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.
Al "Shakes9" Boyd
Guest
Hi all, appreciate all the comments and the discussion. I only just realised today that this got published. Ta boys!
johnno42
Guest
hey the one point loss is especially poetic... remember those last gasp "come from behind" wins when "australia was on top" way back... poetic.
Cattledog
Roar Guru
A good article Shakes. Good points well made. Let's hope the crowd is behind them 2nite!
Jerry
Guest
That tight five is hardly a proven performing pack, though. TPN's never been a regular starter at test level, Horwill's been fairly ordinary since 08 and Vickerman's not played any meaningful rugby in years. Robinson is the only genuine proven performer in that five.
bennalong
Guest
Thanks Jeznez. I hope my point still stands. Great individuals doth not a team make. It takes many battles to prove each others place and worth, and more still to play as one
mattamkII
Guest
point and case..couldnt wait for it could ya? No, he's not the Messiah but he's a quality player. Well put it this way, given a large portion of posters here wanted him dropped from Super 14 rugby he's doing pretty good isn't he? And here's another point...why is it that high profile dark skin boys seem to be the most hard done by when it comes to negative fans?
Red Rooster
Guest
I think the supporters are more inconsistent than the team. If we win we have suddenly found "the cattle" that everyone on this site has been telling us we don't have (not taking into account the number of injured players which is another common excuse). we will have defied the structural issues in the game that have been dogging us, we have overcome poor coaching, poor selection and replacement plans etc etc We have come up with lots of reason for non performance over the last 3 years and now - Rugby in Australia has been fixed in a total of one week. We were told it was going to take years - the apologists told us "if Robbie cant fix it no one can" What a turnaround! of course if we get soundly beaten tonight then all of the above is back in play - its a fickle life being a supporter what hope does the team have
johnno42
Guest
dont tell me.... um, "beale is the new messiah"
mattamkII
Guest
Tui Good point...Every team has injured players. The other one I hate is the travel V rested excuse...Lose after 2 weeks and 2 games on the road and we are tired....But when a team loses against someone who has been on the road while we have been resting and all of a sudden its "yes, the extra games meant they were more will drilled" Anyway, the original post here is awesome and very similar to something I have been meaning to write for ages. Aussie rugby is full of negative ol' boys who enjoy nothing but proving their agenda correct..sadly this usually means the wallabies losing or players like Mitchell, Dell, Lote, Beale etc etc not performing as a globally dominate player in their position.
Red Rooster
Guest
Maybe every coach should get 3 years to get it right. Lucky he has a tolerant boss and board as most other would not get the same latitude and might have achieved the same if they had more time. Connelly had a better win loss and a win over the AB's in 18 months and he got punted. Good luck to Robbie, I hope he comes good as it can never be said he did not get a really fair go
Tui
Guest
Quit with the injured players excuses. The injured players you guys keep bleating on and on about are the same ones who were part of the 9 losses before this match. Even with them back the pack is average at best. -- Comment left via The Roar's iPhone app. Download The Roar's iPhone App in the App Store here.
sixo_clock
Roar Guru
There are signs this squad is gelling into a team and tonight is the next level. Fingers crossed. Go you (almost) good things!
jeznez
Guest
ps not sure who should be skipper but agree that Elsom is not currently the man. Bring Palu and Higgers into the mix and he'll be challenged to stay on the field so it may become a moot point.
jeznez
Guest
I chucked some money in my centrebet account at the start of the super 14 and after some wins and some more losses I had less than half my initial 'investment' going in to last weekend (having dusted the largest portion the prior week on the Pretoria match). I had a great feeling going into the Blomfontein match and punted the balance on the Wobblies at 3.50 to make me happy the Wallabies won and give me that I was right high that is talked about above. I think the AB's are morals this week and my head says roll the winnings all up on to them, however my heart won't let me. I'm too scared that the Wallabies pull one out from nowhere and I can't enjoy the win as much as I want to because it's hit my hip pocket. I have in the past gone with the emotional hedge but just cannot find it in me this week.
