These Wallabies aren't good enough

After last Sabbath’s Bledisloe, we’re seriously thinking of reviewing which game should be the one played in heaven. The final score flattered the Wallabies — the All Blacks actually crossed the Wallabies’ line three times in the dying minutes . But only because the Wallabies were out on their feet. Both sides lacked attacking flair in the backs (as do all sides these days — a byproduct of the revised breakdown laws, in my view — less chance of regaining possession at the breakdown than in the days of no hands in the ruck — at all — therefore less commitment in contesting it and so more forwards in the defensive line, making line breaks all but impossible and the game less exciting). The forwards were OK and the backs great in defence, up until the last 10 minutes when (you got it right, Spiro) the lack of Wallaby fitness was exposed. This should never be seen at Test level — World Cup rugby requires players to be 100-minutes fit in case of a play off, and Test rugby requires the full 80, not 70 or 75 or 79. But surely they should be conditioned to at least 90-minutes to cope with predictably extra-draining matches like a Bledisloe decider. If not, the first one to be crucified (sorry — bit of a sore point there, obviously) should be Deans. (Funny that — how he just can’t seem to beat the All Blacks — what’s the bet he overcomes the problem when he succeeds Henry as AB coach?) All of us who are contracted to do our job agree to perform the work to the specifications in the contracted if we expect to be paid. If I didn’t maintain the ‘fitness’ I needed to get through the crucifixion, where would you all be now? It should be no different for a professional Wallaby — if they’re not fit enough to go the distance they shouldn’t be there. JC

If Tuquiri had taken that ball Mitchell did in the 72nd minute he would have run or kicked it high and followed. I do not think people realise how bad Mitchell's kick was. it did not go dead by centimetres.

I actually thought Lauchie Turner did a lot of good stuff defensively right up until one of our forwards (was it Brown?) charged over & bowled him over as he was lining-up to stop that AB try. Turner's got good speed & is usually dependable in defence. I'd be more inclined to drop Drew Mitchell for those woeful kick returns. Agree though with nothing to lose, it's got to be very tempting for Robbie to really try new combo's. Besides with the injuries he's got no choice. Personally I'd rather go out in a blaze of glory trying something new than with a whimper on that same game plan.

I have nothing to add except agreeing with all these comments and in particular expressing alarm as Deans slips into sounding like Eddie Jones and Phil Mooney, and we know where that heads ... sadly I knew they would muck up that lost opportunity and so it proved. The rot started in Auckland, unlike Saturday a game we should have won. Too many of these guys have had too many "final" chances ... drop Turner, Burgess, Brown and Baxter (Barnes and Sharpe are injured yes?). Its likely we'll lose anyway so its worth the change.

Great stuff RK! Good to see someone cutting through the bullshit and serving up a cold hard dose of reality! Kaplan was overly generous to the Wallabies in the 1st half - he just couldn't keep doing it in the 2nd cause the wallabies were getting belted at every phase of the game!! Fitness needs to improve!!!!

Ha! How can you breath with your head buried so deep in the sand Nick!!! If the wallabies are better than the AB's how come they've lost 5 IN A ROW to them??? Must just need more time eh? Like a few years till the AB's are all in their 40's??? Giteau was great for the Force - but generally in 2nd or 3rd phase when he took it to the line. To me that smacks of great 2nd/5 play - not great 1st/5 - HE AIN'T A PATCH ON CARTER! Keep dreaming sunshine!!!

Cheers for pointing us in the direction of Bob Dwyer's site. Always good to know what someone like him makes of the modern game.

So close but so far. With hindsight and out of the heat of the moment it is probably a good thing we lost as we certainly didn't deserve to win. If we'd won the opportunity for change wouldn't be as high. The AB's would have a right to whingre if they'd lost. As mentioned by other posters Deans is starting to look uncomfortable and he isn't calling a spade a spade. Like he should have said 'there are no excuses, we played appallingly and the AB's where unlucky not to win by 14 points, I will be taking the whiole group and management to task and there will be opportunities for players who demonstrate an ability to think on there feet!' With Sharp out its time to pick a 2nd rower out of the Perth club comp and have a punt!

http://www.bobdwyerrugby.com/english/blog.asp

Folks Take a look at Bob Dwyers new website, a must for all Rugby fans. www.bobdwyerrugby.com (i think) anyway this is part of what he had to say on the game. "there was pace and power in abundance, there was a total lack of quality ‘ensemble’ play. Straight running and an appreciation of its benefits have disappeared. Changes of angle and their timing and a similar appreciation of their benefits, are also absent. In one ball-carry from a Wallaby back, the line of run took the player from 17m. from touch to 7m. from touch with a gain of about 10m., and this with a three-on-one outside of him. Needless to say, this huge opportunity disappeared also." There are fundamental skills missing from this team. We will never meet the standards required until the players understand "HOW" to play the game.

