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McKenzie has learnt his lesson, changes in the Wallaby forward pack await

Roar Guru
7th September, 2014
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The Wallabies take on Scotland, out to make the Rugby World Cup's final four. (AAP Image/Joe Castro)
Roar Guru
7th September, 2014
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3440 Reads

The relieved face of Ewen McKenzie after the Wallabies clinched a 24-23 victory over the Springboks in Perth said it all. He was a man under pressure.

He looked as though he knew he had blown it badly in the coach’s box at Auckland two weeks before, and the difference in his demeanour was palpable.

Of course, a win at the death would change any coach’s demeanour to happiness, but there was something more there. He looked as though he may have realised that his stubbornness in selections was his own greatest threat, and he actually needed to heed advice and was now willing to accept that.

This could be a turning point for his Wallaby coaching career, which has looked pretty uncertain of late.

So what if? What if he had chosen Nick Phipps and Bernard Foley from the first Bledisloe Test? I don’t think too many would now disagree that the cache of confidence flowing from the June France Tests and the Waratahs Super Rugby win would be much more intact.

How much more is obviously hard to say, considering the Auckland thrashing, but the likelihood of having won instead of drawing the first Bledisloe Test is a fairly reasonable assertion given subsequent events on the field.

The likelihood of the second Bledisloe Test thrashing would have been greatly reduced as well, but the All Blacks were men on a mission on that day and determined to prove that they were not edging down the other side of a great peak.

Some interesting and positive developments emerged from the Springboks match in Perth, apart from the obvious influence Kurtley Beale had in replacing Matt Toomua at the end. Why not sooner is the cry of the Wallaby supporting fraternity, and so it should be.

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I referred above to a possible change in the McKenzie viewpoint and even though Foley made a few errors (restart into touch, dropped up-and-under, stripped ball), he gave an assurance and control to operations that had been obviously missing.

Foley was under enormous pressure to perform given his dropping and subsequent reinstatement to save the team, particularly in the low-confidence Wallaby environment. In those circumstances, Foley performed very well. His winning conversion from a difficult position was a further indication of his worth. Foley is back.

What of Beale, however? Coming on at the 70 minute mark to somehow engineer a miracle come-from-behind win is a big ask. Folau instantly looked more confident in attack, and the attack seemed to suddenly have space and attacking options. The Waratahs back line, except for Kuridrani, was in place and the cohesion and threat were there immediately.

With Beale in the back to help with fielding Springbok kicks to the corners, particularly in the first 20 minutes of the second half, there would have been the distinct possibility of damaging counterattack instead of meek touch-finders of pretty poor execution from Israel Folau. This would have changed the way the game unfolded. Beale at 12 worked for the Waratahs, and can work for the Wallabies, from the start.

Toomua put through a lovely grubber for Adam Ashley-Cooper to almost score but for some inspired defence from Willie le Roux. His flying out of the defensive line, however, can be a liability, and so it proved in the Springboks first try.

Toomua did well in creating the space for Folau’s try, but so would have Beale in that position, as Hendricks charged out of the line. Toomua is a fine player, and best at 10, not 12. Foley is best at 10, however, and other options at 12 could be attempted. Beale is the obvious one, and it is about time to do that.

Perhaps Ben Horne or Tevita Kurindrani could be tried there, perhaps on the end-of-year Tests. Horne, in particular, was originally a centre for the Waratahs, and has shown his worth in both attack and defence in recent Tests. His finish to score the winning try against the Springboks showed his class and reliability.

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Kuridrani played very well. Is he better than Ashley-Cooper at 13? That is hard to say, but probably not. With no wingers around, Ashley-Cooper can go to wing, but he needs to be on the field for his all-round abilities in restarts, high-balls, defence reads and devastating hole-running, particularly near the try line.

The forwards are the really interesting part of the Springbok Test aftermath. Scott Higginbotham looked very good, making terrific metres with the ball, strong defence and good hands. He is a genuine lineout option as well. He has earned a start at number 8.

Wycliff Palu played quite well, and has done so through the torrid Super Rugby semifinals and finals, plus the first two Bledisloe Tests. He could be switched to the bench, which keeps him in the mix plus freshens him up a bit. With Higginbothom at eight Matt Hodgson can replace Scott Fardy at six to give the Wallabies the hard-over-the-ball ferret that they are currently lacking.

Fardy has not managed to reproduce his end-of-year Test form from 2013 in 2014 and needs to work on a few things, particularly how he let Bryan Habana get on his outside and fly past when he had defenders covering the inside channel. The bench for him as well.

James Horwill gave the forwards some starch and authority and had a calming effect on the inexperience that led to some terrible decision making in the third quarter. It might be time to start him again, with Aaron Carter to the bench. Three forward run-on changes sounds a bit drastic, but it isn’t really. The forwards just had a more composed, competitive and dangerous look about them with those players on at the end.

Captaincy-wise, Ben Mowen was the best the Wallabies have seen for a long time, and a good captain is worth another player, just about, which is probably why the All Blacks are so keen to keep Richie McCaw. Hooper has a lot to learn, because he did not do anything to stem the flow in Bledisloe Test 2 and the third quarter of the Springbok Test.

He’s worth sticking with, though, and the more experienced players need to get in his ear and help. Horwill could be a big plus in that area.

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The team is a work in progress. Selections, and trying players in positions, have been the main problem and has led to one very poor result. However, the best back line and forward pack is close, given the players available for selection.

This last gasp win against the Springboks will give the team a big confidence boost. Look for those forward changes and Beale to start next week, because McKenzie knows now how fragile a thing confidence can be, and also how important it is to a favourable outcome.

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