The best teams play consistently well. Other teams can lift their games occasionally to match better rivals, but the effort takes its toll, resulting in inconsistency from week to week.
The Wallabies lifted to beat the Boks, but looked tired when asked to repeat it in the semi-final.
Ireland played above themselves to beat Australia, then were unable to repeat it against Wales.
France lifted to beat England, then just scraped home against Wales despite playing with an extra man.
Against the All Blacks in the second RWC semi-final, the Wallabies were woeful. Cooper, whose previous indiscretions had put him under enormous pressure, looked like a rabbit caught in the headlights.
Without a functioning fly-half, the team was rudderless.
They compounded this with missed tackles, dropped high balls, mis-directed kicks, and fumbles. The previous week’s herculean defensive effort against the Boks had taken its toll.
Although the All Blacks were excellent defensively, the Wallabies’ constant errors gifted the Kiwis the game.
With the pressure lifted from them, we can only hope that Australia can produce their much admired running game in the consolation final against Wales next week.
Where to then?
Robbie Deans has had four years as Wallabies coach. It’s time to move on. Ewan McKenzie is his obvious successor.
Peter De Villiers did the honourable thing when the Boks were knocked out of the RWC: he announced he was stepping down.
Deans is a coach with a talent for developing young players. He developed many superstars of the game during his time at the Crusaders. Then in Australia, Cooper, O’Connor, Beale, Pocock, Slipper, Simmons, Daley and others were fast-tracked at the expense of older players considered to be approaching their use-by date.
When Deans first became the Wallabies coach, several journalists attended his training sessions. One of them reported that the secret to Deans’s coaching is that there is no secret.
That’s the way the Wallabies have played ever since: no set moves, no obvious game plan, and no tactical nouse. There is no plan B when things go wrong because there is no plan A to start with. As Bob Dwyer observed, they rely on “wonder plays from the wonder boys”.
With so much talent at the Crusaders, this was very successful. But with the limited player resources of the Wallabies, a superior game plan is needed.
Deans is much admired as a man. If he wants to stay in Australia, the ARU should find him a job in player development, or as coach of a SuperRugby side. He has a lot to offer such a role.
As the post-mortems are held, however, far more important than simply changing the coach is to expand the Australian player base, which is just too small. Australian rugby does not have enough players to fill their super rugby teams, most of which are full of expatriots from across the ditch.
Radical change is necessary. The Parramatta NRL club offered to finance both the Parramatta union team and a Western Sydney Super rugby team operating out of Parramatta stadium. This was rebuffed by the ARU.
There are many league players who are interested in union, and it is time to say goodbye to the 100 year old schism between the two codes. Embrace the leagues clubs and get them on board. They have the player base, the elite development pathway, and the money that Australian rugby needs.
Something also needs to be done about New South Wales. Although it produces the bulk of Australia’s home-grown rugby players, the NSWRU’s gin-swilling rah-rah management and the petty-politicking and poor morale that results from it are a turn-off to many players and fans.
The Waratahs must be sold off to private enterprise.
Capital
Roar Guru
It won't happen Spaldo (JON Deans) JW certainly needs to be successful as you have stated. And the semi - very few teams can contest when their forwards are going backwards and not making ground. But that aside - it really doesn't excuse the fact we didn't contest AB high balls, or Wallaby high balls, or use our strength - our back 3 running counter attack ... And even Barnes, who I rate highly was stifled in his play - in the closing 15 he has a chance to step cover defence and passes to a winger who is nailed by two defenders ... Oh well ... four more years :)
Mike
Guest
Fair enough LukeR, but isn't it true that Barnes' performances against All Blacks have been below par? I am not saying that means you are wrong. Past performance is not always a guide to future achievement - Maa Nonu is a good example of that if you compare his non-performance a few years ago with his sublime achievements now. But I think we are only guesstimating when we say Barnes would have done better at No 10.
Mike
Guest
Wales are actually a good side, even without their extroverted No 7.
Mike
Guest
Well, for starters because even being No 1 in the world doesn't guarantee you getting to the final, as has been demonstrated more than once, so why should being No 2 do so? Bokke were No 3, England were No 4 and Ireland No 5 - all had a "legitimate expectation" of being in the semis, but that's RWC rugby for you - the play is desperate, and the minnows are not quite so minnowish any more and always looking to knock off a big one. I agree that losing the game to Ireland was bad. It worries me that we couldn't adapt to their game plan and Lawerence's reffing style, particularly when neither should have been a surprise. But we were still in it. The French even more so - they lost two pool games, but they are in the final. Is Deans to blame for that? I am not saying that there are not real concerns that need to be addressed. I think we had the talent to do better. But sheek and others are right - getting to the semis IS an achievement.
