On Friday night I tuned into the big league match of the round – the Dragons playing the Eels, with the winner to boast some serious claims to premiership favouritism.
The Eels have been running hotter than hot, whilst the Dragons have endured some tough weeks after a strong start to the season. Notwithstanding recent form, it was no contest. Despite many fans wondering if they still had their mojo working, the Dragons were never headed and on the few occasions they had the ball, the Parramatta attack was shut down in by a Dragons defence that could only be described as a brick wall.
What chance the Wallabies of turning in a similar performance, I wondered? Well, I soon found out. Like many of the non-St-George league fans who were deathriding the Dragons, I found that it just doesn’t pay to write a team off too early.
On Saturday night I tuned into the big rugby match of the weekend, the Springboks vs the Wallabies. The Springboks had been running hotter than hot, whilst the Wallabies had endured some tough weeks after an adequate start to the season. Despite many fans wondering if they even had any mojo left, the Wallabies were never headed.
How could this be? How does a team whose last couple of starts have been so error ridden that your head could explode just watching them, overnight become a clinical machine in control of a match from beginning to end?
To be fair to the Springboks, the turnaround is not as great as it might appear at first glance. The Tri-Nations is an inherently close competition. With only 3 teams who consistently sit at the top of the world rankings, how could it be otherwise?
Not only is the overall competition close, but the Springboks and the Wallabies historically don’t travel well to each other’s countries. The Springboks are better than the Wallabies in this regard, but not by much, and both teams have had shockers playing away in the last couple of years.
Although the Springboks are over-endowed with world XV players (Matfield, Botha, Habana, de Villiers, Fourie, du Preez, du Plessis would all press for selection), at the end of the day it is still also just fifteen on fifteen and when one fifteen fires, anything can happen.
The fans perhaps shouldn’t be surprised anyway. The Wallabies camp has consistently said that they were building to something, and Boks skipper John Smit presciently reminded anyone who’d listen that there wasn’t much between a 46-0 flogging at Suncorp in 2006 and the 2007 World Cup.
Of course, all of this only explains the opportunity that existed, the fact that circumstance would allow a win. It doesn’t explain the execution of the turnaround itself. So, how did it happen?
For a start, and for the first time in ages, the Wallabies showed clear and apparent desire in everything they did. The focus in their approach was obvious as was the urgency and the desire to set the pace of the match.
Desire isn’t something you can manufacture out of nothing. Within a rugby team, desire comes from wanting something for those around you as much as you want it for yourself. It comes from being down and realizing that you want to get up. It comes from self respect and the desire to show others, and show yourself that you are worthy.
These wounded Wallabies seemed to suddenly realize that the only way out of the hole they were in, was to play their way out. And so they did.
Like the Dragons on Friday night, the Wallabies muscled up in numbers and hit hard when they got there. Tatafu Polota-Nau tackled strongly and made two telling hits on Brussow and du Preez which jolted the ball free and turned the flow of the match. When Jacques Fourie was storming toward the Wallaby line after a de Villiers break, there were 5 or 6 Wallabies on hand to drag him down, immediately form up into a defensive line and force the turnover on the next phase.
These were the inches the Wallabies had struggled to find in previous matches, but their desire to earn respect from each other and from the fans pushed them to greater efforts. Rocky Elsom’s hands may not be the best, but his heart is without peer, and it was as though his teammates had finally followed his example.
The lineout redeemed itself, again through the reliability of Elsom jumping at 2. The throw was also largely predictable which ensured the Wallabies a regular flow of possession. At the other set piece, the scrum battle was even enough, although the Wallabies may have shaded the Boks towards the end of the match with the South African front row twice popping up like startled meerkats as the pressure came on.
The highball, which had also been an achilles heel for the Wallabies in recent weeks, was solid as you like with Lachie Turner particularly taking his own advice, and working hard to position well and take the ball on his chest.
Each of these facets – the defence, the set piece and the surety in fielding the kicked ball, invariably meant that halfback Will Genia had a stable platform from which to distribute ball and he was a joy to watch. Low to the ground, marshalling his troops, barking orders and sweeping the ball off the deck with a fluent and accurate pass, Genia’s decision making was also first rate, and he was unlucky to not score on debut with a swift and correct decision to take a quick tap from a penalty in front of the posts.
