Make no mistake, All Blacks coach Steve Hansen and his coaching staff will be feeling nervous about playing the Wallabies in the Rugby World Cup final at Twickenham this weekend. Very nervous indeed.
Sure, they’ve had the wood on the Wallabies for what feels like an eternity, but this Wallabies team is different. If you listen to their post-match press conferences, to a man they speak the same language, never big-noting themselves, always respectful of the opposition.
They repeatedly thank their supporters at the ground and genuinely want to make the Aussie fans back home proud. This World Cup campaign has been fabulous stuff by the Wallabies, both on and off the field.
I also get the feeling that anyone connected with the Wallabies will not be satisfied with reaching the final of the 2015 World Cup. There’s a certain piece of silverware to hold aloft.
The blinding aura of invisibility of the All Blacks is gone, certainly as far as the Wallabies go.
While the All Blacks are deservedly the number one ranked team in the world based on a phenomenal win-loss record over all and sundry, they can be beaten. The second-ranked Wallabies will have gained enormous self-belief by beating the All Blacks in Sydney in August.
A full-strength Wallabies outfit put in an All Blacks-type performance on New Zealand, making them look downright clueless at times, which I’ve rarely witnessed in an All Blacks side.
The Wallabies’ 27-19 victory was no fluke. It was a controlled, aggressive and tactically astute performance that sent warning signs across the Tasman to all those fanatical All Blacks supporters. From that point on All Blacks fans knew it was game on for the ultimate prize, the Rugby World Cup.
For the return match at Eden Park a week later, Michael Cheika did something that a lot of people thought very strange at the time. He made six changes, which included replacing David Pocock with Wyclif Palu at No.8, Quade Cooper came in for Bernard Foley at fly-half, Will Skelton moved into the starting line-up and Nic White was half-back (poor Nic White didn’t even make the squad for the World Cup).
Cheika’s thinking was brilliant! By resting key players, and experimenting with fringe players, Cheika and the Wallabies made a statement; their eyes were firmly elsewhere, and the Bledisloe Cup could wait.
It didn’t matter that the All Blacks came out and smashed the Wallabies at Eden Park, and won in a canter, 41–13. Big deal. There was no psychological damage done in losing to the All Blacks by experimenting with fringe players who would benefit enormously from the experience.
I’m not suggesting Cheika deliberately went out to lose but winning wasn’t his priority. The experimentation of players and combinations prevented the All Blacks from squaring the ledger in the manner they would have liked. More importantly it prevented New Zealand from having another 80 minutes to learn how to counteract a full-strength Wallabies team before the World Cup.
Cheika knew exactly what he was doing. Every game the Wallabies have played under Cheika, every player selection, is aimed at taking home ‘Bill’ this weekend.
Fred Nerk
Guest
Andy, the irony is not lost on most Aussie supporters. NZers on this site tear strips off the wallabies. Kiwis have a home grown site STUFF.com.nz? As an Aussie, i stumbled on it for the same reasons you mentioned. I wanted to understand why kiwis think the wallabies can never win a game. NZers rant about the Wallabies being incompetent and useless, fair enough . But the pressure is on the ABs to prove 4 million countrymen are right by winning tomorrow.. The soothsayer expect the ABs will win by 5, 15, or 50 points. This is Australia only advantage going into the game.
normz11oo
Guest
yes you are correct ,this wallabies side do not go around big noting themselves they leave it to their media and fans to do that for them,on numerous occasions in this forum i have read about the arrogant thin skinned kiwi rugby supporter,well let me tell you something,you aussies are the most arrogant ,ignorant bunch of ill informed blowhards in the southern hemisphere,talk is cheap maties,every time your team has a win against the ABs,proclamations of greatness and "the corner being turned" are trumpeted by both your media and the rest of you sorry lot,but every time that happens i repeat ,every time that happens,the very next game the ABs open a can of whoop ass on the wallabies,the ABs have the wood on the wallabies and will probably use it to give them another spanking,oh and by the way the silver ferns just gave the diamonds a good old fashioned whopping,enjoy your humble pie aussies.
zhenry
Guest
I rightly fear (disgusted would be closer) any propaganda (broadcast) organisation that has power and money to serve the interests of the few. As far as the foreigner owned NZ media is concerned its overseas interests that are subtilely and not so subtilely promoted. Goes for rugby, politics, economics everything. If I may be political: The corporate media are endemically corrupt, they constantly broadcast profit at any cost, they are inaccurate incomplete and often contrived. It's what the corporate advertisers want you to hear. Conservative politics is considered better for profits, Greens and Labor have better economic polices for the majority, but are constantly undermined as economic disasters. The conservatives practice corporate economics (not standard economics) and that is a disaster for the majority.
