There is no greater wake-up call for any All Black team than being beaten by Australia. This particular wake-up call was very loud and definite.
It revealed what might either be a mid-year malaise or an alarming eclipse of the daylight between the two teams that we have grown accustomed to in recent times.
We probably won’t know the answer to that until next weekend, by which time a very angry Steve Hansen will have taken them to hell and back mentally and physically.
If the Wallabies can win in Auckland then they should be perfectly capable – in mind as well as body – of winning the World Cup.
History shows that every loss New Zealand suffers is rapidly turned into a reinvention exercise, and the loss in Sydney is certainly going to precipitate some reinvention. It brought with it some serious questions for coach Hansen, the biggest being the realisation that Sonny Bill Williams may not be the match winner so many expected him to be.
In Sydney, Williams was exposed as hesitant, bumbling, and when it came to option-taking, a worrying liability. Against a clever, all-smothering defence he looked lost well before injury mercifully removed him from the game. The English and the French will have watched that sluggish performance with a surge of delight, realising Williams isn’t the wunderkind they may have thought.
But the exposure of Sonny Bill wasn’t the only worry. The quality of the All Blacks’ close-in defence was appalling at times, with players tripping over each other in trying to plug holes being driven by Wallaby forwards around the fringes.
Admittedly the Australian pack were exceptional all over the park. I can’t remember the last time the Wallabies forwards fronted up so decisively at the set pieces. Far from wilting in the last quarter, they just kept getting better and it was galling as a New Zealander to almost see expressions of resignation on the faces of the All Blacks toward the end. This match marked a further deterioration in ball carrying and cleaning out from the Samoa and South Africa Tests.
The gamble taken by coach Michael Cheika to play both openside tearaways – Michael Hooper and David Pocock – may not have worked had it not been for the immense contribution made by the Wallaby tight five. On the night that ploy worked. The frustration of Richie McCaw, time after time, was palpable. McCaw actually played very well, but one thief against two became a lopsided contest.
Part of the problem here – and this is another of the great worries for New Zealand – is that the All Black tight forwards simply couldn’t hang on to the ball in the building up of phases, and a potentially weak Wallaby inside back combination was rarely under any pressure.
When they were they looked very vulnerable, and it was a major failure on the part of the New Zealand loosies, particularly Kieran Read who produced the worst performance I have ever seen from him, that let Nick Phipps and Bernard Foley off the hook time and again. Who knows what might have happened had Will Genia and Quade Cooper been there and given that much latitude.
The All Black backs are going to have to deal with mad rushing defences from here on right through the World Cup, and if their passing and option-taking doesn’t improve dramatically the team is going to have to rely on game breakers to get them through.
The trouble is many of their established game breakers are running on three cylinders. Julian Savea seems to have decided to be Mr Anonymous at the moment. The midfield looks short of real pace, something that the return of Ma’a Nonu won’t improve greatly.
Naturally, Steve Hansen says this is the right time to have a downer. But with so many key players currently on auto-pilot, New Zealanders will be hoping that Eden Park will weave its customary magic and bring the All Blacks to life.
It doesn’t pay to let Wallaby teams become too confident. We’ve seen in the past that leads to a tendency for them to win World Cups.
Darth Vadar
Guest
Whats new? One win and the Wallabies are already winning the RWC.
zhenry
Guest
There is one guy on this site who can be counted on to negate NZ and the ABs and that is PeterK, sometimes with subtlety sometimes blatantly. The above is with subtlety and extremely entrenched negative odour of NZ, his middle sentence assumes NZers cant take fair criticism....... "Just an over reaction if someone dares to say they are not as good as they were or that are slower than they used to be or someone outplayed them" Its this odour of things NZ that the conservative element in NZ have trusted to run the NZ media. Its no coincidence that some appalling talk back comment about the ABs, and there is only one sports radio station in NZ, emphasises that the NZ public should fear Australia (they have the record to prove it have they not). I've witnessed it time and time again for decades via Fairfax and the other Australian concern that owns that radio sports station; the coming world cup will only bring another deluge of it. No point the presenters may be NZers and claim absolute loyalty to NZ; all it takes is for the editor at the daily meetings to emphasis that fear is the password. You just don't get the Australian and British media dumping on their players like the Australian owned NZ media. NZers are so used to reading their activities via Australian eyes they have lost much value for their own icons, so even Laidlaw is pronouncing above that a rare loss and another will be the forerunner of the RWC being Wallaby: In other words a loss is the forerunner of doom Its just as well the OZ media don't do the same for the WBs; its always, we will beat them next time. I certainly don't have the same respect politically for the above author as I did for his AB halfback play. The radio commentary of the Sydney AB v WB game, by that radio station, included a protracted domestic conversation between the NZ commentator and the Australian editor (of that sports radio) doing the sideline commentary. It was clear the NZ commentator was being careful to humour his employer. Its very distracting if commentators don't focus their attention on the game, and veer off in long diversions. This NZ commentator knows rugby but his commentating lacks detail of what is happening on the field: Who has been awarded the penalty? Did that pass land at someone feet or hit his head? and so on. It would help the listeners if he also offers his own opinions of overall play, without internal office politics and with good sharing with his fellow commentators.
Muzzo
Guest
@ WQ Yeh mate the assistant ref's, or touchy's, in my opinion, as with yours, did allow the off side play to continue, from both sides. It does make you wonder, what the hell they were doing, especially,as it does change the way the game is played. So totally agree.