That's bad news about Barnes.

Yep agree Rickety, they tried hard for the most part but are just not good enough against the Yarpies and AB's. There effort on Saturday was there but the game plan has me completely miffed. Sharpe and Barnes are now out of the Boks game.

"What does size count for on the rugby field? Simple, the ability to break tackles" This mostly applies to the League style of tackle so prevelent in today's Rugby Union. Yes if you go high (waist up) of course size and upper body strenghth matters but if you tackle Rugby Union style (around the legs) it dosn't matter one whit what size or speed the ball- runner is you will bring him down if excuited properly within two or three metres.

Couldn't agree more, I'd go as far as requesting a Royal comission into the mess that is now Australian Rugby concentrating on where all the money has gone and why so much of it was splurged on the poor old Leagues that had no hope of ever playing the Union game to any effect. The ARU showed great disloyalty to it's players whilst feathering their own nests and employing personel that are quite frankly not up to the job. Deans can only work with what he is presented with but hopefully he will have greater imput as time moves on. Can anyone answer me this ? .... who ownes Rugby Union ? because it certainly is not the players and the coaches, the very ones that is Rugby Union,

Shock Horror Headline: Referee Penalizes Both Sides At Breakdown. No wonder the Wallabies lost. Or could it have been because they are not a particularly good team at the moment?

Keep it up Nick. Not wanting to be a smart arse, but this Wallaby side is no where near as good as the AB's. The reason they remain close is that they run further on the smell of an oily rag than any other playing nation. If Aussie self belief and bottle could be well, bottled, it would be lethal. However, name me one Wallaby that is clearly superior to his AB opponent - Elsom ? Smith close, apart from that forget about it. And remember, this is by no mens a vintage AB side. Being a solid S14 player does not a test player make. For Crissakes, Aus can't even fill their S 14 rosters with Aus players. I for one hope too that Giteau stays at 10, but for different reasons than you I am sure.

Kaplan gave the Wallabies the go-ahead penalty after NZ scored their try, which would've won the Wallabies the game if they'd closed it out properly. You can't blame Kaplan for that loss. He let the Wallabies do whatever they wanted at the breakdown in the first half. The Wallaby forwards were simply worn down from losing the scrums and the defensive effort they put in. New Zealand won that game by playing pick and go rugby. They didn't win it it by killing the ball. Australia were barely on attack in the second half. If you wanna blame anybody, blame the Wallabies for only playing with any urgency after the 80 minutes were up. Why do they only attack hard when there's no time left?

Hi RK Agree with all said re swapping positions & eliminating some players, but can't buy the Kaplan story. Maybe he leant towards W's in 1st half by pinging McCaw & other ABs for their habitual infringments they mostly get away with, but he played "even-up" in 2nd half missing blatant offsides & ball-killing by ABs. He's gotta go..............some hope! Jools-USA

"Too many fresh faced children in Wallaby jumpers prancing around with “boy genius” written all over them." I like that, Ben J, because it is accurate! They actually believe the vacuous bullship that they are at genius level. "Australia has the “cattle”, it is the coaching that seems lacking. That was a drop goal waiting to happen." Too funny! Commentator Phil Kearns (breathlessly): " Who is that running on - it's Robbie Deans wearing 22! To replace Giteau, who clearly hasn't got the wit to do what former boy wonders are supposed to do instinctively after several years of opportunity watching classy players, up close. And Deans has rattled off a fantastic drop goal in the final minute to win the game for Australia."

"If they can’t grasp the idea of looking, seeing an overlap outside them, passing the ball, maybe they aren’t the best 22 in the country." I reckon that's a big part of the problem - they have not been told by people that matter that they are not as good as their manager, mum, mates and salary say they are. It seems likely there is a contract condition that the ARU is not permitted to "upset the kiddies" by asserting they are at Deferred Success level!! They are paid so much and deliver so little - blokes like $otsa on three quarters of a mill per annum; a 2nd string hooker who cannot throw earning money as if he can and sitting on the bench all year; "Better then Carter, Wilkinson, Russell Fairfax and Hugo Porta" Giteau who, when he has exhausted his limited ability, kicks in panic into a sea of legs but still gets paid as if he didn't do that (watch again his last 3 games - the Saffers and the Blacks own television sets too. He does exactly the same things in every game). Mumm, merely making up the numbers, but getting paid a fixed match payment. Mitchell, who kicks so poorly, standing there afterwards, waving his arms about telling team mates how to play! If I fail to deliver my clients will not pay me. These blokes do not live in the real world and are not expected to by their employer. Cape Town was appalling - they were no better on Saturday.