England’s day makes it tough for the Wallabies

 

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By stash, 15 Nov 2010 stash is a Roar Pro

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 All Blacks, England, robbie deans, Rugby Union, wallabies

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After experiencing a genuine high after beating the All Blacks on the hooter in Hong Kong, Wallaby supporters contemplating the rising of a “New Dawn” were rudely awakened by a comprehensive defeat at the hands of England.

The Robbie Deans led golden warriors had taken up their hybrid version of the All Black attacking and counter attacking template (a style which some attribute instead to domestic team Queensland Reds) with signs emerging that the team was on the rise after wins against South Africa at home and the end of a horrendous run of losses against the All Blacks.

An indifferent and at times poor performance against Wales should have seen the first choice team buckle up and fill the exposed holes. The opportunity to review the reel from the preceding week when England played New Zealand should also have allowed coach Deans and his senior players to spot gaps, targets and opportunities.

Instead, the Wallabies were found wanting on a number of levels as England dismantled them.

Without a significant effort and some inspiration from Kurtley Beale, one of the few shining players on the night, the record breaking defeat at the hands of England could have been significantly more humiliating.

Young James O’Connor who has recently played well, and had silenced many of his critics, was found wanting in his inability to garnish points from long range penalties. While the Wallabies possess a number of kickers, coach Deans seems unable to make a decisive commitment to a chosen kicker.

Big dynamo and player of the year for Australia, David Pocock, struggled to make the type of impact he has managed previously. Martin Johnson’s men had obviously been carefully studying his playing style and managed to obstruct his channels well.

The promised dynamic duo of Will Genia and Quade Cooper ended up on the rocks with Genia leaving the field injured. Genia, who was trumpeted as the new George Gregan has simply been unable to capture his domestic form on the international stage.

But it was Quade Copper who had the real nightmare of a night.

Considered as an elusive playmaker with a keen eye and boot, the only thing elusive from Quade was his ability to tackle. While Cooper’s defensive deficiencies have been known in the past, this glaring weakness was magnified as the English ran through him time and again and funnelled runners down his channel.

While it was certainly a massive blow to the confidence and the purported ascension of the Wallabies, it is significant to say that England enjoyed an impeccable game.

Sometimes teams just have a great day at the park, and Saturday night belonged to England. On those days passes stick, plays work, gaps miraculously open, kicks find touch and the ball bounces kindly.

While England has been on the rise over the last 12 months, they rarely have a consistent 80 minutes. It’s hard to counter and it was the misfortune of Australia to meet them on such a day.

Likewise, the All Blacks also enjoyed a flawless performance against a rising Scotland who were thumped in a record breaking manner, leaving them and their fans devastated as to what to do to get to the next level. Any team meeting the All Blacks on Saturday would have met the same fate.

Nevertheless, Robbie Deans will need to take a serious, hard look at his creation as there is something amiss in its very core.

While everyone has been comparing the new look Wallabies to a high performance vehicle, they have got caught up in the gloss and dynamic lines and overlooked the driving forces below the hood.

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