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Wonky Wallabies trip up in Twickenham Test

All Wallabies Test matches are on the Minister's anti-siphoning list (Image. Tim Anger)
Roar Guru
30th November, 2014
18

It was a game they could, nay, should have won – but just how many times can you have said that in the past 12 months about the Wallabies?

Last weekend against Ireland, the encounter with France in Paris, the last Bledisloe Test, the loss to Argentina, the draw with the All Blacks and now the meeting with England in London. If you want to know how to go close to winning, and blow it, then watch the Wallabies.

They do skilful, full of potential and talent combined with frustration and failure, better than anyone in world rugby.

On a bright sunny day at Twickenham, Australia could have set down a marker before the World Cup. They didn’t.

Despite showing real purpose with the ball, stretching the English defence repeatedly, making breaks around the park and stringing together some eye-catching play, they couldn’t finish enough of their chances off. It’s the same old story.

The Wallabies’ scrum woes came back to haunt them again against the old enemy, with England walking over a try off the back of a scrum with ease.

Until Australia sorts out its forward weakness, learns to handle the high ball and stops giving away penalty after penalty, it can forget about being a top three nation. It can forget about being a contender for the World Cup.

One pass from Israel Folau towards the end of the game, with Rob Horne waiting on the wing, and the Wallabies might have been home. A late and thrilling winner.

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But a victory would have disguised some of their flaws, which are now laid very bare.

It’s not the poor pass from Folau, nor the knock-on from Kurtley Beale, the impotent scrum, the lineout penalty given away by Michael Hooper near the end of the game nor Adam Ashley-Cooper’s insistence to continually not pass to those outside of him, ignore overlaps and to crash into the middle. It’s the combination of these little things, and others, that cruel the Wallabies’ opportunities to be a top team.

It’s the mental fragility that grips them in big games. It’s the tendency to do something brilliant, like Foley and Horne’s inside-out try, followed by a wayward offload or a silly pass.

It’s the mixture of the sublime and the sloppy that the Wallabies seem to excel in.

England weren’t great in London, they weren’t entertaining or outstanding, but they did enough to grind out a win. They were solid and tough. Predictable and conservative. They kicked the ball away a lot, bomb after bomb, they mauled as much as they could and they tried to force mistakes out of Australia.

They played to their strengths, which is hard to argue with. It’s what they know and often gets results.

English fans are wired different to Australian supporters. One of the biggest roars at Twickenham during the match was when England rolled a maul more than 20 metres forward. That would be unheard of at Suncorp or Alliance Stadium. A classy backline movement or slick try would get Aussie fans salivating.

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England is excellent at 10-man rugby, at playing in their other team’s half and at the set-piece. The Wallabies know what they bring but couldn’t handle it, couldn’t use all the good ball they were presented with properly.

Both teams scored two tries apiece, but the Wallabies could have had four or five. But at this level you can’t live on coulds, what haves and hypotheticals.

The margins in the Test arena might be small but Australia is just not up to it at the moment. 2014, with all its on-field failures, scandals and a coach resigning, has shown that explicitly. All the bullshit over the year has had an impact. But this is not a time for excuses.

The Wallabies just weren’t good enough and a period of examination and improvement awaits, with little time left, if a quick group stage exit isn’t on the cards in the World Cup in 12 months’ time.

Follow John Davidson on Twitter @johnnyddavidson

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