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What was Wallaby coach Michael Cheika thinking? Any momentum gained from the Wallabies’ wonderful victory in Sydney has been de-railed.
Anyone sweeping this loss aside and suggesting that this was the loss they needed before the World Cup next month should think again. This was not just a loss – it was a thumping.
The game was over even before the Quade Cooper sin-bin. The 13-6 half-time deficit may have seemed within reach. But a seven-point buffer at Eden Park heading into the last 40 minutes is like a margin of 14 in any other stadium. It is extremely difficult – and rare – for any team to come back from that.
The last time the All Blacks lost at Eden Park was in 1994. Trailing in the dying minutes France produced what has been dubbed ‘the try from the end of the Earth’ to pip the men in black.
That was never going to happen to Steve Hansen’s troops on Saturday.
Everyone – especially the Wallabies – knew and expected the All Blacks to be a different beast than the one seen in Sydney. A good team does not make the same mistakes twice in successive weeks.
The Wallabies were totally outclassed by an All Blacks team playing with the ruthless attitude that was missing the week earlier. They were too good.
From an Australian perspective, however, trying to identify what contributed most to the Eden Park thrashing will not be as straight forward as some would allege. Was it the benching of David Pocock, starting Will Skelton and Wycliff Palu, the halves pairing of Nic White and Quade Cooper or the fly-half’s yellow card?
In my opinion it was none of the above. The most contributing factor was Cheika’s stupid so-called mind games. He should be the one grilled for contributing the most to the loss.
After Sydney, commentators in Australia were quick to compare the 2015 Wallabies to their World Cup winning predecessors of 1991 and 1999 and hailed Cheika as one of the best coaches at playing mind games and that his master plan was falling into place nicely.
This, after just one win against the All Blacks?
Some of comments from respected rugby writers were: just when we thought the Wallabies had settled on a good starting team Cheika displayed a “brilliant” example of mind-games by naming a run-on 15 that was totally unexpected, and that the “Cheika way” was now coming to the fore.
The “Cheika way” was repeated time and time again. Mr Cheika, you have been reading your own press!
And, wait for it, in response to suggestions at a media conference that Cooper’s elevation to the starting 15 was a surprise since history had proved he couldn’t handle the hostile New Zealand crowd, especially at Eden Park, Cheika said he wasn’t aware of anything like that.
What a load of bollocks. Was he on a different planet during the last World Cup? If he was totally unaware then he obviously did not do his homework. Is that the Cheika way?
The All Blacks, in the mood with ruthless attitude that they were in at fortress Eden Park, would have ripped any team the Wallabies put up.
But Cheika has to stop his mindless games if he is to beat the All Blacks regularly. The Wallabies can’t let stars like Ma’a Nonu, Dan Coles, Kieran Read, Dan Carter and Conrad Smith run amok and expect to win. All Blacks captain Ritchie McCaw was superb.
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.