The Wallabies’ Bledisloe ambitions are shot. It’s over, and the Australian public must accept it.
The All Blacks delivered one of the best performances in the recent decade and thoroughly deserve the accolade.
But that doesn’t mean that the Wallabies’ 2014 season is over, and neither does it mean that the team itself is in shambles. The Rugby Championship title is still up for grabs and the Rugby World Cup is just around the corner. Now is the time to build momentum.
A lot has been said following the defeat to the All Blacks but I rather enjoyed fellow Roarer Phil Bird’s article in where he basically states that the Wallabies are not a lost cause after their disappointing result. I concur with this sentiment and as a South African I now throw in my two cents on the state of Wallaby rugby.
What I want to highlight first is that while no Wallaby fan can be satisfied with the hammering they received in Auckland, they must realise that this was just a classic case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Eden Park is by far the most feared venue in world rugby. No quarter is given, no mercy is granted and no belief is left intact.
And they faced an All Black team with a lot to prove.
After last year’s epic Test at Ellis Park, the All Blacks then faced England, France and Ireland in three close tests. After this they faced England in a three-Test series where the Poms pushed them hard in the first two games. The All Blacks won, but not in classic All Black fashion.
This led the rugby public to make statements like “The All Blacks aren’t that far ahead anymore, the gap is closing,” and the more popular, “The All Blacks can’t improve but we can.”
If the All Blacks were personified as Marvel’s Bruce Banner then the Hulk was certainly unleashed last weekend.
Statements like these are counter-productive to your cause. We know the All Blacks well enough to know that they take these types of sentiments as a challenge. And when the time comes, they release all this pent up frustration and obliterate the opponent. The Wallabies were the unfortunate punching bags.
Wrong place, wrong time.
Unfortunately this does not mean that we can beat around the bush. The All Blacks did play extremely well but they had help with a poor Wallaby performance.
The Wallabies were far too passive in the contact area. All Black runners crashed over the advantage line at will, their tackles stunned Wallaby momentum which often converted into turnovers.
But what also helped their fall was the lack of any real tactical kicking vision. In my very first article I highlighted the lack of a kicking game within the Wallaby setup. The Wallabies can match anyone in an open running game but sorely lack in the territory stakes. You cannot run everything from everywhere.
Team selections did not help either. After the match former Wallaby legend David Campese spoke of the lack of any combinations within the squad. He continued to say that a combination of Phipps, Foley, Beale, Ashley-Cooper and Folau in the backline would have done much better.
But then you should also take into account the players who were not available for selection. Genia, Cooper, Tomane, Cummins and Speight might have added a whole different dynamic to the Wallaby game.
Regardless, the point is that while the Bledisloe is lost, the Wallabies still have the opportunity to make 2014 a year to remember and to stake their claim for the World Cup next year.
So the aim is simple. Win all their remaining Rugby Championship games and hope that the Springboks can get one over The Darkness. On current form it might be easy to suggest that the Wallabies could very well defeat the Springboks twice and survive the Argentine onslaught both home and away.
Then they’ll have their Springbok jerseys on when the ‘Boks meet the All Blacks. Wouldn’t that be a first?
The normal, sane individual will tell you that there is no way that the Springboks could possibly defeat the All Blacks based on current form. But if the situation plays out the way I mentioned then it might not be so insane after all.
History shows us that the Springboks are at their most dangerous when they are at their weakest. They have never been whitewashed in a Tri Nations series. Despite horrible form, they tend to find a day of reckoning within themselves.
Should the Boks lose both games against the Wallabies and the first against the All Blacks, then you can expect them to unleash the beasts within like they always have.
Unlike Australia and New Zealand, the Springboks have 50 million harsh, critical fans waiting for them back home in a country that is racially divided with an ever growing rate of abandonment. Every year more and more Springbok fans abandon their team and enlist themselves in the All Black allegiance.
With their backs firmly against the walls you can expect the Springboks to be rampaging beasts in their last game against the old foe.
And then finally the Wallabies will have to make sure they conquer the north. It will be their last opportunity to face northern hemisphere teams in northern hemisphere conditions.
They must win all their games to ensure a psychological blow to the Six Nations giants. If they achieve this they will be feared in the World Cup.
Bouncing back from a loss like this can be hard, but it can also be easy when put into the right mindset. The worst thing the Wallabies, the management and the fans could do is mourn over their missed opportunity at winning the Bledisloe Cup.
As big a treasure as it is, there are two even bigger accolades looming over the golden horizon. Win the Rugby Championship, win the World Cup and no one will remember who holds the Bledisloe.
