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Well, that was anticlimactic. Unfortunately Bledisloe game one between Australia and New Zealand ended in a 12-all draw in a match played in atrocious conditions. I am not going to criticise the quality of the match, it was always going to be a grind in that weather.
Anybody who saw the torrential downpour an hour before kickoff, or saw water splashing up whenever the Wallabies ran during their warm-up, would understand how tough the conditions were for the players.
I’m also not going to criticise captain Michael Hooper and his decision making and blame him for the loss, the match is a completely different ball game if the Wallabies come away with points at the end of the first half and the All Blacks would have responded accordingly.
This article is also not going to discuss factors that were outside of the players’ hands, the performance of Jaco Peyper. Peyper made some very questionable decisions, but he did not cost the Wallabies the match, and he was inconsistent against both teams, not just the Wallabies.
The breakdown is always a lottery when Peyper is reffing.
What I will discuss is one factor that coach Ewen McKenzie had direct control over, the use of his subs. Put simply, McKenzie’s use of his reserves was mind boggling, it was almost like he forgot he had them until the 65th minute.
New Zealand made their first sub in the 47th minute when they decided to leave Ben Franks on the field after he replaced the sin binned Wyatt Crockett. Australia, on the other hand, made their first substitute in the 66th minute when Scott Higginbotham replaced Scott Fardy and Nick Phipps replaced Nic White. New Zealand had made four changes before McKenzie had even made one.
Substitutes have become a vital part of any rugby union match. They are an opportunity to inject fresh legs into a match and provide a spark, to take advantage of tired players. New Zealand got their substitutes right on the most part, the Barrett for Cruden switch was interesting, but Steve Hansen gave his replacements enough time to make an impact on the match. McKenzie didn’t.
Let’s start with the halfbacks. Nic White was having a poor game, his passing was average, which is understandable given the conditions, but his decision making and speed to the ball were poor and are inexcusable.
There were a number of times where he was far too slow getting from one breakdown to the next, you beat the All Blacks by playing on the back of quick ball, it’s not possible to do this when the halfback isn’t getting to the ball before it’s ready. Secondly, his decision making was subpar, it was like he wasn’t even thinking about where to pass, he knew that he was slow to the ball so he had to just get it out and pass it to the first player he saw in a gold jersey.
It’s understandable to leave him on the field when you don’t have a solid replacement on the bench but that wasn’t the case. Nick Phipps is in probably the best form of his career.
The Waratahs don’t win the Super Rugby title if Phipps isn’t playing as well as he has been. As soon as he entered the game the difference was clear, he was getting to the breakdown quickly and then pausing to make a decision, admittedly there were a few too many passes to the short side, but at least he was looking and thinking. Phipps should have been given at least 20 minutes to help turn the match, instead he got just 14.
The second curious change to take place came four minutes after the halfback swap. In the 70th minute Bernard Foley replaced his Waratahs teammate, Kurtley Beale, and slotted into the five-eighth position. Both Beale, whom I spoke about last week (http://www.theroar.com.au/2014/08/13/kurtley-beale-gamble-or-masterstroke/) and inside centre Matt Toomua were struggling in the conditions, Toomua more so than Beale, and it became clear fairly early on in the second half that Foley needed to come on and lead the attack.
The weather conditions were not suited to Beale’s game and a very brave coach would have made a late switch on Saturday afternoon prior to kickoff, but nevertheless, Beale played pretty well. Foley should have entered the match with 20-25 minutes to go, replacing Matt Toomua and pushing Beale to inside centre.
Instead he came on with 10 minutes to go and like Phipps, his impact was immediately clear, whereas Beale and Toomua did a lot of running across field, Foley was very straight and very direct. In the ten minutes he played, he was exactly what the Wallabies needed, but the Wallabies needed him for more time on the field.
Throughout the Super Rugby season Waratahs coach Michael Cheika used Will Skelton as an impact player. He either told him to go hard for 50 minutes before being replaced normally by Jacques Potgieter or he started on the bench and came on with 25-30 minutes to go with the potential to have a big impact on the match.
The 30 minutes he was getting was perfect for him because it gave him a few minutes to work into the game before he exploded into action. He attempted to do this on Saturday night, but McKenzie only gave him ten minutes of game time.
And he only came on because Wycliff Palu went off with an injury, which suggests McKenzie was going to give him even less game time. Skelton is one of the largest rugby players in the world and given enough time, he will change a game. He tried his best on Saturday to have an impact on the game, but he just needed more time.
McKenzie made some poor substitute decisions on Saturday night but he will have another chance to get things right next Saturday night as the two teams go around for round two in Auckland. Unfortunately, after what we saw in Sydney, I can’t see the Australians departing Eden Park victorious, but stranger things have happened.
Twitter: @fromthesheds
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.