He was not the only Wallaby to be denied. Lachie Turner was prevented from scoring by an utterly brilliant piece of cover defence from Bryan Habana, and Matt Giteau narrowly missed capitalizing on Adi Jacobs brain-snap inside pass, when his foot slipped inches into touch as he grounded the ball.
The Wallabies could have had 5 tries with a little luck, but more gratifying than that was the fact that they kept working and pressuring the Springboks even though things weren’t always going their way. Eventually the pressure worked in their favour and something did go their way, with Adam Ashley-Cooper running a transcendent unders line to slice through the Boks defence and swan dive over the chalk virtually untouched.
The try illustrated all that was good about the Wallaby backline on the night, with the players working together, Berrick Barnes taking the pressure off Matt Giteau and freeing him up to threaten the line from further out, and finally Ashley-Cooper hitting the gap with intent, speed and angle.
His post try celebration spoke volumes about the pressure the Wallabies have been under lately. It was almost as though Ashley-Cooper was apologizing to the fans for the recent run of horror rugby, and the players and fans embraced like lovers who had found each other again after a bad breakup and a year or so apart.
Are we all friends again? Well, Australian fans are not nasty or bloody minded, but they are very unforgiving of teams which don’t value the jersey, or who look like they are not really interested. On tonight’s form, the Wallabies probably would have played themselves back into favour even if they didn’t win, because it was clear that they were trying their guts out. More than that, they finally played some smart and composed rugby.
Unlike the Dragons in the NRL, the Wallabies chances to pick up some silverware in this year’s Tri Nations are long gone. They won’t want to help out the All Blacks either, because the only way for the All Blacks to win the Tri-Nations, is for them to beat both the Wallabies and Springboks in their remaining two games. From a trophy perspective, it’s all over.
There’s nothing for the Wallabies to play for now, except pride. And if Saturday night is any indication, that might be the best reason of all.
Shahsan
Guest
Irony. i love it
Knives Out
Guest
The man's a UK legend. We only accept the very best in England..
Bob McGregor
Guest
Knives Out. Thanks for link - am now listening to his album 'comeon". Doubt I'll buy though.
Bob McGregor
Guest
Frank Keefe, whoops Frank O'keeffe; sorry Frank O'Keeffe. Dead right - how could I get it so wrong even if writing at 3.30am and not long back from 7 weeks in Europe. Perhaps my 8 day tour of Ireland [great country to visit] has me reverting to the O' prefix subconsciously. Even so quite an oversight as I try to proof read before posting. Des O'Connor was, of course, a likeable singer on Don Lane TV show for many years while Des Connor [from my playing era in the 1960's] was one of the really great half backs with a strong accurate pass off either foot and one eminently qualified to give advice on the subject. Apologies to all 'maligned' by my oversight.
Worlds Biggest
Guest
TK, I agree with your last paragraph. John Smit and Beast are not good scrummagers. Everyone was hailing the beast after he minced Vickery in the first Lions Test. Since then he hasn't done anything at scrum time. Smit is in the team for Captaincy. As for the Wallabies, I was excited by the performance however not getting carried away, Wallaby supporters can't afford to do that. If they can bring this effort into Wellington and European tour maybe we can start believing.
Ray
Guest
QC, me again =) Mate why is it that you are so adamant that somebody can't express their opinion? I have watched your comments closely, invariably bloggers tend to give credit where credit is due and leave people to their devices. Let Shahsan have his opinion, if he feels the Lions series was better, who cares??