jeznez
Guest
Aussie rules fields 18 players...
jeznez
Guest
1. Robinson 2 Polota Nau 3. Alexander 4. Horwill 5. Vickerman 16. Moore 17. Slipper 18. Sharpe Unfortunately with so many of the above unavailable we are cobbling together a team the best we can but I am feeling good about the future especially when you consider we also have Wycliff and big Scotty to add to the mix. p.s. I've been a big supporter of Palmer on my occaisional forays onto this website - was recently back in Oz and went to watch Southo's v the Beasts down at Forshaw and Palmer was only ok, had Kane Douglas behind him and I was expecting a scrum demolition (Big Jim Williams was watching so motivation can never have been a factor) and the fireworks just didn't happen. Dan fine some fire and get a hair cut
jeznez
Guest
or there are just too many bad defenders in the team - but they are our best attackers so maybe that is what you mean
jeznez
Guest
Laz, they did try to go defensive, they stopped contesting rucks for forty minutes so they could add extra men to the defensive line. Unfortunately the Wallabies defence is currently poo and the Boks said thankyou very much and scored a bag load of points. Considering the boys won I have to make up a reason for why this was a good idea, and can only come up with that it was a ploy to deal with the altitude. You see the plan was to scor a truckload of points then suck in the big ones for forty minutes, then score a try of a lineout only thrown four metres and then get Kurtley 'Falconio' Beale to slot a sitter from 55 mtrs - genius. How dare you suggest the right blokes aren't in charge. Gee all of the above made me happy though, I was leaping out of my chair and punching the sky!!!!
tiwana
Guest
well said Bennalong, yes one should back their team through thick and thin, can't wait till next year when the Aussies have their injured forwards back, we have only Ali Williams and Andrew hore to return, so there won't be any excusess but nail biting rugby to view, its going to come down to whose got the better game plan on the day and whose mentaly tough and wants it more, i think by then both teams will be evenly matched player and skill wise.
warrenexpatinnz
Guest
Shakes9 a dam good peice as you a pretty well on the money with I think a large group of Wallaby supporters agreeing with your view. The game in SA was brillant, watching young guys disregard where they were playing and against who, watching them back their skill and their mates and give it 100%. Yes penalty kicks should have been taken when on offer, yes the Wallabies should have closed up shop on the attacking front and tried to defend but they didn't but what they did do was come back after surrending the lead and still fought to the last second then won the match. When KB kicked that penalty every loss this season was forgotten, every wrong ref call, every dropped pass or missed tackle was not even a memory. The joy those guys showed at the full time whistle, Elsom and Moore hugging like they had just won the RWC signified to me how much weight had just been lifted off their shoulders, with a lot of that weight coming from us (some a lot more than others!) and from rugby scribes such as negative nelly Growden. I love sport for it's unpredictability, the skill and the toughness of the competitors but for me the ultimate is being taken through a great game where both sides give it their best on the night and where a win comes from a brillant act, piece of play as in KB's kick, Lomu's try in the corner or Mortlocks intercept, even Daggs recent try in SA after the hooter. I wear my Wallaby jumper every game weekend, I watch every game and although sitting through more often than not a loss against the ABs and the Boks I take the utmost pride in the fact that the Wallabies are number two in the World and striving to be number one although on paper and in the pecking order of world rugby we should have no right to be there. The likes of NZ, SA, England, even Wales and France deserve to be in front of us with player numbers and the mantle it holds in their national codes yet the apparent fourth preferred code in Aussie somehow just stands up and performs so bloody well. Do I want the Wallabies to beat the ABs more often than not, sure bloody do, but will I take a win against the odds and a good win at that after a top game, yep anytime. Go hard boys, 100% and know that there are tens of thousands of supporters that feel the same pride when you win and the same hurt when you lose because that emblem on your chest and that excitement you bring to us as supporters, as Aussies is why we do so well at everything we do regardless of what any knockers say.