If anyone ever thought this was a dead rubber, the television coverage of Robbie Deans and assistants standing arm-in-arm in the box, singing the Australian national anthem dispelled that.
The result was always going to be less important than the perceived effort, individually and collectively, from the Wallabies.
That the Wallabies came to play was a welcome realisation. The All Blacks always come to play. While this article is primarily about the Wallabies, credit again goes to the All Blacks for both winning and closing out the game when that was required. The Wallabies are only able to compete with the All Blacks, but not beat them.
Horwill, Moore and Palu returned to form with some mongrel, physical intimidation, committed play, and work-rate. Pocock had his best game in a Wallabies jersey. Alexander and Robinson were everywhere, and, in the process, with Woodcock, redefining the prop’s contribution to games.
Chisholm was okay. Elsom led from the front. Genia had his best game, albeit in patches and with some wayward passes. Giteau played well, but further confirmed that he is unable to get a backline to play like a backline, particularly from a set piece. The 5/8 solo run at a set defensive line is not a backline play.
Adam Ashley-Cooper, Hynes and Ioane were very involved and produced very good rugby. Cross and O’Connor were good in space, and Deans was clever in having O’Connor at 12 for much of the second half.
But, I hear you saying, the Wallabies lost by 13 points after leading at half-time by three points.
Yes, but the Wallabies are like a recovering alcoholic. Small steps count for much. Attitude and effort is very important. The rugby family has been through a lot. They need some reassurance. That came tonight.
But the lineout went missing; there were several costly turnovers in contact, they continued with dumb, pressure releasing mistakes, and there is still nothing from the backs that vaguely resembles back play.
Maintaining this intensity and improving tonight’s performance will see them break their losing streak. And that may be enough for this already severely weakened team.
Alternatively, with their backs to the wall, they may discover the inner-strength and resolve that transforms them into a tough, committed force that creates the next Wallabies dynasty.
I would like coach Deans to show more belief in his bench. They are either good enough to be selected on the bench, and hence get significant game time, or they are not. If the latter is the case, don’t select them at all.
It may be that Wallabies fans will look back at this game as the turning point for the team. Next week will tell us more about tonight’s game; how much was rust and how much was just deep seated inadequacy and lack of self-belief.
Armchair-critic
Roar Pro
LAS you need to take a look at the match highlights from the Gloucester game at rugby.com.au Unless the ARU has employed some sort of technical guru to alter the tapes i am certain i saw the Wallabies prodcue some backline moves!! And they resulted in tries from set piece.... ahh beautiful
stillmissit
Roar Guru
LAS - Was this you in the note above ie the 7 from Australian Uni team? If yes you are part of the discussion if you were watching fearfully from fullback you are not allowed in. I played in SA for 2 years and our captain Dave (openside breakaway), was playing against a madman that you come up against occasionally in rugby. This guy had kicked several of our players in the rucks, one in the head and opened him up. At half time one of the senior props said to our captain 'He is your man, fix him up' to which our captain said 'I have never fixed anyone in my life' 'Never mind about that he is yours' was the reply. Our captain went out and in the first scrum with the ref on the other side kicked the nutter in the head during the scrum. He produced a gash about 4" long across his forehead and up into his skull, then Dave had to go off the field and stitch him up. He said he would 'Never do anything like that again'. We all thought he had done the world a good service.
LeftArmSpinner
Roar Guru
gentlemen, so cute. i love being reminded of the NUmber 8. I was playing in England when I cam across the NUmber 8. I called that position Lock!!! anyway, Richmond park, London, playing for Roslyn Park, the opposition Number 8 takes the ball off the back of the first scrum, goes down the short blind side, comes to our half back, and nonchalantly plans to just go through him. After all, he is a Number 8. The half back, smashes him into touch!!!! The half back was playing out of position and had just arrived in London as the incumbent 7 for the Australian Universities team. Well, that shut the Number 8 up. It was more than a tackle to the Number 8, it was a slap across his face!!! Nothing as precious as that in the backs.
Knives Out
Guest
Spot on. The obsession was always with size and I can see the same pattern unfolding with teenagers in the gym I currently use.
stillmissit
Roar Guru
Having watched it close up I get the feeling that for all the talk about caring for players etc. The guys running these elite institutions are users who just bring in large numbers of talented youngsters and hope that a couple of them will stand out and more importantly survive. It is a dumb numbers game and all these boys are pumped to the max as there is an obsession with bulk and then they breakdown physically and go back to club or sometimes like you give it away. It is stupid and wasteful. Young players should be the size they naturally are and develop their rugby from this point. There are many examples of small guys outplaying bigger heavier players, it is almost as stupid as playing all players all over the park. Maybe they will put AAC into the lock position?????? we are short there.
stillmissit
Roar Guru
Of course Sheek. Let the good times roll. I want to meet my old coaches who, because I was big kept me from my DESTINY WITH GREATNESS! At least at this distance from reality it seems like that.
Knives Out
Guest
Sounds like Springbok heaven.
sheek
Guest
I'm presuming that's the 8 forwards, & no backs! As an old ex-forward myself, I would like that. BTW, I was also a frustrated eightman who ended up playing lock!