Terry Kidd
Guest
A couple of points from my view of things. Barnes the ref went ok. Yes, he allowed some dodgey entry into the rucks but it seemed to go both ways. Ok, he missed a PT for Genia but hey I didn't pick it up at the time either so I'll forgive that. I don't think the Boks were down for this match I thought they had their energy sapped, especially the packs energy so they couldn't counter ruck as vigorously as in previous games. The Wallabies gained very quick ball and service from the breakdown which did not give the Bok forwards time to settle and rest. They were continually on the move and got committed as individuals when they arrived at the breakdown rather than as a flood of two or three. This was not as noticeable in the first half but certainly was in the last 30 minutes. Second point is that the Wallaby defence was very good but improved in intensity as the match wore on. The Boks started to doubt themselves and got a little tired which made the defensive task a little easier. Third point Wallaby kick chase was not good. Have a look mat the replay and see how often the commentary said that only Elsom has chased. Elsom was outstanding here but the rest were lazy. The Wallaby scrum mostly dominated the Boks. Smit had a very rough night of it and he isn't a tight head. PDV should play him at hooker and bring in a specialist tight head. I say the Wallaby scrum mostly dominated, because the Boks again showed that wheeling a scrum at the right time also opens up a great attacking opportunity. They wheeled an attacking scrum about 20m out in the first half and very nearly scored from it .... a tactic the Wallaby pack should look at when playing the ABs. Overall I thought the Wallabies started off with a committed attitude in defence but the confidence in attack was shaky, hence a few dropped balls and passes missing the mark. I thought the Boks started off confident and composed but a few rib ticklers from TPN and good all round defence, plus quick play started to sap their energy and their confidence ebbed with their energy. The Wallaby confidence grew with the fact that their set piece was performing and they were getting ball, that their defence didn't leak and that they started to make in roads into the Boks .... crossing the line 3 times (without getting tries) certainly helped. For next week the Boks should only change the front row .... they need some stability there. For the Wallabies, I need to see the same assurance and confidence continue to grow when they play the ABs before I'll start believing for 2011.
Knives Out
Guest
Des O'Connor?! This guy? http://www.des-oconnor.com/
Frank O'Keeffe
Guest
"Des O’Connor pointed out his weaknesses in an Australian(?) article this week. " I used to make this mistake without realising it. It's 'Connor', not "O'Connor". I think it's the Irishman in me made me put the 'O' on the end. I once wrote Ofahengaue as "O'Fahengaue". Here's what Bob Dwyer said about Burgess: "Take Luke Burgess. He came into the squad, a breath of fresh air. Enthusiastic, enterprising, athletic, an eye for the break. “the next Nick Farr-Jones”. What was also present but needed refinement were the following defects. Inconsistent in his speed of chase of the ball, too high in his approach to the back of the breakdown contest, too narrow a base during the critical stage of ball delivery, follow through inconsistent in accuracy and length. These necessary but missing competences are not difficult to correct but require knowledgeable, critical, determined coaching application." Dwyer's of the view that the coaching staff are the blame because these are some basic things.
Bob McGregor
Guest
Enjoyed most posts herein but especially those recently from Jameswm and Nashi. Summed up my thoughts in conjunction with my recent posts. I posted earlier this week that I thought this was our strongest team and I expected them to win but not with that final scoreline. Great to see and it could have been more if Giteau's decision making had been better. He makes fantastic breaks but rarely looks for support players. Perhaps 2 more tries may have resulted had he looked to off load. Hopefully he will be reminded of this. On Burgess - he was our best half by far AFTER Genia became injured during Super 14 competion so became automatic choice until Genia was fit. Dual Wallaby/AB half - Des O'Connor pointed out his weaknesses in an Australian(?) article this week. They can be rectified if he applies himself. A more than adequate reserve for Genia should this occur. Can't contemplate Sheean. The Genia 'no' try is a real interesting one. Neither tackling defenders were back 10 metres as required otherwise both would have been behind the try line. Both attempted the tackle about two metres from the line inside the 'dead zone' so a yellow card could also have been awarded as well. A further try saving 'tackle' on Turner by Obana also bears scrutiny as he went in knees first. He sure didn't use his shoulder in putting Turner into touch. Have noticed he has done this in past games. Has he been cautioned about this technique which he uses close to the touchline. His try saving tackle on Giteau was copy book so we know he can tackle correctly away from the touchline. Injury is our achilles heel especially where berrick Barnes is concerned. Hopefully he will escape serious injury until after the 2011 RWC, as his backline generalship is crucial to our success.
ThelmaWrites
Guest
I've posted the following in a reply to Nashi and Knives out. But replies get sandwiched between others posted on different days and may get overlooked: "What gratifies me about the Aussie win is that the players are using the full width of the field in their attack, and changing their point of attack. It reminded me of France v Wales in this year’s 6 Nations. Next item in the To Do List: OFF-LOAD in the tackle. I’ve just watched the first stanzas of last NH autumn’s Australia v Wales, and the early Wales try began with such an offload."
