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Too many times in recent years successive Wallabies sides have talked a good pre-game but failed to deliver on the field. And like ‘Groundhog Week’, all the right positive messages were once again rolled out about how this Wallabies side had the ability and self-belief to beat the All Blacks.
Talk which was lapped up as gospel by green and gold hopers and believers, and dismissed as illogical by others, this writer included, having previously seen too many false dawns.
So what was different this time? Four-year droughts don’t happen without good reason, and they aren’t broken on a whim or accident either.
In simple terms, and nothing is ever as simple as it seems, the All Blacks were never able to play this game on their terms, partly through their own ineptitude, and partly because of a tenacious Wallabies defensive effort.
While all the decisive scoreboard action came in the second half, this match was won and lost in the first half – forty minutes of rugby which for a good part, was uglier than the horrible away strip Hawthorn was wearing across the country in Perth.
Both sides’ attack sputtered and stuttered like a Ferrari running on dirty ethanol. The Wallabies too often crabbed across field at three-quarter pace, victims of their own poorly directed passing.
And when the All Blacks game is off, it manifests itself via midfield handling errors under pressure and bumbling behind the advantage line.
Courtesy of a superior kicking game and a favourable early penalty count, the All Blacks had the better of the half, but weren’t able to retain possession and sustain pressure for long enough periods to make it count.
Nehe Milner-Skudder started with the spark everyone anticipated, but after being denied a try via a superb covering tackle by Matt Giteau, wasn’t sighted again for the rest of the half, the All Blacks seemingly impotent to send it his way, in the face of the Wallabies rushed defence, or gun-shy in the face of David Pocock’s breakdown mastery.
Tactically, the All Blacks had been expected to either play a direct, confrontational forward game, to mitigate the threat from the Wallabies loose forwards, or else stick to the high tempo ball movement which has served them so well in the Hansen era.
In the end they fell uncomfortably between the two, mastering neither. There were half breaks and possibilities but, crucially, not enough points, leaving the Wallabies well in the contest at halftime.
For their part, the Wallabies were good enough to take their opportunities when they eventually presented themselves. Luke Romano and Casey Laulala would no doubt like another chance at making the tackles they missed on Scott Sio and Nic White respectively, but both tries came after multiple phases and good ball retention which stretched the All Black’s defensive line.
After some unhappy times last year, Nic White’s redemption was as decisive as it was unexpected. His snappy, accurate passing and dead-eye goal-kicking came just at the right time to swing the outcome to the Wallabies.
His entry into the match came not a second too late, for Nic Phipps, who had enjoyed excellent games against South Africa and Argentina, reverted to his wayward worst, spraying passes to all corners of Homebush.
To be fair to Phipps, he wasn’t helped by having to locate Bernard Foley amongst a mass of gold jerseys loitering as potential first receivers. On one occasion Giteau actually ran with the line of Phipps’ pass, seemingly unaware that he was, not unreasonably, the target.
If two of the Wallabies tries were a little soft, at least by the All Black’s standards, the middle score was impressively finished by winger Adam Ashley-Cooper. Sure, he got a dream bounce, but his instinct to immediately adjust his running line away from touch, and to ride the bump at the corner from Ben Smith, was pure class.
The Wallabies scrum was not as dominant as Fox commentator Phil Kearns may have wanted viewers to believe, but it was certainly beyond solid. And if more time is needed to assess the impact of playing Pocock and Michael Hooper together, on the evidence of this match at least, the cohesion of the pack didn’t suffer at all. Second rowers James Horwill and Dean Mumm both enjoyed strong games.
Post match, all the talk was about self-belief. Something usually associated with the All Blacks, but which now the Wallabies seemingly have in spades.
Something which they’ll need all of and more, next week in Auckland, if they are to repeat the dose. Michael Cheika, delighted that his team’s confidence has come together so quickly, can now focus training on the technical and tactical improvements still on the table.
He might also have a word in his captain’s ear. Stephen Moore might rightfully claim that Sean Fitzpatrick started it, but the sight and sound of him challenging every second call quickly grew tiresome. Not every future referee will be as kind and accommodating as Wayne Barnes in declining his assistance.
Cheika’s selection for Auckland will be very interesting. Does he now go “all in” with a similar side to try to reclaim the Bledisloe Cup, or does he find game time for needy players, Wycliff Palu for one?
Meanwhile, if Springbok self-belief was wavering after close losses to Australia and New Zealand, it evaporated in Durban with an historic first loss to Argentina, 37-25.
On exposed form, anyone who tipped this result is either a certified lunatic or a bald faced liar. Full credit though to the Pumas who were well rewarded for a new found willingness to create play.
Winger Juan Imhoff enjoyed a day out he will never forget – three tries against the now world number three side. His walk-in final try certainly raised South African eyebrows, but regardless of how many trainers were still on the field, referee Romain Poite clearly signaled time back on, and the Boks should have been ready for a quick tap and run.
As for skipper Jean de Villiers’ claim that he had his team in close to talk to them as directed by the referee, well… that would be a first for world rugby.
In fact, any excuses for the Springboks are mere denial – they simply never got into the match. Fly-half Handrie Pollard’s skill errors and inability to influence the pattern of play helped kill any momentum his team may have had. He is a great talent and will enjoy many better days, but for now he will have to hope that he hasn’t lost the trust of Heyneke Meyer so close to the World Cup.
The wheel of fortune turns very quickly and so, for a few days at least, Danial Hourcade and Michael Cheika can believe that they have unlocked the secret to beating the worlds’ best. Not just once, but that they can do it again.
That confidence will take the Wallabies, in particular, a long way to repeating their performance in Auckland. But even if the All Black’s own self-belief is now wavering just a little, the fear of losing the Bledisloe Cup, in Richie McCaw’s last Test in New Zealand, will be a most powerful driver.