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I haven’t written about the Wallabies set up often this year, despite it being a World Cup year. I’ve tried to enjoy the games as they come, without devaluing them by looking straight past them.
Since at least the Springboks and probably the Pumas are treating this Rugby Championship as a warm-up tournament I’ll do the same.
Here are six points about the Wallabies’ nail-biter against the Springboks that also point the way forward for our men in gold.
1. Brain and brawn, not brain and brain
There was a time, not long ago, when the way to go in rugby was to have a playmaking fly-half and pair him with another ball playing man at inside centre. This style was at its most useful for teams like Australia when bulkier teams such as England and South Africa were pushing them around and the ploy was to shift the ball to the flanks, away from the size and power.
That is not the way to play rugby anymore. I think it is because all players have become collectively bigger – especially at Test level – within the last five years and even big players demonstrate dexterity with the ball.
For this reason, the Wallabies’ 2015 debut with Quade Cooper and Matt Giteau at 10 and 12 was enlightening because it showed that small-small didn’t work as well anymore. Yes, the Wallabies looked good moving the ball wide, but if anything they were going wide too soon.
The introduction of Matt Toomua completely changes the efficiency of the Wallabies’ attack. He was able to move the ball around the park with either Cooper or Giteau, but his ability to straighten the attack with his considerable bulk for a playmaker was extremely important.
My preferred playmaking combination now would be Toomua and Giteau, with Cooper as the third wheel. As Giteau is injured use Toomua and Cooper until his return.
2. I hope the saying never becomes, ‘live by the blade, die by the blade’
The Wallabies survived a pragmatic and patient Springboks team by the skin of their teeth. The bend of a few blades of grass sent the Boks packing.
GILBERT, MEET BLADES OF GRASS! *KISS* #AUSvRSA
— Elisha Pearce (@ElishaPearce) July 18, 2015
I hope that wasn’t our luck for the year, because it was indeed lucky. If the groundsman dropped the mower a couple more rungs before his final trim we might have been staring at replays of Tevita Kuridrani being held up and a 20-17 final score.
If that was all the luck we’ll get this year, it was a poor time to use it, being the year we’re supposed to Bring Back Bill and all. In a World Cup year when things are close – often decided by mere millimetres – I hope sports karma doesn’t mean the Wallabies will lose by the blade as well.
There was a lot off enterprise, verve and self-belief in the Wallabies’ play on Saturday night. That is the base from which to grow. But – like a well clipped rugby pitch – we have a lot of growing to do.
3. The ruck, please
The Wallabies’ insistence on ignoring the ruck while in possession against the Springboks was costly. They turned over possession this way at least three times in the first 15 minutes.
Going forward they need to pay more attention to securing their own ball before fanning out across the park. And many times support players lazily jogged past tackled players, apparently wondering ‘if only they’d passed’, instead of throwing Schalk Burger or Bismark du Plessis off the ruck.
The Wallabies dominated many raw stats: 157 runs to 97. 508 metres run to 355 metres. But getting halfway up the field and giving the ball away at the ruck won’t get you far. Only far enough for a miracle finish.
Sort it, because better teams – including the Springboks later – will punish those turnovers.
4. The power and the pace
One-hundred-and-seventy years or so of rugby have honed the 15 roles on the field at any one time, so I’m not usually one to tamper significantly with that balance. But I think we’re at a point where having either David Pocock or Michael Hooper on the bench is too much of a waste to just whiff waff about traditional positions, shapes and skills.
In Pocock you have the power, the nous and the vice-like grip over the ruck. Hooper’s tenacity, ridiculous motor and ability to make the big play, combined with Pocock’s repeated excellence, knack for getting to the ball first and nose for the play are too good to have either one riding the pine.
How many players does Australia have that would press for selection in the All Blacks or Springboks? None are walk-ins but both Hooper and Pocock would give Steve Hansen and Heyneke Meyer a reason to ponder.
Given our limited resources accommodating both is the way forward. Scott Fardy, Hooper and Pocock should be the starting back row, with the biggest second row we can make. Wycliff Palu is bulk off the bench. Probably best for his ageing body anyway.
5. Earn or learn
About 25 minutes into that Test I was thinking to myself: the Wallabies are playing all the rugby. They’re mixing wrap arounds with forwards dumping it out to the backs. They are attacking the Springbok backs by stationing forwards on the end of backline moves. But they’re not getting anywhere.
And it’s true. The Wallabies looked fantastic. 61 per cent possession, 126 rucks, 229 passes, 26 defenders beaten, seven offloads and a stack of run metres were all good numbers to back up the eye test.
But they were consistently going too wide, too soon. The Springboks weren’t flashy, but they were pragmatic; waiting for mistakes, tardy ruck protection or sloppy play.
Despite the flash we couldn’t get away from them.
Late in the game the Wallabies, with Toomua’s help, started driving up the middle before going wide. The result was 14 points in seven minutes to finish the game, a reward for a final 25 minutes where their power, skill and more astute direction earned them real dominance, not just aesthetic style points.
6. The de-valued Rugby Championship
Having said all this: the Springboks would not have lost that game had they left their starting side on the field longer. Simple as that.
Victor Matfield had to leave the game early. But apart from that all but one Springbok sub was used before the final 10 minutes. When Jannie du Plessis, Tendai Mtawarira and Bismark du Plessis came off almost immediately after half-time it was clearly a pre-determined timeline they were following, regardless of the game state.
But they weren’t alone.
The Wallabies had a forced sub in Will Genia at half-time. But they still hooked Scott Higginbotham and Sekope Kepu on 45 minutes. Then Will Skelton at 50 minutes and Rob Horne at 57. The Wallaby bench was cleared after 65 minutes.
In the earlier Rugby Championship match both sides behaved in the same way. Argentina had made four subs by 55 minutes and the All Blacks five by 59 minutes. Argentina’s captain Augustin Creevy was hooked at the 62 minute mark, after scoring two tries and giving Argentina the faintest sniff of hope. Their bench was empty after 68 minutes.
If we allowed the coaches a bigger bench they would have used them all. We’re watching high quality friendlies from here on until Friday September 18.
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.