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The Wallabies’ performance against Ireland on Saturday evening has again left their supporters with that deep, hollow feeling that comes when genuine national passion is deceived by high pretence.
This is my 200th article for The Roar. It is disappointing that it is on such a disappointing topic.
As I left the busy pub after the game, there was a eerie, silence from the departing patrons.
The next morning, The Roar was bereft of articles on the game.
The Wallabies pretended to play rugby. We all knew that they only needed parity up front and the backs would do the rest.
The Irish came with passion and an effective strategy that they implemented brilliantly.
Congratulations to them.
The Wallaby forwards did not front up. How does a scrum get parity with South Africa, New Zealand and Italy and then struggle against Ireland?
But the greater concern was the breakdown. It is unforgivable for the team currently ranked second in the world to be so comprehensively beaten at the rugby union’s crucial point.
In rugby, the breakdown measures the players’ bravery and brains and rewards them with both quantity and quality of possession.
Crucially, the Wallabies forwards were unable to convert a maul to a ruck on three occasions in the first 28 minutes and lost possession as a result.
They compounded this with six scrum wins to eight, just 55 rucks and mauls to 71, conceded 18 turnovers to 12, and 12 penalties to eight.
The game took a subtle turn from the 28th to 36th minute. With the score at 6-6, and the Wallabies having just dodged a bullet from a missed scrum penalty, Cooper dropped out short, they knocked on, and gave the Irish scrum another, immediate chance at possession and an ideal attacking position.
In the next passage of play, with an Australian lineout 35 metres from the try line and on the attack, Tatafu Polota-Nau’s throw was not straight. The Irish chose a scrum, then rather than use the quick ball, held it in the scrum until the Wallaby scrum collapsed.
From the ensuing penalty, Ireland ended up with a lineout 35 metres out. The net result was a 30 metre gain, possession of the Gilbert, and another nail in the already teetering Wallaby scrum’s coffin.
These four self-inflicted scrums effectively killed the Australian scrum for the rest of the game.
Even the Wallabies’ 53 percent possession, ten line out wins to five and 13 kicks to 21 together with approximate parity on tackles and runs were not enough to save them.
Everyone knew that the Irish would bring a frustrating, vigorous, high energy style, with rat cunning at the breakdown and set piece. They have been doing it for as long as I can remember. Most of it is on video for all to see.
It stopped the Wallabies’ attacking supremacy in its tracks by keeping the ball off the ground at the breakdown and taking every opportunity to destroy the Wallaby scrum.
This frustrated the Wallabies into errors and backed up by a decent goal kicker, it began to work well before the Irish ran out of puff.
In a variation on a MMA theme, “Don’t leave it in the hands of the judges!” the Wallabies left it in the hands of the referee and the Irish.
When the reality of an upset was dawning at about the 60th minute, where was the self belief, the determination, the gear change and the clarity of thought from the leaders?
The Australian Rugby Union and particularly the youth development team of Hugh Carpenter and Manu Sutherland will have to reassess the players coming into the system and the processes that they are using to develop the next era of players.
Australian players are just not tough enough to play consistently with high intensity and high physicality.
The Wallabies are like a teenager who is blessed with copious natural gifts but is incapable of achieving the full potential. Wallaby supporters are the teenager’s frustrated, but ultimately powerless, parents.
As the parents of any such a teenager will tell you, only the teenager can do anything about it. The chances are that they won’t, even if they might tell you and even seem to genuinely want to.
While not desirable, the result of the game itself is not of great importance. Whether it is Wales/Samoa or South Africa, we have seen that there are no easy games in the 2011 Rugby World Cup.
Get an outsider to read the riot act and the reality check. After all, the Wallabies only need to muster three wins (forgetting USA and Russia for the moment) to win the 2011 Rugby World Cup.
They are likely to be against South Africa, New Zealand and England.
This passage of games will define this era of Wallabies.
Given their consistent lack of consistency, don’t expect silverware.
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.