Where to now for the Wallabies after Saturday’s imperfect but committed and admirable effort?
Their followers with good memories will be reflecting on an improved performance with a sense of contentment yet simultaneously hosing down the expectancy levels that with the knowledge that over recent years an unwelcome tag has been owned by Australia: they are the kings of the false dawn.
In pertinent pre-match and post-match comments from Nathan Sharpe and Robbie Deans it is clear that captain and coach are painfully aware of the frailty.
That they are on the same page gives hope that it can be erased.
“We like a challenge,” Sharpe said in the days before the third Bledisloe. “It probably fits the Australian psyche a little bit. When the back’s to the wall, the guys love to show their character. That’s a strength, but it’s also a weakness and something we’ve got to get away from in Australian rugby.”
The coach followed that up with: “If the boys turn up like they did last night it will be a good tour.”
Of the frustrations Deans feels – you suspect that his much-criticised communication style is, in part, a diplomatic necessity to prevent himself saying what he really thinks – it is surely this lack of consistent intensity that vexes him the most.
When the Wallabies have needed to back up, they have folded.
And when they have been on the ropes, inspiration has been found to come out swinging. As Sharpe pointed out, it is a difficult way to build anything of substance. Perhaps the pair need to sneak looped recordings of the Ireland, Samoa, Scotland and World Cup semi-final performances onto the in-flight system en route to Paris.
At least if you break their game down encouraging signs can be detected.
Only one try has been conceded in the past two Tests, Ben Tapuai is an underrated package of smarts and a low centre of gravity (you cannot mark the player’s cards because of one missed overlap in the infancy of his Test career), Wycliff Palu returned with the vigour that is reserved to players who are aware that careers are fragile and in the past two encounters Benn Robinson has just submitted the best 120 minutes of his year.
Of other improvements Kurtley Beale is growing with each outing at No.10. He gives no sleepless nights with his defensive work in his channel and his tactical kicking from hand, particularly those deep restarts, is putting his team into some good areas.
The Wallabies had 57 per cent of the territory in Brisbane, although admittedly not enough in the All Blacks’ 22.
Accordingly, expectations for the northern tour may have been revised upwards since the disappointment of Pretoria, where a heavy injury toll as the game progressed could not disguise the lack of sting in the early exchanges. The Wallabies were second-best from the outset that day.
Three wins from four of the upcoming assignments would represent a commendable return, while an uncommon clean sweep would be a statement.
Thierry Dusatoir is likely to be out of the French game (“we lose more than a player…” was the melancholic response from one French tweeter on Monday) while the Welsh will be denied access to several of their best because they play with French clubs and the December 1 game falls outside the IRB window.
Theoretically, although here we must acknowledge Australia’s capacity for self-destruction, Italy in Florence should represent a win for the visitors, but Twickenham is always a nervous occasion.
Three from four is achievable.
With two, Australia would enter 2013, a Lions year and a massive one for the code, with familiar doubts in the air.
Worlds Biggest
Guest
Shop, I agree with you regarding the mindset. We should go into every game thinking we can win. However as I mentioned previously this team is a roller coaster under Dingo. I love the Wallabies more than any other sporting team I follow however the maddening inconsistency always lurks. In regards to the ranking and expectation, there is very little between teams 2-7 so I don't put a huge amount of stock in our ranking. It's consistent performance we desperately crave, this squad has an opportunity to achieve what no Wallaby team in 28 years has done. Come home unbeaten on a 4 Test match tour. The average age of the squad is 25 and only 4 players are over the age of 30. Let's see if they can prove us all wrong, go Wallabies !.
Shop
Roar Guru
Yes WB, if Deans' past form is anything to go on we'll thrash England and France and then lose to Italy. Still, I don't think we should be in a mind set to lose any of them. After all, aren't we no. 2 in the world?
Jiggles
Roar Guru
I've been to Cardiff for a Wales V Wallabies test twice. 2006, 29 all draw, and 2008 21-18 loss. I don't really ever want to go to Cardiff again.
Jiggles
Roar Guru
10 Cooper 11 Ioane 12 Tapuai 13 AAC 14 JOC 15 Beale I'd like to see JOC move into the 13 spot through next year with Shipperley/McCabe etc. fighting it out for the wing spot. Mitchell is done with chronic injury I think, and I'm over AAC. I would like Centres who look for their man and have ball skills.
Frank O'Keeffe
Guest
The Welsh Test will be interesting, actually. Wales will play better at home, and the Wallabies will have to play better than they did earlier this year. How they won that 3-0, I don't know.
bennalong
Guest
I don't know why you concede that point Brett Your point relates to an expanded player pool and that is separate from Deans' systems which to be fair have changed with changing interpretations of the laws, but have been hampered by injury to what was a 30 man squad We have survived and we now have a much larger pack than Deans originally envisaged, once again young and primed by the last two tests and looking for challenges
Ken stewart
Guest
I think the wallabies will loose to France ,Wales, draw with England , and beat Italy.
Frank O'Keeffe
Guest
I'll say it again, I was proud of the Wallabies draw. If New Zealand scored one try in that game they would have won, but the Wallabies had the lead for most of the game and defended well. But to say the draw signifies a new dawn is a bit silly. It will be interesting to see what happens when O'Connor and Cooper come back. Good selection will really define how well the Wallabies go. Should O'Connor play at 12? The Wallabies don't have a great centre combination. Or should O'Connor play 10 and Beale 15. Should Cooper get a go? Tough selections. It was a gutsy draw, but the Wallabies only looked like scoring once. So what's going to happen in Europe that'll be different?
Billy Bob
Guest
Tapuai and Beale backing him up
Mike
Guest
dead rubbers, brisbane and bloemfontein :)
Mike
Guest
Very good point re Sharpe mentoring the young locks.
Mike
Guest
Good point about the scrums - all four are strong in that area.
Mike
Guest
No, we are being realistic. And no, there is no connection between what commentators think and what the players think. If you want to talk up the Wallabies as being certs to get four games out of four go ahead. If they do, I think its great and I will cheer them on for each match, but if I was a betting man I would not be betting on 4/4.
mace 22
Guest
well how about dead rubbers and brisbane.
Jerry
Guest
Yeah, but you had the best Wallaby coach of the pro era back then. Now you've got the worst.
mervyn grimley
Guest
they had a kiwi coach last time they toured. Graham Henry. We won.
Sogippy
Guest
So who in this new grouping is going to run in the tries ?
Jutsie
Guest
I def hope he sticks with a similar backline to last week with digby coming in when fit although I wont be fussed if they let him get over his injury completely. There obviously will be a forced change in the pack with higginbottom out. Not sure who they should play at 6.
bluerose
Guest
i think England will be the most difficult out of all of them, they have the powerful pack and a lively backline. France is unpredictable, they would want to take revenge on the beating they got i 2010 so they would probably come out firing, Wales will also want to take revenge on us and Italy would want to create history, im hoping for an undefeated tour but my head says it would probably be a 2/2, i hope Deans sticks with the same team to develop some much needed combination.
Worlds Biggest
Guest
Shop, given your faith in Dingo are you putting your hard earned on a clean sweep ?