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There’s been some really high-quality, tough-but-fair analysis of the Wallabies’ 33-28 win over Wales last weekend in Cardiff.
Certainly, new coach Michael Cheika’s suggestion that the Wallabies forwards will need to “learn to love scrums” was timely before the Wales Test, and the 66th minute penalty try provided no greater reason why.
Scott Allen’s analysis on Wednesday was outstanding, and after going on about the scrum engagement height of the locks this time last year, I could only nod in agreement when Scott wrote, “It amazes me that the Wallabies keep making it harder for their props by allowing the middle row to scrummage as poorly as they do.”
It’s very easy to blame Australian props for scrum issues, but when a lock has both head and arse pointing skywards and flankers are there only to make up the numbers, blaming props is well off target.
On that point, it was interesting to see Benn Robinson packing at openside and Cheika himself packing at number 8 in opposed scrums at training in Paris this week. I hope it means the backrowers were out of shot taking detailed notes.
But I actually don’t want to mount the soapbox about obvious problems today, because the way the Wallabies responded after the penalty try really impressed me, and deserves due credit.
You only have to think about how the Wallabies have responded to scrum penalty tries over the last decade or so, and particularly on European tours, to know this is true. Too often, the tail fell between the legs, only moving occasionally as the team bent over and thought of England. Sometimes they were even playing at Twickenham, too.
But this time was different. After the restart saw both teams exchanging territory kicks, the Wallabies had a lineout throw around 30 metres out from their line on the near side.
From the lineout, the Wallabies played for ten phases down the centre channel of the field, each time pushing the ball at least two passes for the next ruck. Referee Craig Joubert had actually played penalty advantage for the last eight phases before going back to the original penalty with the Wallabies not really making any ground.
From the subsequent lineout on the Welsh 40 metre line, the Wallabies made it to their 22 within five phases, with replacement prop Ben Alexander making good ground every time he carried. They played with width again, meaning Wales couldn’t just bunch defenders in the centre corridor; playing multiple passes once again meant the Wallabies engaged defenders across the width of the field.
It took another five phases to breach the Welsh 22, and from there the play narrowed as it became apparent what the Wallabies were trying to set up. Bernard Foley could already be seen hovering behind the front line, readying himself for a drop goal from around 30 metres.
Conceptually, at this point at least, this is the kind of ‘playing smart’ the team would go on to ignore in the final minute of the game, when Foley kicked possession away and forced the Wallabies to defend like bloody hell for another two-and-a-half minutes.
Wales defended well though, it should also be said, and even as the Wallabies worked toward 15 phases, the Welsh remained as a single line fanned out across the field. They didn’t commit numbers to each ruck, maximising the defensive line, but nor were they putting a lot of pressure on the Australian ball carriers.
What was obvious though, was that Sam Warburton and Taulupe Faletau remained in front of the posts, readying themselves to make a charge forward if Foley appeared in the pocket.
Will Genia heard the call after the 20th phase, but had to take a moment to reset himself after falling over a prone Dan Lydiate at the back of the ruck – though it was hard to tell whether Genia tripped, or whether he might’ve been trying to milk a penalty.
Regardless, the pass was crisp and quick, Foley’s kick was good, and there was surprisingly no Welsh pressure from the open side. There was a defender charging out on the short side, but Foley had already turned on his heals by the time he arrived.
This all sounds like a pretty simple passage of play, and it’s certainly not revolutionary or groundbreaking. However, it was the Wallabies pulling it off after they’d just been humiliated up the other end of the ground, and here were many of those same forwards charging into rucks to set up the immediate response.
The fact they pulled it off with such composure and such a clear plan from so early in the piece was really good to see. We’ve all watched the Wallabies enough to have seen a pass go astray in similar situations, or a lazy cleanout result in an opposition turnover.
It just showed me that even though we seriously question the on-field decision-making sometimes – and rightly so, don’t worry – the clear thinking and execution required to strike the immediate response was still there.
Onto France, and I like that Cheika has named essentially the same side to play in Paris as got the job done in Cardiff. James Horwill comes in at lock for Sam Carter, and this is the new coach starting to assemble the bodies in the low-numbered jerseys that he needs to play his way.
Horwill has offered increasing impact from the bench this year, and it’s clear than Carter doesn’t bring the same power carrying game that Horwill does, or that Cheika wants.
It also suggests that Cheika is perhaps willing to give the players the chance to prove the many deficiencies in Cardiff were just one-offs. Should symptoms persist in Paris early Sunday morning our time, some players in the starting XV could and probably should find themselves requiring a suit and tie in Dublin.
The mercurial French are capable of anything if they so desire, and there should be no expectation of the domination the Wallabies found they had in June. They will be tested by a significantly fresher French side, if nothing else.
Once again, patience will be the key. And the Wallabies showed in glimpses last week that it is something they can pull off when the situation demands it.