New Zealand’s Isaia Toeava, right, tries to fend off Australia’s Lachie Turner in their Tri Nations International rugby match at Westpac Stadium in Wellington, New Zealand, Saturday, Sept. 19, 2009. AP Photo/NZPA, Wayne Drought
The Wallabies were as flat as a board, and as wooden, during their deserved 33 – 6 thrashing at Wellington’s Westpac Stadium. This was the worst and most passionless performance by the Wallabies since 1998 when the Springboks put over 60 points on them.
The only ray of comfort in all of this is that Rod Macqueen was able to take the bulk of that 1998 rabble and turn them into the World Champions a year later.
This is the immense challenge confronting Robbie Deans as the bulk of this ply-wood Wallabies side is going to form the majority of his squad for the 2011 RWC. It all looked so promising two weeks ago at Brisbane when the best team in the world, the Springboks, were decisively defeated.
Now it looks very unpromising.
On the afternoon of the Test, as the weather was clearing and wind dying down to provide a perfect night for rugby, I ran into Rodney Cavalier, the chairman of the SCG Trust.
He told me he was tempted to have a flutter on the Wallabies as they were paying $2.50 on the dollar.
I’m about the only Greek I know who doesn’t bet and the odds didn’t mean much to me. But I did point out to Rodney that if the bookies were betting against the Wallabies, the law of averages was on the side of the punters.
The Wallabies have historically won about one out of every three Tests against the All Blacks. But since 2001 they have not won in New Zealand, with 8 losses (and now 9) on the trot in that time. I suggested to Rodney that in betting terms we had a law of averages (surely a Wallaby victory was overdue?) against the bookies’ gambling nous contest.
The All Blacks, also, were facing an unprecedented three home Test loses, a potential calamity for them that had never happened (not even in 1998 when they lost 5 consecutive Tests) since the first Test in New Zealand in 1904.
But as soon as the Test started, and this is not hindsight, it became obvious that the Wallabies were wooden and the All Blacks had a cutting-edge steel about their play.
Even the Daniel Carter missed first penalty and the Wallaby lead through a Matt Giteau penalty against the run of play did not change the impression that the Wallabies were just hanging on, feet and body over the precipice and fingernails beginning to splinter and slide.
The final two tries to the All Blacks came in the last 10 minutes of play and took the scoreboard to something like an accurate reading of the run of play of the Test.
Deans’ ashen features after the Test, too, told their own graphic picture of how poorly the Wallabies had performed.
What went wrong?
James O’Connor had a shocker at fullback and the All Blacks, especially Carter, made sure he had plenty of work to stuff up. Ironically, O’Connor was one of the few (only?) Wallaby backs to make breaks and beat a very strong and committed All Blacks defence from time to time.
Matt Giteau, once again, went missing in a Test against strong opponents. I’ve argued on The Roar for some time that Berrick Barnes should be the first five-eighths and Giteau, in my opinion, played as a roving, play-making winger in the Shane Williams mode.
My mentor as a rugby writer, the great Evan Whitton, reckons that Giteau would make a sensational outside centre.
Move Adam Ashley-Cooper back to fullback, bring O’Connor into inside centre, Stirling Mortlock into outside centre (mainly for his defence), give Giteau a licence to roam on the wing and with Barnes directing things, the Wallabies might have a backline with some snap and line-breaking potential.
The forwards did not contest the rucks and mauls with anything like the ferocity and skill of the All Blacks. It was suggested that the Wallabies were trying a new system of being more selective about which rucks they would really contest. If this is true then they were too selective in the choosing the rucks not to contest.
The backrow of George Smith and David Pocock and Rocky Elmson on the flanks was outplayed by the All Blacks backrow. Elsom and Smith were benched. Whether injuries were involved or the subs were tactical wasn’t clear. There were some monster tackles made by the three and some strong running by Elsom but the trio were not as consistent making the tackles, hitting the rucks and charging with the ball like their All Blacks counterparts.
The Wallaby scrum, too, so good against the Springboks went down so consistently I was looking to see whether Al Baxter had been a late replacement.
I thought the referee was remarkably tolerant to the Wallaby scrum. Hopefully this performance was an aberration. Perhaps players like Benn Robinson, who was substituted, had run out of gas.
