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At the end of this article is a video of the Wallabies’ change room after the Welsh win. I love how, during the Lions’ tours, they have a camera in the change room to show you what happens before the match. And this is also a frank look at the dressing room after a good win by the Wallabies.
Beale talks openly and humbly about his first cap and how they wanted to turn the results of the week before into a positive.
James O’Connor larks around like a gangsta giving high fives.
Giteau takes a stab at his detractors, showing how the press must have hurt him after the Scottish game. He says how he prepared for the Scottish game exactly the same as every other game, but “it just didn’t work out”.
He shows a side of himself that people on this site might doubt, in that it shows it does hurt him when the Wallabies lose, or perhaps they will say that it hurts him when his worth is questioned.
Later on, AAC even jokingly says, “Gits finally had a blinder”.
So even the squad must have known that Giteau has been down on form recently.
Genia also talks towards the end about Giteau and how he has answered his critics. I think Giteau did play really well, but he did so from second receiver, not first receiver.
Drew Mitchell drinks from the cup and dances around like he actually did something.
A lot of them speak about the midweek game and what that did for the squad. Certainly, I think they should keep up midweek games on these tours, if for no other reason than to suss out how the reserves are going and give them game time.
Beale got a bench spot because of how he played in the Cardiff game. He might never have had that chance in tours gone past.
Deans talks about finally getting the right combinations.
He says he waited for it to happen rather than forced it to happen, showing that he had a plan and wasn’t just cruising along hoping for the team to gel.
In fact, this is the most I have heard Deans speak, and he certainly speaks more candidly here than he does in front of press conferences.
He talks about doubt creeping in, but you can see he feels this could be a watershed moment.
I am not so sure.
That will depend on their next game, almost 7 months away, when they will all start from scratch again and try to re-invigorate their combinations.
I think we have all thought we have had several watershed moments over the last 12 months, only to be brought back down to earth the next week.
Now, at the risk of being the Grinch and taking away the players rights to celebrate a good win, as well as harping on about the Grand Slam, I don’t see a lot of thought given to losing the Grand Slam.
I say lose the Grand Slam because looking back you really must admit they should have won it quite easily. I didn’t give them much chance before they went, but after the Wales win, it dawned on me how much they let go by the last minute try by Ireland and the surprising loss to Scotland.
It really should have been dawning on these players right then after beating Wales that had they played like they did against Wales, over the whole tour, the Grand Slam would have been theirs.
Instead, some of them could only think about how good that particular game was, and how well they played.
Perhaps that is part of the problem.
Rather than recognise what they did well in that game, and what they need to do to keep that standard up, they see they have won and that is that.
Will they improve next year, or will they continue to be marred by inconsistency?
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.