- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
World Cup-winning skipper Nick Farr-Jones implored shellshocked Wallabies coach Robbie Deans to turn nasty and read the riot act to his underperforming players after their sixth straight trans-Tasman loss.
An astonished Farr-Jones lashed out at Australia’s lack of urgency and intensity in the unacceptable 33-6 loss to the resurgent All Blacks at Westpac Stadium on Saturday night.
It was their 10th straight defeat in New Zealand against their great rivals dating back to 2001.
The former Wallabies halfback and long-time captain bluntly described the three-try rout as a sobering setback in the development of Deans’ young team towards the 2011 World Cup.
But Farr-Jones believed it could spark a positive reaction if the New Zealand-born coach gets harder on his team.
“This sets us back,” he said on New Zealand’s Sky Sport.
“Maybe this is the awakening that has to happen. Maybe it’s time he reads the riot act.
“This might be the wake-up call where he basically says ‘enough is enough. You’ve got to perform, you’re professional players, we expect you to perform’.
“How can (the Wallabies) not get up, they haven’t won here in (eight) years – it beats me.
“I think Robbie has got to get hard.”
Farr-Jones believed the All Blacks dominated every facet of play, especially the scrum and breakdown, to avoid the Tri-Nations wooden spoon.
He questioned Australia’s preparation and felt the lack of an up-front platform saw the pressure mount on their inexperienced men such as rattled teenage fullback James O’Connor.
“We were outplayed and outmuscled right across the paddock,” he said.
“They were totally outplayed in every facet of play.
“I was really surprised by the performance of our scrum. Every scrum we got beaten up.
“We just didn’t compete up front and that makes it really hard for the young guys.
“O’Connor, if he gets ruffled early it’s hard for him … but he’ll learn from it.
“Poor Robbie Deans, he’ll have to go back to his management and ask `how do we win across the ditch’.”
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.