Expert
Let’s make a pact right now, no talk of the Rugby World Cup until Wallaby coach Michael Cheika names his squad.
The only Test that matters in the interim is the next Test – in this case England at Twickenham.
And by then Cheika will shake up his squad, because he has to.
The Wallabies lost 26-23 to Ireland because the men in green made their first tackles count. If you added up all the first tackles missed by the Wallabies, it would be close to the length of the field. That’s gifting territory that’s impossible to regain.
I’m beginning to wonder if the majority of this Wallaby squad have the rugby nous to play Cheika’s up-tempo game.
Can it be better against England next week? You bet it can.
Hooker James Hanson for Saia Fainga’a, blindside flanker Matt Hodgson for Luke Jones, half Will Genia for Nick Phipps, fly-half Quade Cooper for Bernard Foley, inside-centre Kurtley Beale for Matt Toomua, and winger Rob Horne for Adam Ashley-Cooper.
Phipps and Ashley-Cooper would be a psychoanalyst’s pride and joy.
Phipps can be the best player on the park one minute, and by far the worst in a nano-second. Against Ireland he swooped on a loose ball to outstrip the defence from 40 metres out to score, and he finished off the Wallabies’ best move all game with a double, because he read the play in advance.
But the same bloke can deliver a wayward pass three metres behind a support, and repeat the dose three or four times in a game, putting his teammates under enormous defensive strain.
Genia doesn’t do that.
Ashley-Cooper had possession six times against Ireland – he died with the ball five times, and kicked out on the full with the other.
He will not pass the ball, although I hasten to add he did pass once all season to send Israel Folau over for a spectacular try. But week in, week out, he has super glue on his fingers, and won’t let the ball go for love nor money.
Rob Horne doesn’t make those elementary mistakes.
Foley’s saving grace has been his exceptional goal-kicking, but he missed two regulation conversions that would have given the Wallabies a 27-26 win over Ireland.
Quade Cooper has more x-factor than Foley, who is just as honest as the day is long. But that doesn’t necessarily set up a victory against good sides. Cooper makes things happen, so too Beale – they must be cut loose in tandem to play the game Cheika wants to play, involving Folau more often.
Toomua can’t do that. Sure his defence is fairly solid, even though he too missed far too many first-time tackles against Ireland.
And like his Brumby halfback mate Nic White, Toomua kicks when he’s boxed in. Not only is he a poor kicker, but he gifts the opposition immediate possession.
So bring on England at the home of rugby.
What better place to end Michael Cheika’s first Wallaby tour, so he can settle down to coach the Waratahs to a second Super title, then the three-Test Rugby Championship, before he gets ready for that other tournament that comes around every four years.