Ewen McKenzie is sharpening his axe, forecasting changes to the Wallabies side massacred by the All Blacks at Eden Park.
Injuries to hooker Nathan Charles and winger Pat McCabe will bring at least two new selections but more are in the offing following Saturday night’s 50-21 drubbing.
McKenzie confirmed he would look closely at promoting several squad members “itching to get a go” for Australia’s next Rugby Championship clash, against South Africa in Perth on Saturday week.
He earmarked powerful Brumbies centre Tevita Kuridrani for a return that would likely see Adam Ashley-Cooper move back to the wing spot left vacant by McCabe (neck).
Halfback Nic White is under immense pressure from Nick Phipps and Bernard Foley is also demanding a recall, while McKenzie is considering tinkering with his outmuscled pack.
James Horwill and Ben McCalman are two abrasive forwards waiting in the wings and set to be granted auditions in next Sunday’s NRC match in Perth between the Perth Spirit and Brisbane City.
Will Skelton, Scott Higginbotham and Ben Alexander all came off the bench as New Zealand ran up a 44-point scoreline by the 60-minute mark in Auckland.
“I said it last week, there are some good players who aren’t playing so we’ll revisit that,” McKenzie said on Sunday.
“Selection is a one-game contract.
“We don’t tend to change things on one game but we like to see improvement and there’s good players missing out.
“I’ll give you an example, Kuridrani came on and did a good job at the back end of the game.
“There’s players itching to get a go and we recognise that.”
NSW Waratahs playmaker Foley has done nothing wrong all year and provides a major quandry to McKenzie after Kurtley Beale and Matt Toomua failed to fire in their two games together at 10 and 12.
The Wallabies coach’s biggest disappointment was his side’s passiveness in defence – allowing quick, front-foot ball to the hosts – and laxity in reacting to their own turnovers.
Both Julian Savea and Kieran Read finished breakout tries from mistakes while Australia was hot on attack.
A total of 19 tackles were missed as the All Blacks split the defensive line for nine breaks.
“I felt we were a metre off the pace in attack and defence the whole way,” McKenzie said.
It’s now been 12 years since Australia last retained the Bledisloe Cup but All Blacks skipper Richie McCaw said he never got tired of holding it up.
The pressure is on the Wallabies, unbeaten in their previous eight Tests, to immediately bounce back in the same way the All Blacks did from the 12-12 draw in Bledisloe I.
“We have to respond after that,” McKenzie said. “We’ve enjoyed winning over the last period of time and we’ve been competitive so it was a massive disappointment.
“We created some expectation there and it’s not as though we came up short, we came up a long way short.”
jeznez
Roar Guru
I thought Fardy was about our best forward last season (was between him and Moore) but he is off the boil this year and agree he is not such a threat ball in hand at the moment - he has successfully carried in wider channels in the past but isn't showing anything in that space at the moment. Palu carried well during the Super season but had Polota-Nau, Potgeiter and Skelton sharing the load with him and had Kepu and Douglas backing up behind them. At the moment he just has Kepu and Slipper helping him with Skelton getting little match time. He can't carry the pack by himself and think your idea has a lot of merit.
Ben.S
Roar Guru
Fardy impressed me last season, but he's a defensive sort of forward. A tight flanker, if you follow? As Palu has got older he's become less of a threat when carrying, and so I think Fardy-Palu is a little too defensive as a combination, especially with Carter and Simmons offering very little around the park. Higginbotham is good in the air, is aggressive, and carries well. Just the sort of player you need against the Springboks.
jeznez
Roar Guru
Agree about Higgers and Palu, Ben. Had a similar thought over the course of the day myself. Putting the quicker player at 8 where he can more quickly assist the 7 and putting the heavier hitter at 6 where he can defend against the player coming back inside has a lot going for it. Think of Ofahengahue/Gavin, Collins/So'oialo, Cockbain/Kefu and Kaino/Read amongst a list of too many great 6/8 pairs to mention. The heavy tackler was at 6 and the player who could link was 8. In a Palu/Higginbotham pairing it naturally sits the way around you describe.
Rabbitz
Roar Guru
I hope the axe is being swung in the direction of whoever is the forwards coach - he or they need to hand their coaching accreditation back.
AussieinNZ
Guest
Put AAC and Beale on the wings? Here's a tip. If you want to beat the ABs at their own game out wide chose real wingers with wheels.
Ben.S
Roar Guru
Wales was close on the scoreboard. Australia roasted them.
Ben.S
Roar Guru
Ah, swapping a 6'5 lock/blindside flanker with a winger...
Ben.S
Roar Guru
Douglas is a fair point, but if the players come back having really developed then I'd see that as a positive - a necessary evil. It seems to me that Australian locks don't adapt to Test rugby particularly quickly. I think Carter is very average. Hitting rucks is the bare minimum. Compare him to other tighthead locks like Rettalick, Etzebeth, Launchbury etc. I'd have a look at Leon Power. I also think I'd like to see Palu go to 6 and Higginbotham at 8.
Paul
Guest
I think you will find the reason was that when we got shunted off the ball earlier it was our feed and the hooker would not be pushing, so Horne went in to try counter what would be an 8 man shunt from the AB's. When on our line it was intended to be primarily 7 V's 7 shunting with the AB hooker hooking. At a guess that was the theory.
Ben
Guest
Three heads might be better than one. Link link up with Check and Bernie. Get the selections right. Get the kick off right. Get some structure in attack.
atlas
Guest
yes - last season Tameifuna was told that until he could consistently play full 80 minute matches he would not be considered for ABs. He didn't - and wasn't. End of story. Due to injury a sub could be called upon in the first minute - useless is he's only capable of 15 as 'impact'
jeznez
Roar Guru
I think he is behind each of the guys I mentioned at TH - he was a very good loosehead and is a much improved TH but I doubt he is the guy to fix any number 3 woes at the International level. If he was playing LH to the level he has for the last few years then I think he would be a viable alternative to Cowan but that would also mean that Slipper hadn't been getting the time at 1 which he has had.
Speedy G
Guest
How about the coach, any chance of massive changes there.
formeropenside
Guest
also, and its counter-intuitive since I learned rugby with 8 being the strongest backrower to hold the scrum together, but its often best it seems to put the real forwards at 6 and 7 to put max weight directly on the props. Then if you have an back packing in, put him at 8.
formeropenside
Guest
LHP wasnt the problem - actually, both props were OK in the scrum when Simmons was on. Maybe you'd add Benn Robbo to the bench ahead of Pek, but I dont think you'd suddenly start him over Slipper.
MrT
Guest
Or the 8 man scrum with the winger at 6...? Clearly, Fardy should have been better...
ben
Guest
Its the same reason ben tameifuna isnt picked. Huge man but cant last a game. Hansen said hes not fit hes not an ab. Same for skelton i reckon.
maxxlord
Roar Rookie
I know nothing about scrums, i defer to your knowledge on this one.
Worlds Biggest
Guest
Do Horwill and Robinson earn a recall after the debacle ? I'd like to see Jones given a run during the Championship along with Hodgson and maybe even Sam Wykes. Link must look at all options as that performance was a disgrace.
Worlds Biggest
Guest
Mike I couldn't believe that also, why on Gods earth did we only have 7 men in that scrum is beyond me ? Pack 8 men down and have one less out wide. Sure they may have scored regardless out wide, however the penalty try was demoralising and for me that was game over there and then.