The worst aspect of the Wallabies play was their total lack of passion and intensity. Perhaps Deans now needs to exert some tough love. Macqueen turned around his team of losers by bringing in a former fitness coach from the Brisbane Broncos who had the players vomiting from fatigue and exertion at the early training sessions.
I’ve always thought that the Wallabies are too pampered. They need some ruthlessness from the coach. Their Players Association prevents them from playing the same number of matches that their counterparts play in Europe, and even in New Zealand and South Africa. As a consequence the Wallabies often tend to find it hard to maintain a hard physical presence throughout a long season.
Somehow Deans, along with the Super 14 coaches, has to toughen them up.
For better or worse, the team that played so woodenly against the All Blacks is essentially the team that will carry Australia’s hopes in 2011. They need to get fitter, harder, bigger (it was noticeable to me how much bigger the All Blacks were), hungrier, and smarter.
Deans was the master coach with the Canterbury Crusaders. He has an enormous task in front of him to turn his current wooden Wallabies into the number one rugby team in the world, the rugby equivalent of a contemporary masterpiece.
He is finding out that there is no equivalent in Australia of the tough provincial system of New Zealand and South Africa (which resembles the Australian cricket system) which throws up players like the 27 year-old Tom Donnelly playing a blinder in his first Test.
There was a surprising lack of jubilation among the crowds streaming out of the ground after the Test. My wife who went to a cafe during the Test with some of her women friends in Wellington came back to the hotel later and told me she initially thought the All Blacks had lost, so subdued were the crowds walking away from the ground.
For New Zealanders, I guess the lack of exuberance was due to the relief that the All Blacks had found some of their former form.
And for Wallabies supporters, there was the sinking, desperate feeling that the Brisbane triumph against the Springboks might just have been a flash in the pan rather than the striking of a new golden Wallaby run of victories.
MM
Guest
Well said and very fair QC... The All Blacks had to be big enough to face what they had to when they failed to perform - best of all, they owned up to their mistakes for whatever the reasons without justifying to extremities. It's by far not negative for the Wallies to do the same as it can only strengthen them, and they need to be more alert to their supporting fans at the very least.
MM
Guest
Agree with you on the inclusion of Deans re: general criticism Spiro - too true!!
johnny-boy
Guest
Post just got deleted - but bottom line is that Deans is a crap Australian coach. End of story. Stop making excuses for him because he seems like a 'nice guy'. If it is never the coach's fault, why bother to have a coach ?. The Wallabies would be better off without a coward for a coach who blames the players rather than his own performance. He's starting to sound like Grame Henry. Grrroooaaaannn.
Knives Out
Guest
Just to clarify,Dexter, I don't think Connolly was the world's greatest coach, but I thought he did OK, certainly better than he is given credit for. Put it this way - he's not the bogeyman.
Dexter William
Roar Guru
Hey Archie Sorry if you felt that I did not allow you to express your opinion. This is a forum and opinions are the key driver in any forum - else it would be dead boring. Please express you views. I look forward to it. Well you said Gerard is faster than his previous showing, I said that he is still very slow even if he had improved. You just can't couch speed. IMO and in the selectors' opinion he is just too slow.
PB
Guest
sorry to enter this debate late guys... i am surprised Rocky hasnt been considered as a no 8? he seems to have the necessary attributes, and would allow us to bring anothe hard working 6 like Mumm into the starting side
Colin N
Guest
But if you didn't need to have defensive demands as a wing, you may as well select Tom Varndell who's a better runner and finisher than Balshaw. You still need to be able to defend and have good positional sense, plus be good under the highball, as a winger.
lonegunman
Guest
Agree with Kingfisher regarding the replacements - too many immature pretty boys masquerading as Wallabies at the moment. A bad hair day in Wellington I'm afraid. Robbie has been handed a group of youngsters fresh out of the schools / academies and told these young'uns are the future. Trouble is being top of the pops at eighteen is no guarantee the same will apply at twenty-one. Look at poor Rob Horne, not to mention Beale, both prematurely sacrified on the altar of pumped-up and overstated ability.
Justin
Guest
Main question on Turner there, has been disappointing this year. Move AAC to 13, Digby to wing and Shepard to 15 (you need a goal kicker remember). I am in a real quandary as to which way to go with 10/12. I think we may need a big 12 if we play AAC at 13. I dont think the 2 5/8s has worked like it did at the Crusaders mainly because Deans had Carter (will go down as one of the greats) and Mauger who had pace, power, skill and brains. How many teams have a combo like that in any team?
