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It is truly an amazing time to be a Wallaby fan. Not because we’re a world powerhouse, or close to stealing a Bledisloe Cup series, or even playing well; rather it is the first time I can recall when the safest part of the Wallabies’ game is the scrum.
Just stop and let that sink in. The Wallaby scrum is the easy part of the game at the moment.
With Nick Stiles (the man behind the Reds rock-solid set piece this year) running the early Wallaby camps and Mario Ledesma (the Argentine master of the dark arts) involved as a consultant, the Wallaby scrum is going to take some beating this year; something that will make a nice change from the years when all the stars had to align just to keep the front row from eating grass.
Elsewhere though, things aren’t so rosy. The Brumbies and Waratahs’ Super Rugby semi-final losses, and the poor form of the other Australian teams raise some serious questions for Michael Cheika to ponder before the Wallabies’ international season opener against the Springboks on July 18.
The lineout
The Waratahs were picked apart in this facet of the game, however the Brumbies and the Reds were exceptional in this area. It follows that the Wallabies will look to build on this success.
If, as is widely expected, Will Skelton takes a starting spot in the second row, the Wallaby lineout will need to be very well drilled and accurate. That almost certainly means a demotion for Tatafu Polota-Nau to third-string hooker behind Stephen Moore and James Hanson. It may also save James Horwill’s international career (although on balance his set piece work is offset by his poor work around the field).
There are also implications for the loose forwards as both Scott Higginbotham and Scott Fardy are genuine jumpers, whereas Wycliff Palu is not. This will be tough one for Cheika to strike the right balance with.
The halves
More than one commenter, including Bob Dwyer, has stated that Nick Phipps and Nic White essentially played Will Genia into the no.9 jersey for the Wallabies during the semi-finals. That has to be a concern, because Genia has not been in good form, showing only fleeting glimpses of his quality during the season.
At flyhalf, the Brumbies’ attack has been lacking invention and direction all season, while the Reds and the Force don’t even rate a mention for their ‘attack’. The Rebels halves didn’t even make Wallaby training squad, and the Waratahs’ semi-final showed that Bernard Foley is limited in his ability to direct a game without a secondary playmaker.
Given Quade Cooper is injured yet again, it may be that the new overseas eligibility rule will be put to good effect during the Rugby Championship and World Cup, with Matt Giteau taking the reins of the Wallaby backline.
This is one selection problem Cheika will lose sleep over, because if he gets the halves combination wrong, the Wallabies could be facing a lot of Test losses.
Kicking
Another problem the Wallabies face is kicking, both out of hand and off the tee. On pure Super Rugby form the Wallabies back three would be Israel Folau, Rob Horne and Joe Tomane, however none of those players possess very good kicking games.
Folau can kick, but his skills don’t extend to running midfield bombs, cross-field rakes for territory, or speedy clearances under pressure. The Wallabies need a second genuine kicking option behind whoever plays in the no.10 jersey.
James O’Connor on one wing would solve the problem, as well as providing a secondary playmaker, however his selection has to be viewed as a big risk given his form since returning to Australia.
The kicking out of hand game is probably why Karmichael Hunt is getting a look in as a fullback in the Wallaby squad; it may also be the reason that Drew Mitchell joins Giteau in the Wallabies this year.
Moreover, as has been expounded upon by many here on The Roar (most notably Brett McKay), the place-kicking percentage of the Australian players in Super Rugby hovers around 70 per cent, which is far from ideal in Test match situations. Penalty kicks are going to be very important at the Rugby World Cup, they always are, and that issue will probably be giving Cheika nightmares.
All in all, there are some tough decisions for Michael Cheika to make regarding the Wallabies and very few Test matches in which to bed down any new combinations or tactics (two matches before the back-to-back Bledisloe Cup Tests, and then three before the all-important Rugby World Cup pool matches against England and Wales).
All Wallaby fans can do is wish him luck in sorting it out.
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.