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Another 28-8 Wallaby drubbing by the Boks at Newlands last night, taking the 2013 track record to 2-6 on the success card.
And both those wins were by a point – 16-15 over the Lions, and 14-13 against the Pumas – just a couple of points away from a 0-8 card, which is closer to the truth.
To add to the realistic standing of the Wallabies on the world stage, they have scored 118-219 for and against in the eight games, with the try count 9-22.
Time to ring in the changes once the battle for The Rugby Championship spoon is decided next weekend at Rosario against the Pumas.
Except for the coach.
Come what may, rightly or wrongly, Ewen McKenzie will be Wallaby coach until the completion of the 2015 Rugby World Cup.
That’s a given.
The captaincy is the first major move.
Ben Mowen is the man, as he’s proved for the last two seasons with the Brumbies, and in the one Test against the Pumas he inspired his troops to withstand the kitchen sink the visitors were throwing at the men in gold in rain-sodden Perth.
The difference between Mowen and incumbent James Horwill is simple. Mowen communicates far better, and far more successfully.
It’s an art that is reserved for the few, and Mowen is one of them.
A recent Horwill quote is also a guideline.
“You look at the trend in the game, and the teams that aren’t playing as much footy in their own half are getting the results.”
Go on, hardly a news flash.
That’s been the same since William Webb Ellis picked up a soccer ball and ran with it at Rugby School in 1823, and it’s been the same with every other football code since inception.
If a team can’t win playing in the opposition half, they can’t play, it’s as simple as that.
With Ben Mowen as skipper, the other moves for the end of year Spring Tour will be tempered by the availability of the injured David Pocock, Scott Higginbotham, Tatafu Polota-Nau, Jake Schatz, Wycliff Palu, James Hanson, Jesse Mogg, and Nick Cummins, the eligibility of Henry Speight, and the future of indefinitely suspended James O’Connor.
Every one of them would be automatic, or close to automatic, squad selections if available, placing many of the current side on the hit list.
Especially as the likes of Liam Gill, Scott Sio, Paddy Ryan, Caderyn Neville and Hugh Pyle are in the mix as well.
So Ben Alexander, Benn Robinson, Sekope Kepu, Rob Simmons, Kane Douglas, Saia Fainga’a, Albert Anae, and Dave Dennis will be looking over their shoulders.
And after last night let’s have no more delusions about Nic White being the national saviour in the nine jumper.
Will Genia must be selected for 80 minutes every game – not zero, or 40 – as has been the case in the last two games.
On the brighter side, McKenzie has the talent to clinch a Grand Slam in November, but that talent is its own worst enemy.
McKenzie calls it lack of maturity, but that’s being kind.
Dumb rugby is closer to the truth, so dumb it defies belief.
That’s McKenzie’s biggest headache, sorting out the dumb from the dumber.
If any players haven’t got the maturity when selected for the Wallabies, don’t select them. International rugby is no classroom of learning, it’s purely for enhancement and refinement.
As proved by the 1984 Grand Slam Wallabies, and the 1991 and 1999 Rugby World Cup versions.
Let’s have some more of those days, and not this embarrassing rubbish of 2013.