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Australian coach Robbie Deans answers questions at a press conference follow their Rugby World Cup loss to Ireland at Eden Park(AP Photo/Ross Land)
“We played some dumb rugby, we weren’t good enough”: Wallaby skipper James Horwill nailed two of the reasons why Ireland created the shock of the RWC by winning a tryless goal-kicking shoot-out 15-6 at Eden Park.
Ireland’s first win at Eden Park in history, and Ireland’s first win over the number two ranked nation in three World Cups.
Ireland’s coach Declan Kidney out-manoeuvred Wallaby counterpart Robbie Deans:
* Kidney told his troops to slow down Wallaby ball; they were slow to the lineouts, slow to pack down in the scrums, and in regular intervals Irishmen went down “injured” – all time-consuming. The men-in-green did everything asked of them to perfection.
* And Ireland had more passion, more composure, more structure – and belted the Wallaby forwards into submission.
Ireland was aided and abetted by the dumb way the Wallabies tried to turn the tide.
When possession was like hen’s teeth to find, why kick, why kick, why kick?
To compound the agony the Wallabies’ defence allowed Ireland space by waiting for them, rather than advancing and chopping them down well short of the advantage line.
And if Tatafu Polota-Nau (TPN) can’t find his lineout jumpers, find someone who can. There’s no law that says the feeder has to be the hooker.
It’s beyond belief lineout feeders can’t throw in straight – TPN is a serial offender.
But there wasn’t one Wallaby who played anywhere near their usual form.
And if anyone tries to find an excuse for the three missing frontline Wallabies, forget it.
We all knew the injured Digby Ioane was to be replaced by James O’Connor, and flanker David Pocock by Ben McCalman, but Polata-Nau was a late replacement for Stephen Moore (stomach bug).
McCalman was a poor selection in the first place. Scott Higginbotham was a far better bet with no acknowledged openside flanker in the squad.
There was no grunt, and precious little passion.
And as I predicted pre-tournament, Kiwi referee Bryce Lawrence killed the game with penalties – 20 in all with 12 against the Wallabies – and incessant whistle blowing.
Both predictions were spot on with the additional downsides of missing offsides and forward passes on both sides, dishing out unfathomable penalties both ways – and on four occasions Lawrence hindered play by getting in the way. Poor positioning.
In this company, he’s simply not good enough.
Nor were the Wallabies.
Where was the side that beat a full-strength South Africa in South Africa? That beat the All Blacks for the second time in three to regain the Tri-Nations ending a decade-long drought? And scored 26 points in 16 minutes to dump on Italy in the RWC opening round?
Three successive resounding victories. They are but a memory.
But Brian O’Driscoll’s men will long remember September 17, 2011, and Eden Park.
They have turned the RWC on it’s head.
It’s not the end of the road for the Wallabies, but the road is much much harder with the Boks now likely quarter final opponents, the All Blacks in the semis.
And the Wallabies have no-one to blame but themselves.
They played dumb rugby alright.