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If you happened to be out last night and arrived home in time to hear Gus Gould lambasting the Australian performance, you might have thought it they had lost the game and been flogged by 50.
Don’t get me wrong Australia weren’t great last night and the undermanned Kiwis fought bravely. But Gus was going on like it was the end of the world and the Aussie team was too old and couldn’t play.
Here’s why Gus was wrong.
1. It was a mid-season Test
There hasn’t been a high quality mid-season Test in my lifetime. The players have four days together and probably two training sessions. There is no time for combinations to be developed or to work on anything of quality.
It’s always been this way and Gus Gould judging Australia’s 2017 World Cup hopes on this match is crazy. I think we should do away with this Test and focus end of season tours and tournaments.
2. The Kiwi defence was actually really good
The Kiwis knew they weren’t going to be able to score a lot of points (they didn’t get any) so they prepared themselves well defensively. Australia actually made seven line breaks so their attack was not as bad as Gus suggests.
Normally in a club game that means 30+ points but to their credit the Kiwis held on and scrambled well. Jordan Kahu in particular at fullback pulled off a few great tackles and try saves and his tackle on Semi Radradra who looked for all money like scoring was outstanding.
3. Josh Dugan stifled the attack
Dugan was way out of his depth at centre for Australia and I would imagine Laurie Daley would be having second thoughts about picking him there for NSW. Australia looked smooth in attack down the left with Johnathan Thurston, Michael Morgan, Greg Inglis and Semi Radradra and looked really good on the right when Darius Boyd linked with Blake Ferguson and Dugan stayed out of the way. Most of our clunky attack was either when Dugan got involved or Gallen (who had a great game in the middle) ventured out wide and got in the way.
4. Age had nothing to do with the performance.
Australia had seven players 30 or over: Thurston, Cooper Cronk, Cam Smith, Gallen, Matt Scott, Corey Parker and Sam Thaiday. Of those players I think only Thaiday probably didn’t deserve his spot. Thurston and Smith are future immortals and Gallen, Scott and Parker all played very well.
The only downside for Gallen was getting in the way on attacking sets. Scott was great and Parker did well in limited game time.
As far as the World Cup goes Gallen will be gone by then, Thaiday may have just played his last Test and Parker while in career best form will be 35 and possibly touch and go. I see no reason why Scott shouldn’t be there, he is only 30 and still one of the top couple of props in the game.
Smith and Thurston will be there so the only other question mark is Cronk. He is a wonderful player, but I just wonder if by then one (if not all) of Milford, Morgan and Hunt will be ahead of him.
So really only a maximum of four, but possibly only two players over 30 in this side who won’t be there at the end of 2017. Hardly the clean-out Gus was referring to.
5. We had four great debuts
Gus is going on about an ageing side that hasn’t changed in a long time. Firstly, we had four players making their debut and they all played well. Ferguson was really impressive and Radradra was good too. And Josh McGuire and Michael Morgan off the bench were outstanding.
Further to that of the 17 players that took the field for last year’s Test loss to New Zealand only nine kept their spots. Aaron Woods and Will Chambers would have probably played if not injured, but three older players (Greg Bird, Luke Lewis, Nate Myles) have probably all played their last Test.
Overall I’m of the view that it was a solid performance on a limited preparation and the only player who played himself out of a future rep jersey was Josh Dugan.
I think maybe Channel Nine should be looking at a certain ageing member of their commentary team from out Penrith way and maybe be looking to tap him on the shoulder.
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