If Cheika’s team loses to Argentina on Saturday, many rugby fans feel that the Wallabies will be prime candidates for the mythical last place prize in this year’s Rugby Championship.
If they’re defeated in Canberra, a win in the return match in Mendoza seems doubtful. And a victory over the Springboks in Bloemfontein seems even more unlikely as winning in the Republic has always been a tough call.
If this happens and the Wallabies finish in the cellar, it might be excused by the ARU and its employees as a mere hiccup on the way to a great showing in the 2019 Rugby World Cup.
But will it be just an eructation, or a more serious internal problem?
Unlike the main competition – the All Blacks, England, Ireland, Wales, Scotland and France, all of whom have the nucleus of a starting fifteen more or less in place – the Wallabies don’t have a lot of positions nailed down.
Israel Folau, Kurtley Beale, Tatafu Polota-Nau, Sekope Kepu, Adam Coleman, Rory Arnold and David Pocock get most people’s vote, but even then there’s debate about our best second-row pairing, and the makeup of the backrow and the back three generates endless arguments.
This unhappy situation is not lost on our competitors. They see us as the damaged fish in the reef whose quirky swimming is quickly spotted by predators with the inevitable result.
Our current situation seems to be an Aussie thing. For example, I was in Victoria, BC on business last week and caught a local game. One of the teams had a No.6 who was six five, 108 kgs. He hit the breakdowns hard, flattened ball carriers in defence, and when he had the ball busted tackles and gained large amounts of real estate.
If an amateur club in Canada can field a 6 like that, why can’t the Wallabies?
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.
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