Muzzo
Guest
Great piece Chris, but then again what would I expect, from a KHS old boy. Agree with your thoughts on Williams, as he really hasn't set the world on fire, even from the start of super rugby this year, he was outplayed time & again, when he was on the field. I do think Hansen, should be looking at Moala or Ngatai, to replace him. As far as bring Cooper back into the fray at Eden Park, I don't really think that Cheika, would be likely to risk him, at this stage, but then again I'm not the selector. I expect the AB's to win this weekend at the old fortress, but in saying that, it will be no walk in the park.
Magnus
Guest
Well one day it will be true , that day has arrived .
Old Bugger
Guest
Alan You answered your own question regarding dominance - just how did you expect the backs to get the ball in all those last few minutes to win all those matches?? It was through a forward pack that had the wind in their sails, over the last 20mins of each match and, each opponent. You don't need to win the set-pieces, line-outs or the ruck zones to be a dominant force - tackling and constant movement of the ball will provide that. As you may well be aware, in most matches played these past 3 yrs, the ABs have never won the possession stats in those games - they've always come second but, they've gone on and jacked a win. And, it doesn't mean one iota, that they didn't dominate as a pack as long as they performed, all their core duties and not just those efforts, to win possession. So, before you go off disparaging about certain players within the team, please make sure you take your foot out of your mouth....it may just help you present an argument to substantiate, your comments.
Upfromdown
Guest
At least this was an ex-all black that wrote this. I think the ABs are a bit vulnerable, but only more so that their extraordinary high standards allow. It will be interesting to see how they react. I think this week will be about them winning and if the performance comes as well then that will be great. Australia on the other hand will want to win but will probably take a good performance as they seek consistency. Both teams have plenty to prove and improve on. The RWC is shaping up nicely though
Connor33
Guest
Fair point re the lead up and possible double movement. Hats off to him for the dexterity to promote the ball with three players on him.
Connor33
Guest
Honestly, which ones. If the Hooper hit on Savea constitutes a bombed try, we're talking on different planes. That was a 1:1 moment. Savea just got beaten by a better player. Much like how Nonu did the same in One of the Bled's last year before half time by tackling him to the sideline.
Connor33
Guest
Somer - that's not the best example when the abs were illegally bring down the maul. Advantage was being played. Any illegalities in that maul were being cancelled out. Play on. I mean at one point, McCaw had his hands wrapped around Moore's head, when his body was also available. That said, I'm sure there are other better examples of woulda, coulda. I won't deny that because they exist in every game on both sides.
stillmatic1
Guest
except the 2 in the first half with no wallaby in sight, connor33!!
Damien
Roar Guru
NB I agree with your sentiments. On the handling error for SBW if thats the pass that Retallick delivered in the replay it looked like Folau got a hand on it after it was passed. Does that still count as an error ?
WEST
Roar Guru
Yeah, kiwis post this rubbish.... http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/all-blacks/71006889/wallabies-fans-gloat-at-first-win-over-all-blacks-in-four-years-with-lolz-video Keep it coming, I say. Was a nice Wallaby scrum though.
WQ
Guest
Yeh fair enough, in general play the Numbers probably become irrelevant, and I see your point re Hoopers speed away from the set piece
WQ
Guest
Excellent post Not Bothered, you have forgotten one thing though, the truth is irrelevant on the Roar!
WQ
Guest
Magnus, you could be onto something. I think he needs to accept that he needs to adapt his game plan a little. The ball movement which is inclusive of both Forwards and Backs, needs to come after they have dominated the contact zone, i.e. Rucks, Mauls, Scrum He also has a few of his key guys not playing that well, Aaron Smith, Conrad Smith, Ben Smith, Brodie Retallic and Julian Savea. Interestingly a few of these guys were firing on all cylinders after the Super Rugby season. Hopefully they have been purposefully tapered off so as to build for the RWC.
douglas ryan
Guest
Thanx for the self explanatory post. I have reason to believe some people...the writer included, did not watch the game but read about it in the news articles. If not so then they probably dont understand the game to the extent that even when watching it, they wait for a neighbour to explain to them what is really going on. SBW didnt have a great game...neither did the team. Carter had a day off his mastery whilst on the pitch..that surely wasnt SBW's fault. Conrad, Aaron, Read, Sevea...all the big guns to name jus a few...were sleeping. The forwards pack was close to dormant. All that was not and is not SBW's fault. There was no team work. Simple. There surely is lack of critical analysis in this and other articles to what actually happened. Allblacks lost because they played bad. Australia won because they played good.
Worlds Biggest
Guest
West a lot of this negativity is coming from the NZ media, us Aussies are happy with the win but know the storm is coming.
Worlds Biggest
Guest
Birdy when actually was the last time the Wallabies went in as favourites against England ? It rarely happens these days so don't know what your banging on about here. If it was in 2007 RWC then it might have had something to do with England being poor in the Group stage. Anyway you can relax mate, the Wallas will get rolled at Eden Park and England will win the group, happy now !
The Slow Eater
Guest
You're spot on Rob. Imagine White misses the 48m penalty (highly likely given our kicking stocks) and then White foesnt quite find that hole to score the try. NZ win by 2. To your point it is only one game. A positive sign no doubt particularly in the forwards but it is only one game and Eden Park is a different story