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I truly feel sorry for those who seem so clouded by negativity that it seems they would prefer the Wallabies to lose so they can have their opinions verified. I know these people.
These are the people that come running towards me at work on a Monday to tell me (with an enormous grin on their face) that they were right about (insert out of form players name here) and that they should never where the gold again.
I stand at the pub and watch as people turn and laugh when the bloke on the team they’re supporting screws up, because he can’t wait to prove to anyone in ear-shot that “he knew all along”. I’ve never understood why people would prefer piousness to eating their own words.
Here in Australia, we have been so spoilt with sporting prowess that unfortunately we cannot enjoy the thrill of competition any more unless we come out on top.
We always pride ourselves on ‘supporting the underdog’ and getting behind the small guy (think Eric ‘the Eel’, Gosford’s adoption of the Romanian Rugby team in the 2003 RWC), but what about when the top dog suddenly becomes the underdog? Everyone’s very good at chanting ‘Aussie Battler’ slogans around when our team is doing well, but when we struggle everybody pulls up stumps.
‘Tahs fans are a prime example of this fickleness.
Don’t get me wrong, I HATE losing as much as the next guy, especially when I have to go to bed at 3am in the morning fuming.
However, in hindsight, I would much prefer to watch a Wallabies team, full of youthful exuberance and positive attacking mindset lose a few crackers of matches and win the occasional heart belter than play for average spectacle wins.
Remember also that we are the second best team in the competition… not the All Blacks. They are going through the ULTIMATE purple patch of any team in any sport right now and have the perfect mix of attack and defense.
We have a great attack but it causes us to lose momentum throughout… I can’t remember any Wallabies team going out to consecutive 20-30 point leads against South Africa at altitude! What a magnificent feat in of itself! We have tried for 47 years to win at a altitude and we are surprised when the South Africans claw back from big leads?
We have to remember who and where we were playing. Australia NEEDED to develop a big lead early while they were fresh and they did just that.The result was one of the greatest test matches in recent history.
My father refers it to the Tour de France, when the bolters set out a good pace to keep away from the peleton because they know they will be strong towards the back end. I agree with that analogy.
Is watching the Wallabies frustrating?
Yes it is. Is this frustration a new thing? No it isn’t. I remember screaming at the television all through the 90s and early 2000s as we squandered leads, dropped balls, etc. Okay, we won a few more pieces of silverware but I don’t think you’re dealing with the same level of All Black team, or even South African team (around 2007) than we have had to. Of course that is up for debate but there is no doubting the brilliance of this All Black outfit.
I guess it just comes down to perspective. And also belief.
A team that feels it has belief of its public will back themselves more. A team that doubts itself will continue to dig a hole. This last win will go a long way to restoring that belief. I think that it’s important that it restores ours as well.
We’ve been begging for a try scoring Wallabies team like this for years.
Let’s get behind the underdog (a phrase that seems a little ludicrous considering we are the 2nd best team in the world).
Let’s enjoy rugby again.
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.