The Wallabies might not become the world’s premier side but they can become the second ranked team in the world and that speaks of improvement.
Like a certain Springbok mentor said upon his appointment, “We aren’t concerned with the number one ranking as of yet. We are currently fourth and we want to change that.
“The only way that can happen is if we aim to win every single game we play. Obsessing over winning the All Blacks solely won’t get you anywhere, you need to take it one game at a time. Winning becomes a habit and when you win constantly you’ll find yourself in first spot sooner or later.”
This is not the end of your season. The battle rages on and you have the chance to seize the moment should it present itself.
breeze
Guest
Can you come up with any more than this 'wrong place wrong time' or what excuses are left in the Wallabies supporting camp. All Blacks simply smash the Wallabies and it showed 12 long years plus All Blacks will always remain the bench mark in rugby we hold a winning record against or test rugby nations let me remind you Wallaby supporters were still underfeated 19 test and still counting. Wallabies are a good team but history tells you our winning record against the Wallabies is awesome plus in most recent years Wallabies have lost to Samoa,Tonga in the 70's Ireland and Scotland which All blacks have never lost to so Wallabies need to be humble in defeat I know I'm bragging on about the All Blacks but you can because when you remain the team to beat there's always bragging rights that come with it.
Crackle
Guest
Amand, ( just catching up with my reading) a good post, but one point really stood out for me; "Every year more and more Springbok fans abandon their team and enlist themselves in the All Black allegiance." Eh? Please explain. I assume as a 'second' team right? I live on Aucklands North Shore, which is alternatively known as Saffaville. When the Bokke is in town out come the green jerseys, 1000's of them. Some of them have been here a long time but the SB's are still #1 and AB's a team of convenience to support if the Boks aren't in the mix.
James in NZ
Guest
I have a similar hierarchical support system Abs-Boks-Wallas and so on. Pardon me I was being a bit cheeky in asking.
Old Bugger
Guest
Fair enough Armand. Yes the WBs need to put the last game behind them, get out there and shake the next tree they have to climb irrespective of what demons, if any, may still be lurking in the nether regions of one's own top 2". And, thats the same for their supporters - stay with 'em through thick and thin. As for my guys, the show aint over till the.....well you know what I mean and it doesn't get any easier either so the ABs will need to prepare and prepare bloody well if they harbour any thoughts of standing in the winners circle again. As for us AB supporters, while we will always strive for a win in each game, we must also acknowledge that the other side and their supporters have but one goal this year - to be victorious at least once, just as long as it happens this year and before next year with the RWC in the calendar. Its not to say I'm predicting a loss - rather its predicting that all opposing sides this year will have that little bit extra to strive for when the teams meet.
atlas
Guest
what Wallabies loss? Some have forgotten it already - David Lord! Credibility is restored! So - just erase your memory bank and focus on: "Stuart Appleby and Jason Day in finishing second to American Hunter Mahan’s 14-under at the Barclays, the first of four playoff tournaments for the FedExCup." Wallaby memory wiped out by Ricciardo and Campbell http://www.theroar.com.au/2014/08/26/wallaby-memory-wiped-ricciardo-campbell/ Having watched the Wallabies’ dismal 51-20 record loss to the All Blacks, Daniel Ricciardo, the Australian swim team, and the combination of Stuart Appleby and Jason Day restored Australia’s credibility on the international sporting stage.
Geoff Parkes
Expert
Cheers Armand. I think that realistically both things are true. The All Blacks are still good enough to continue to have days this year and next year where everything gels and whoever they play gets wiped off the park. And they are good enough to have off days and still win. But history also says that they can't continue to win at the rate they have been over the last 3 years. Ireland, England and Australia have all gone close in the last year. South Africa are always a chance against NZ no matter how badly they play elsewhere. So that day is coming.
Geoff Parkes
Expert
Hi Mike, the difference is that Finland doesn't have more registered adult rugby players than NZ or a proud history in the game or previous success - thus the expectations are entirely different.
AndyS
Guest
If the Finnish turned up thinking they were there to play Germany and it turned out to be the ABs, then WPWT would be fine. But if they knew who they were playing and still didn't bother committing to the breakdown and just kicked them the ball to run, then again no. It doesn't matter who you are playing, you show up for the contest to the best of your ability. It is perhaps lucky for the Wallabies that their supporters don't think they did. (As an aside, maybe lucky the Finns don't take Rugby seriously. They can be a scary bunch when they think it matters, and as it is I would want to be Russian and playing them...)