Invictus
Guest
Does no-one remember the 95 RWC?
Cattledog
Roar Guru
My humble apologies...it was Pete below you that mentioned Sydney. Your mind, and email, is obviously open! I needed to look before I lept!! In a similar vein, however, I remember discussing with Grant Batty several years ago the problem with GPS (and other schoolboy rugby) is that they go from a level of training akin to Super 14, playing in front of 1000's, then have to cope with moving to club rugby where the training is often disjointed and then playing in front of a couple of 100 loyal supporters. Unfortunately, we lose many a good player due to the transfer between schoolboy and club. We certanly won't change the school system, but perhaps the ARU should look closely at this succession and attempt to 'capture' some of the talent that's around, rather than those that are performing miracles and are selected for the NTS. Higgenbotham I understand played 3rds at school. Some mature as rugby players later. Still, there's a wealth of talent not getting the necessary encouragement and this could go a long way to producing a pool of players whereby any combination of players could be put together to challenge and beat anything else the world throw's up. However, it's our schools and junior clubs where it all begins!
Jerry
Guest
There's no Lions tour in 2011, it'll be in 2013.
Dexter William
Roar Guru
Bonza You are right about my upbeat perspective of Deans. But I am not alone as we were all (maybe not you and some others) very happy that we managed to contract Deans till 2011. Perhaps I was hoping that he is going to be our new MacQueen. I am still hoping though. As for my bagging of Australian coaches, it is overblown. Connelly and MacKensie (Hickey last season) are the type of coaches that like the least. I just don't like their style - it is personal taste I suppose. I would hate to be a Boks supporter because their style is all muscle and no brains - effect though. I have lots of time for coaches like Dywer and even Mooney because of the style of Rugby they coach. Even Eddie Jones (except for his man management problem) was pretty good tactically. Johnson was not given much of a go, but he has got potential. Coming back to Deans, what do you propose we do? Keep supporting him or sack him? IMO there is not much choice, is there?
David Park
Guest
I am an All Blacks fan living in Australia but I was disappointed with Australia's performance in what is meant to be the clash of the year for rugby union across the two countries. I think the Wallabies lack the aggression, dedication and attitude that New Zealand had. The backline is full of prettyboy's like Giteua, who is continuously getting picked for his reputation and the money he is getting paid. Ironically the forwards are the ones who do all the hard work but probably get paid half than what the backs get paid. I'm reading Wendell Sailors book and he says he was surprised that he only did half the fitness work in rugby union compared to league. Like Spiro said, maybe hire a league fitness coach. Maybe its time the players hardened up and beat their opponents with better fitness in strength.
JF
Guest
I didn't mention Sydney, "GPS" applies to Brisbane aswell.
Cattledog
Roar Guru
JF. Open ya mind, mate. Schoolboy rugby does exist outside Sydney. Who's been the dominant state at Schoolboy level over recent years? Agree we need a National comp, however, the ARU needs to develop a much stronger pathway for talented schoolboys through to club, National and Super 14. Hasn't happened yet.
Dexter William
Roar Guru
So Cookee You reckon that we should sack Deans right now purely on the Wallabies performance? Who would you replace him with? For YAAFWAFAIK
Dexter William
Roar Guru
Just tongue in cheek stuff mate. Of course we are buddies. Some people around here (now I know why she calls herself mother) just don't have a sense of humour and see the funny side of my overblown comment.
Dexter William
Roar Guru
"its puerile best to always stick to the facts ,dont paper over the cracks.the wallies were abyssmal and going nowhere ;wont even play atrial game even after test debacle" What facts? Your dribble? "wake up to youself mate" Just because I don't agree with you? So Dywer is your choice coach now? In his last outing at the Tahs, what did he achieve? You want to replace Deans and I don't, and that makes me being closed minded? Could it be that you don't listen or read. The consensus of Roarers seem to be that Deans is still ok despite the Wannabies result. Stop acting like a bitch with your personal comment on me.
Ziggy
Guest
They would have beaten the Boks their committment was so strong to deliver because of their pride in wearing that AB jersey. Our pansies were worried if someone was nicking their various lotions and hairdryers in the changerooms while they were out on the field.