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Wallabies blow their best chance to win in South Africa in years

4th October, 2016
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The Wallabies have a lot of thinking to do in the off season. (AAP Image/Richard Wainwright)
Expert
4th October, 2016
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The Wallabies let a precious chance to win a Test on South African soil slip away on the weekend.

As usual, there are a lot of talking points to come out of the weekend – Israel Folau is woefully out of form; Quade Cooper is still running sideways; the forward pack is lazy protecting their own ruck; our kicking still leaves a lot to be desired.

But the main takeaway is the Wallabies played a South Africa in about as vulnerable a state as you’ll ever see.

Yet, they couldn’t get the job done, even without a try scored against them.

The talk of hoodoos before the match were misleading. This is a Springboks team out of sorts and desperately searching for answers.

Switching to yesterday’s man, Morne Steyn, is buying a win instead of looking to the future. Allister Coetzee only played that card because he was running out of other ideas that would help this team rebuild over time and decided a win now would give him breathing room.

But looking at the rest of the South African matchday 23 would hardly strike fear into the hearts of Wallabies touring sides of yesteryear. It was one the Australians should have been able to beat.

As it turned out, the Springboks’ forward-heavy bench meant they handed another advantage to the Wallabies when three backs had to be subbed off, forcing an extra forward onto the field.

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Still, Michael Cheika’s men couldn’t capitalise and win.

The ground hog day feeling was unavoidable. The Wallabies started full of running, panache and purpose, leading to early points and a sense they had the game to be dangerous.

From there errors crept in. Kicking duels were lost. And the Wallabies allowed themselves to be dragged into the kind of match their opponent wanted. (Click to Tweet)

Despite the fact there was no way the Springboks could have stayed with the game the Wallabies showed they had early on, the latter side still lost.

It was like watching that disheartening series against England in June again, especially the Brisbane Test, which started so brightly and slowly came apart at the seams. One step forward, two steps backward.

Deja vu hit me like a slap in the face while watching. I turned to my brother and said “we’re not winning this match”. I didn’t consider the score at the time, it didn’t matter.

Despite having the best of the match, looking the most likely to score tries and move the ball around on attack, you could tell it wasn’t coming together.

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The Wallabies carried for the most metres, won the territory battle, had most of the possession, beat more defenders, broke the line more often, won more rucks, but couldn’t win.

The whole display was like a bumbling forward near the try line – all they have to do is fall over to score, but instead they run into contact and get tangled up.

Can we really say the Wallabies have improved this year?

When the eighth Test looks so eerily similar to the first it’s hard to argue they have.

Stephen Moore Wallabies Australia Rugby Union Test Rugby Bledisloe Cup 2016

It can’t be blamed on the combinations. Many players are new.

Gone is the beefy midfield tandem of Samu Kerevi and Tevita Kuridrani; Quade Cooper and Bernard Foley are now pulling the strings. Greg Homes has been replaced by Sekope Kepu. Rob Simmons is now paired with Adam Coleman in the second row. David Pockock, Michael Hooper and Scott Fardy is now Dean Mumm, Hooper and Sean McMahon.

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The problem must be a collective issue of tactics, preparation, and composure.

How else do you explain starting with such sublime ball movement, focus and accuracy in two Tests five months apart, with largely different sides, only to fade in the same way?

Brett McKay asked a fair question about whether Israel Folau should be dropped on form. And no matter where you fall on that question, you have to admit his own play mirrors the team. Active, involved, confident and accurate for the first 15 or 20 minutes. But by the end he is vacant, slow, and indecisive.

Folau and the whole Wallabies team was like a three-hour movie that runs out of script after 45 minutes. That problem has to be something to do with their preparation and self-belief.

Rod Kafer’s report that the Wallabies’ half-time message in Brisbane was to not be surprised when they play well is still ringing in my ears weeks later.

Was a single Super Rugby season of floggings at the hands of New Zealand teams damaging enough to a group of players that battled through to a World Cup final that they don’t know how to repeat 15 minutes of good play?

Despite all this, the Wallabies still have a chance to finish the Rugby Championship in second place if they beat the Pumas next weekend.

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That will be a tough outing, but the chance to finish above South Africa and the need to keep winning to steel themselves, win their spots in the side, and improve their Test ranking should be strong enough bait to keep them interested.

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