Nudgeee
Guest
Before the 'kiwi hate mail' starts Jake doesn't represent the general NZ view....just a troll whose lost his bridge....
Andrew C (waikato)
Guest
Big problem for the Wallabies is UP FRONT; most people in NZ & Sth Africa know that one MUST win the battle up front before throwing it around in the backs (even though the All Blacks defy logic in that regard :) ). The Springboks will have the wood on the Wallabies when they meet in the Rugby Championship , they'll be under pressure in the scrums, perhaps retain parity in the lineouts BUT it is the bloody good Bok rolling maul that will destroy the Aussies's psyche and dick them well & truly. How the All Blacks go against the Boks is a matter of conjecture...... and I for one would not be surprised to see home wins for BOTH :)
moaman
Guest
Couple of minor points Armand. NZ struggled to put England away in the first two games--granted.But you overlooked the display in Game 3. In a scenario very,very reminiscent of Saturday,England went into the Third Test all c**k-a-hoop and full of confidence.I still have the image of the faux-mo-ed prop Joe Marler describing the 'myth',debunking the 'aura' denying any vestige of superior skills after Game 1. http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2014/jun/10/joe-marler-england-pierce-all-blacks-aura Most of us have heard this mantra repeatedly over the years. So to the Third Test...http://www.superxv.com/video/new-zealand-vs-england-third-test-rugby-video-highlights/new-zealand-vs-england-third-test-rugby-video-highlights-video_f31775b8b.html Worth another quick look in light of what happened saturday.Eerily familiar. And yet--always surprising,occasionally astonishing,is how short are the memories! The Sydney draw was ONE match after the England obliteration--but suddenly the "gap had closed" the team was "past it" and all herald a new dawn! For this reason--I am not down-grading the menace that is the Springboks.They will still be a tough nut to crack.
Mike
Guest
Allanthus and AndyS, A question for you. If the Finnish rugby union team played the All Blacks and got wiped off the park, would it be a cop-out for them to say "wrong place, wrong time" (or even, "wrong epoch, wrong planet")? You can probably see where I am headed with this - some people have suggested that Australia simply isn't good enough to beat the All Blacks when they are playing well. Just hypothetically, if those people are correct, would it be a cop-out for Australia to accept that? [FWIW, I agree 100% with Andy that we didn't play at anything like our potential last Saturday, but I am interested in what you think re above]
AndyS
Guest
I'm with Allanthus, "wrong place, wrong time" is a cop-out. That implies no fault, and there was plenty. It was more a case of "bringing a knife to a gun-fight", although in truth it looked to be more bringing a banana.
Armand van Zyl
Roar Guru
Hey Allanthus, thanks for the comment. The wrong place, wrong time statement I confess I didn't express well in this article. Still got a long way to go. What I meant by that wasn't much about history of the Bledisloe but instead I meant that the Wallabies caught the All Blacks on a day where they were just fed up with global assumptions. For say six months now the entire rugby world have thrown around statements that the All Blacks will lose and that the rest of the world has caught up. I would imagine that the All Blacks do not like assumptions like those and went out to show the world they are still considerably stronger than the rest. I told my Dad during the England series that I suspect one of these days all that All Black frustration would be released and the team who is unfortunate enough to play them on that day would get a hiding. Looks like thay day had come. I'm just happy it wasn't against my team!
Armand van Zyl
Roar Guru
Well personally I don't think or want the Wallabies to win against the Boks Old Bugger, but it is a possibility. I hope my article didn't come through as a prediction. I don't predict that they'll beat the Boks, it's just what the Aussie fans should aim for. That is what this article's about. Putting myself in the Aussies' shoes they should beat us and the Pumas twice and then hope the Boks can get one over the Blacks. I just put myself in their perspective and set out the goals they must achieve to make 2014 a successful year.
Magic Sponge
Guest
its quite feasible we could lose 4 from 4 as the tight 5 are terrible at the moment but their will be a rainbow soon and 2015 should be sweet
Armand van Zyl
Roar Guru
Well they play my Springboks next so no. The week after they'll play Argentina right? Then I'll back them.
Jokerman
Guest
Wrong place wrong time - I liked that description
wazza perth nz ex pat
Guest
On recent performances Oz will be very lucky to beat Argentina who basically crushed the Boks scrum - and whose backs were quite spirited - and no chance against the Boks; once again due to forward domination by the Boks.
Ball'n'all
Guest
Habana is topshelf.