 2009 @ 11:02am | Report comment
Do Wallaby supporters actually watch what their team is doing in the breakdown?
September 20th 2009 @ 12:12pm
tarpo said | September 20th 2009 @ 12:12pm | Report comment
OJ, we can’t always see what the Wallas are doing at the breakdown, because the camera angle doesn’t always show the whole field, most of the forwards were standing 20 metres away.
September 20th 2009 @ 12:18pm
exile said | September 20th 2009 @ 12:18pm | Report comment
Last night there wasn’t anything to see….
September 20th 2009 @ 12:42pm
Invictus said | September 20th 2009 @ 12:42pm | Report comment
They weren’t doing anything at the breakdown – that’s the point!
You cannot wait for the ref. If the opposition is on your side of the ruck, get rid of him. Do the job properly and he won’t come back.
September 20th 2009 @ 1:30pm
Ziggy said | September 20th 2009 @ 1:30pm | Report comment
No. We listen to Kearns and Martin analysing every Ref decision in place of intelligent commentary. Then we repeat that as an excuse for yet another poor performance. The fact that they are proven dead wrong 99.999% of the time makes no difference to us. When we win it’s because we are bloody brilliant. When we lose, which is surprisingly often because of those cheating refs, it is never because we played badly or the other team was brilliant. No way. Thank God the ABs are well below their best because an up to the mark AB team would have scored at least 60 against this miserable bunch of egotistical pansies.
Deans should remove their combs and mirrors as punishment.