Septic Blatter
Guest
'The blinding aura of invisibility of the All Blacks is gone, certainly as far as the Wallabies go'. Don't you mean invincibility? In which case another beating from the AB's will no doubt leave the Wannabes in the rugby doldrums for a few more years. In truth I think the WB's were fortunate to get to the final. Scotland pushed them very close and Argentina, once they settled in to the game found easy metres through the WB's defence. Australia tired badly against Argentina and if they make a similar amount of unforced errors against the AB's they will definitely lose. I don't buy the argument that Australia has had to play x number of games in a shorter time. The tournament started and finishes at the same time for all teams, everyone has had the same amount of recovery time. A wise man once said to me 'a team is only as good as it's reserves' and this is one of the crucial differences in this game. Final point, the AB's have far greater player depth and I suspect a higher level of fitness. Draw your own conclusions.
hopalong
Guest
No.He has more pressing matters to attend to.
taylorman
Roar Guru
NZ side named, no surprises... ALL BLACKS: Ben Smith, Nehe Milner-Skudder, Conrad Smith, Ma'a Nonu, Julian Savea, Dan Carter, Aaron Smith, Kieran Read, Richie McCaw (c), Jerome Kaino, Sam Whitelock, Brodie Retallick, Owen Franks, Dane Coles, Joe Moody. Reserves: Keven Mealamu, Ben Franks, Charlie Faumuina, Victor Vito, Sam Cane, Tawera Kerr-Barlow, Beauden Barrett, Sonny Bill Williams
Warwick Todd
Guest
Ironing........are you board Jerry?
Go_Wallabies
Guest
Or.....what?
TC123
Roar Rookie
Are the Tall Blacks playing?
TC123
Roar Rookie
Third behind Japan
Council
Guest
The result I can handle. Its the ribbing from people who can't even name five Wallabies that will make curse whoever misses that tackle!
TC123
Roar Rookie
You're right. Not one Australian with confidence anywhere to be seen. But we didn't mind losing the cricket SP. After all we were huge underdogs who had no chance going into the World Cup who exceeded the whole nations expectations and losing in the final was just as rewarding against the best team in the world. We were just proud of the guys for making it that far. Sound familiar?
Rugby Tragic
Guest
Mate I was at the 1999 match at Twickers! ... I was so upset with Taine Randell that day... each time the French scored in the second half, he was standing behind the post, hands on hips rather than geeing up his troops....
PB
Guest
I'm not sure hiding the Wallabies from the full force of the game of Eden Park was a brilliant move. Foley has no idea what it is like to be under the kosh from the ABs. But w/e. GL to all.
Shrink
Guest
The Wayne Smith influence being the obvious difference come Saturday
Paul from Melbourne
Guest
By the way this phoney war is going on. It is 2011 all over again.
taylorman
Roar Guru
Yes all the signs are they're so grounded they'll have to unbolt them. I think the margins from last week will assist them as well. The impression is Aus were more impressive and that's caused a media/ social media confidence. And yes that's a good thing for them. Anything that suggests their backs are against the wall, like Sydney the last two years, is good for them.
gatesy
Roar Guru
55 - 45, in our favour, if Folau is fully fit. May still revise it down, yet.
sheek
Roar Guru
I would suggest the fact that the ABs are very nervous about the Wallabies is actually very, very good..... for them! No chance then of the Wallabies sneaking up on them & taking them unprepared or by surprise. There are plenty of signs the ABs are taking the Wallas' threat very, very seriously. And I wouldn't consider that to be an advantage to Australia, not one bit.
Mals
Guest
I am not referring to the ABs this is about the Wallabies. Their record at Eden Park is terrible. Hence why I mentioned the neutral territory of Twickenham and the fact that the Wallabies would be very familiar now with the ground.