Mike
Guest
Thanks kiwiboi. Harsh, but true.
Mike
Guest
I wrote on the Roar before the RWC finals began that I thought Deans had done well in the circumstances, but it was time for McKenzie to take over. However, some of the arguments against Deans essentially blame him for every shortcoming in the side. What worries me even more is that some posters seem to think that replacing the coach will solve all our problems. I predict that it will solve very few of our problems unless we have a broader approach. Glad to see many posters giving careful thought to such issues as: * The whole Wallaby staff * Coaching and selection at S15 level * Lower level comps, especially U/21 and schoolboys. * Player development * Specialist development, especially forwards
Mike
Guest
Good point Kovana. Some of the criticism of Deans is on the mark, but some of it entirely misses the point. Those who want to drag Deans down for any reason will deride the 3N victory. They complain that it took 4 years to achieve, when the reality was that it took 10 years to achieve.
Mike
Guest
As liam will no doubt point out, that's still a lot of tries that they scored!
Mike
Guest
Also worth remembering that Nonu was written off by everyone a few years ago (including kiwis). He is transformed.
sheek
Guest
Thanks Tarpo, I recall reading a long time ago that Williams was the first (non-Maori), or perhaps merely the first of Samoan extraction. You could well be right about Jennings. Perhaps someone else could confirm this.....
Red Kev
Guest
That's low balling expectations. The Wallabies went into the RWC as no.2 in the world with a stupidly easy draw to get to the final. Anything other than 6 straight wins and a final appearance should be regarded as a failure - I clearly recall posting that on another site before the tournament began - how can JON justify the semi as a pass mark?
ThelmaWrites
Guest
Gee JB, you've lost your cool again. Wow, we New South Wales people are content with the mediocre, having taken so long to get rid of the Labor party! You might want to revisit a previous Queensland government. And then to assert that McKenzie can coach the Wallabies because he wouldn't favor the Reds, since he counts himself a New South Wales person. !@#$%^&*!
Spaldo
Guest
Capital, those were words of dejection and despair from a true Brumbies and Wallabies fan. I have nothing but respect for the Brumbies of 2011, and most of the Wallabies as well, but the comment was directed at the lack of coaching, development and depth that plagues these two teams Something is wrong with Australian rugby. I don't think that the Brumbies' season would have gone any different with a fully fit Rocky, nor the semi-final any different with Beale or Mitchell. But we all thought the wheels would fall off NZ without Carter. We were wrong. They have depth. They are well coached. Nothing I have seen about O'Neill says that he will reverse they decision to have Robbie for the next two years. Therefore Jake White is the most important person in Australian rugby
Cattledog
Roar Guru
He's a great coach in his own right and wouldn't be surprised if he's ear marked as Ewen's successor in two years!
Cattledog
Roar Guru
I'll second that, JB.
tarpo
Guest
Sheek, I recall Arthur Jennings playing for the ABs on the '67-68 tour of the British Isles, he was of Fijian origin. Anyone before this was before my time personally, but I will have a look at the records.
Big Boppa
Guest
Next year - What a load of BS - so we are paying Robbie 800k per year as an "apprentice" - did knuckles get 4 years + 2 to get it right?? Link has the most successful record at NSW, better than anyone else Lucky with injuries, two years in a row - they used 37 players this season and won the title - yeah thats really lucky - he just backed the next guy and got on with it - get your facts right Untried at the test level ? Link was the coaching co-ordinator for the Wallabies in 2000-2003 thats two bledisloes, two tri nations and a British lions victory and a RWC final - by my count Deans has one tri nations - funny how link seems to be around things that go better
Big Boppa
Guest
Get with the program Sheek - we shouldn't have been playing NZ in the semi - or did you forget that? No Pocock cover put us in the wrong side of the draw - No arguement about NZ, they are still undefeated
Seiran
Roar Guru
'Something also needs to be done about New South Wales. Although it produces the bulk of Australia’s home-grown rugby players' Slightly off topic but somewhat relevant. Did anyone else notice that weren't any 2011 Waratah players in the Wallabies run on team that lost to the AB's? Plenty of 2012 players though.
Capital
Roar Guru
Good point Pirjas I was pretty surprised to see Nonu and Hore get selected, but their form as ABs has been excellent. Nonu would be my choice for player of the series.