ThelmaWrites
Guest
Nashi and Knives Out Excuse me, I'm an Aussie supporter but I try my best to be impartial! :-) LOL. Bias merely clouds judgment. What gratifies me about the Aussie win is that the players are using the full width of the field in their attack, and changing their point of attack. It reminded me of France v Wales in this year's 6 Nations. Next item in the To Do List: OFF-LOAD in the tackle. I've just watched the first stanzas of last NH autumn's Australia v Wales, and the early Wales try began with such an offload.
jools-usa
Guest
A geat & excting game that had all facets of rugby on display. Rough edges (dropped passes, not quite in sync to take the pass, etc.,), can be fixed. What doesn't need fixing is desire, commitment, and belief in self & team. It was there in spades on Sat night! Jool-USA
Knives Out
Guest
'I’d be interested to see what impartial observers (Boks and Ozzies need not apply) made of the game in terms of quality, for mine there was too much spilt ball to be a truly great game, having said that the Wallabies enthusiasm was invigorating.' Completely agree. A lot of mistakes have conveniently been glossed over in victory, but nonetheless for an English observer there was something 'invigorating' (good choice of word) about the game. I enjoyed it and it's interesting to see the absence of any "THE GAME IS DEAD!" articles that flooded The Roar after the previous result.
Spencer
Guest
Agree with your sentiment wrt getting too carried away after one win. Some points to consider: 1. The Wallabies team last night had an average age of 23. Surely it must be one of the youngest test teams ever? Anyone care to inform of the NZ teams average age. Not sure of how many test caps in the Australian team last night, however without Smith in the team it would be pretty low. Certainly much lower than NZ. 2. "....or does this mean OZ have fixed their problems (no)." This is essentially a new Wallabies team, therefore no track record to compare with. 3. Robinson, TPN, and Alexander were the 2005 Australian U21 front row. Pek Cowan was on the bench. Who won the 2005 world cup in 2005 (U19 + U21) Junior World Cup (I dont think it had been consolidated at that time). Generally I think it was refreshing to see young guys show a huge amount of energy and confidence.
ExpatSin
Guest
Come on lads, give it a rest. As I said the Bok looked tired. Appeared to not want the game. Oz looked hungry. Does this relate to SA not being a good side (no) or does this mean OZ have fixed their problems (no). Both OZ and NZ are in transition. SA is fixed on player rotation. I get sick and tired of all you armchair Ozzie supporters talking about Oz and their "young" team. That’s all you hear from those rabid commentators on Fox Sports. It was NZ that lost 13 of their World Cup Team not Oz. I agree all Oz players are young but so are NZ in blooding young recruits into the test arena. Time will tell. As I also said before, injury assisted in Deans dropping Mortlock. Ashley-Copper was sublime. Will Mortlock still play? Of course he will, but not for long.
QC
Guest
Viscount, First I heard that the ABs thought the french were tougher up front and I live in New Zealand. The ABs that played the French are also not the same ABs who have played the majority of the Tri-Nations there are some major changes from that team. I'm not saying the Tri-Nations is anything special this year but Australia were in a different class last night and had that team who turned up at Suncorp last night come up against the Lions I think they would easily have put them away. The Wallabies forwards were on another level than any team has put up so far in the Tri-Nations. The way Genia and Barnes were directing their lads around the park was delightful to watch, I don't say this lightly being a Kiwi. South Africa didn't know what to do under pressure they imploded they were off because Australia were so dominant there wasn't anything they could do to counter it. On the otherhand I have said it many times already I believe the ineptness of the Wallabies and All Blacks and the many schoolyard mistakes they made, have in turn made the Boks to look alot better than what the really are. I'm looking forward to Hamilton. P.s I'll believe the North are back on top when the individual nations actually occupy all top three spots in the IRB rankings. Actually in saying that has their ever been a time when the NH teams have occupied positions 1 through 3? How do we go about finding out?
Mitch (in Valencia)
Guest
Being a surveyor Jerry G, i love how you blended my religion of rugby and my work into the one post!! Now that would be a dream job for a rugby loving surveyor - verifying offside calls in rugby....! :-)
Viscount Crouchback
Guest
The Lions series was the first time since circa 2003 that a set of matches involving a northern hemisphere team has been of indubitably higher quality than those involving southern teams. The South Africans won't say it publicly, but I suspect that privately they think the Lions series was a class above this Tri Nations in terms of intensity, pace and quality. This intra-south competition is a step down from what they faced earlier in the summer. It was also interesting to read the New Zealand forwards claiming that their games against France were more physically intense and demanding than their first game against the Wallabies. All the signs are that the north is on the way back - and not before time.
QC
Guest
I disagree with just about everything you have to say. The Lions series wasn't all you are making it out to be.