Knives Out
Guest
I only stood out at rugby union because I played basketball, stillmissit. It was a wonderful accelerator and I would suggest to any young budding rugby players that they give the game a trick. It's good for explosiveness, fitness, timing and handling. Because of that I never had a youth filled with rugby so when I developed and played alongside better players I found it hard to cope with the intensity of young men who had been obsessed about turning pro since their early teens. Therefore to combat that I turned to the gym. Having not been on a weights programme at an early age I trained too much - twice a day, and basically just doing big muscle lifts: deadlift, squat, shoulder press etc. What I did learn at academy training I just ignored, seeking to get bigger. Unsurprisingly I suffered joint problems and general wear and tear. I didn't know anything about pre-hab work, extensive stretching, yoga.. that sort of thing, and I just burned out. My diet was pretty mediocre too. I think my situation sums up English youth rugby. There are no support systems. I played in what is arguably the toughest schools group and quite a few of my peers now play pro, and yet there was no adequate guidance from either my school or my county. It's a bizarre situation. English rugby is so far behind the 8 ball at youth level it is unbelievable. And now like you say I don't bother anymore, which is a shame.
stillmissit
Roar Guru
Of course and real rucking could be brought back. We could really entertain with rolling mauls, 20m shoves in scrums and push over tries, lineouts with locks fired into the air by 6' 5" specialist lifters,the breakaways doing most of the try scoring and fighting for the turnover. It could be heaven, a world sans backs and more importantly sans whinging!!
stillmissit
Roar Guru
Knives your story is played out in Australia regularly these days. I used to be involved with one of the premier clubs and the number of young guys with talent who would start to get serious injury in their late teens is alarming particularly if they were involved with the academy. I think it is due to the amount of muscle that is developed and lack of development of the ligaments to support the joints and the extra impact of the weight. It sort of comes down to a few areas. Knees, always been there due to hard pitches in OZ but seems a lot more these days. Hamstrings and shoulders - the numbers of young guys with this problem is unbelievable. A young friend of my partners boys has just played a professional year in England and then gets a serious shoulder injury here, he has just gone in for a reconstruction and decided to give rugby away for a couple of years and play something else. Seems a pity to me.
Knives Out
Guest
'The solution to rugby is to make it a game of 8 players.' That would certainly be better viewing than 7s.
stillmissit
Roar Guru
LAS this is typical of you brylcream brigade. You are so busy looking in your hand mirror you miss not only the last pass with the line open but also the content. Knives is in his early 20's but unfortunately I do fit your description perfectly. I used to wait in the clubhouse drinking quietly until you Nancy boys all got excited talking to one another and combing your (always) blonde hair, then I would make a date with your very bored girlfriend, who was only really there to try to convince the rest of the club that you were straight. Rugby is a game for forwards and even good (read rare) back plays are only there as a bit of fluff on the back of a lot of work by the real rugby players. The solution to rugby is to make it a game of 8 players.
LeftArmSpinner
Roar Guru
SMI and KO, As the author, I checked in tonight to see where the discussion had gone because the posts had gone up by about 50. Lo and Behold, I find that an article entitled "Where have all the backline plays gone??" I find two slaggy old forwards waxing unlyrically about what if's. As author, I ask you to take your forwards reminiscing to another place. This is for backs, the handsome, clever ones that play rugby using there sublime phyiscal and ball skills and then pull the good looking girls. Jokes aside, good to see that discussion is alive and well on the Roar!!!!! As for Number 8, every season I would be put in there, only to protest and return to fullback. Less tackling, more running and kept my good looks protected for the girls!!!!!
Knives Out
Guest
I haven't played in a good year, stillmissit. I played at 9 and then moved to 7 during my mid-teens, but having been not good enough to progress beyond county and academy level I decided to hit the gym initially to bulk up but then I decided that I preferred that to rugby. I took a gap year between school and university and having saved up enough money from working for 9 months I decided to try and see if I could get near professional level. I was quite obsessive in my approach and kind of burned out my enthusiasm, I suppose. I always had problems with my wrists sub-luxing, rotator cuff and thumb problems and come 21 I didn't have enough time so I started boxing regularly instead. I played a handful of games last year but just for fitness, and truth be told I don't miss it that much. I have considered getting really serious again and trying a shift to hooker, but I'm not sure if I fancy months of hamstring, core, back and neck work in the gym.
AC
Guest
Haha! That's classic. "Domination of the breakdown". Australia never had it. Palu certainly didn't add anything to our competitiveness there. Lasting impressions from Palu's game: * Hardly sighted * When sighted going into contact, he lost the ball * When going in for the clean-out at the ruck, he went straight off his feet and his effectiveness is essentially 0.
Lee
Guest
Yip...delayed sending the teams on the overseas tour so that they could play in the final
stillmissit
Roar Guru
KO - I played 11 years at it and always wanted to be a No 8. Such is life. What position do you play now?
Knives Out
Guest
AAC is potentially a wonderful 13.
Knives Out
Guest
A player of Matfield's genius is generational. You had Eales and now SA has Matfield. England had Johnson and now they don't. Swings and roundabouts I suppose. You once had Nick Stiles and now you have Benn Robinson, if you see my point. I played lock for 20 minutes once. I didn't like it.