The Wrap: Cheika under pressure, cool heads required

In this time of 24-hour news cycles and global social media storms, things that once took months to mull over now tend to be done and dusted so quickly that what was once considered indecent haste is now the norm.

Michael Cheika came to the Wallabies coaching role in a flurry, courtesy of Ewen McKenzie’s dramatic exit, using his early time to good effect, stamping his positive, assertive persona onto his team enjoying, if you like, a typical honeymoon period.

Runner-up at the 2015 Rugby World Cup was a just and worthy achievement, but rather than this being a springboard to greater success, it’s now – in the very short space of three matches – looking more like a high point.

Losing the Cook Cup to this excellent England side is certainly no disgrace and some of the initial reaction to mark down Cheika as not up to the task is simply an ill-conceived reflection of today’s instant thumbs up/thumbs down mentality.

However, there’s nothing like an at home 0-3 whitewash to get people asking hard questions and shining spotlights into dark places. And Cheika, based on what we’ve seen in this series, is beginning to fray a little at the edges.

A primary concern is that he appears to have little idea, after 19 matches at the helm, what his best side is. England coach Eddie Jones was prepared to tinker with his team, to try (and discard) players like Luther Burrell and Teimana Harrison, but the core of his side remained in place throughout. Which, over the course of this series, is as good a reason as any for the result.

Looking at the last four matches, all lost, including the Rugby World Cup final, Australia’s middle row provides illustration:

Rugby World Cup final – Douglas, Simmons, Mumm
England first Test – Simmons, Arnold, Horwill
England second Test – Arnold, Carter, Mumm
England third Test – Skelton, Simmons, Coleman

That’s an incredible eight players used in only four matches, with injury playing only a small part. Were there to be another Test next weekend, what odds would there be on another new combination being used?

Certainly it wouldn’t include Rob Simmons, who suffered a painful AC joint injury (he’ll need to act quickly to fix it, with only five days to go before PM Malcolm Turnbull apparently shuts down Medicare).

A similar story can be told about the midfield and, ever since Cheika took the plunge and played Michael Hooper and David Pocock together, then added Sean McMahon to the mix, there is an imbalance to the loose forward trio that has yet to be addressed.

McMahon by the way, was magnificent in Sydney. But that’s really the point – many players performing well individually, but no sense that a solid spine is being locked down, one which is capable of playing to a consistently high level, with sufficient self-discipline not to give away kickable penalties.

On the other hand, Cheika invites criticism through his loyalty to players like Nick Phipps, as honest a player to ever wear green and gold, but whose rocket-like dive pass into Israel Folau’s boot set off a chain of events which led to Jamie George’s 67th minute try – perhaps the crucial score of the Test.

I don’t believe for a second that replacement half Nick Frisby is the player who would have turned the match for the Wallabies, but it is perplexing that he wasn’t at least provided the opportunity.

In the box, Cheika appears to ride each play and each refereeing decision like a highly strung fan; straight out of the Heyneke Meyer school of body language and the Phil Kearns school of refereeing conspiracies against the Wallabies.

With so much focus on each call, many of them simply not worth the effort – Nigel Owens’ “play on” ruling on the ball hitting an overhead wire a prime example – it is hard to determine how rational, tactical decision making can be made in that environment, other than it becoming a breeding ground for a victim mentality.

It came as no surprise then, that the longer the game went, the more the Wallabies on-field decision-making and play became increasingly manic, as indeed it had throughout the series. Improved leadership, at all levels, remains an area of opportunity for this side.

Make no mistake, there is enough individual skill within this Wallabies side to trouble the All Blacks, and all is by no means lost for Cheika who, in ‘old school’ terms, is still only early into his tenure.

But first he must resolve his own conundrum. His stated goal is for his side to play up-tempo, flowing rugby free of handling and discipline errors. Yet surely it will be easier to achieve that by settling on a core starting XV, one which best suits his game plan and the opposition, and allowing them to develop familiarity and confidence.

To England then, and the spoils of victory. What a massive weekend for them, no longer must they pretend to be friendly to the French and Belgians, they won the world U20 championship 45-21 against Ireland, and Jimmy Page got to keep Stairway to Heaven all for himself!

The only potential downside was skipper Dylan Hartley seemingly interested in half the Cook Cup only – admittedly the interesting piece, the half you drink out of. One hopes that the base was suitably re-united with the top for the flight home.

Billy Vunipola had a special night out, tarnished only slightly by falling off Matt Toomua on the way to Folau’s try, but it was the competence and calmness of the inside backs, Ben Youngs, George Ford and Owen Farrell that once again stood out.

Notably, Farrell nailed 23 kicks from 26 for the series, an outstanding effort.

Hartley was reluctant afterwards to talk about setting sights on the All Blacks, but there can be no doubt that workaholic Jones will have that project underway the minute he settles into his seat for the flight home.

Remarkably there is no fixture in place, the calendar for November 2017 yet to be determined, but one imagines that the two unions will be looking to set Twickenham on fire as soon as possible.

One player who missed the World Cup final at Twickenham, but who has every chance of returning there next year, is Israel Dagg. On the strength of an excellent Super Rugby season and two Tests against Wales, he has somehow seen off everybody’s favourite fullback Ben Smith, and everybody’s favourite rising star Damian McKenzie in one fell swoop.

Coach Steve Hansen has a knack for picking players when they are hot, which Dagg certainly is right now, too much for the Welsh to handle in conditions perfect for running rugby in Dunedin.

The same could be said for his faith in Beauden Barrett, who has made enormous strides in this series from being considered a super-sub only, to perhaps even edging out Dagg for man of the match honours, off the back of crisp ball distribution and searing running.

None of which seemed to impress ex-Wallaby Dan Vickerman who, commenting later on Fox’s ‘Sportsnight’, said that New Zealand were still missing something at 10 post Dan Carter. He also indicated that New Zealand were vulnerable in the Rugby Championships to a Wallabies side prepared to come out and “smash them.”

Make of that what you will.

The post Conrad Smith era saw its third and then fourth centre for the series, George Moala impressing on the bust, but rather like Malakai Fekitoa, Seta Tamanivalu and Wasiake Nasholo in this series, lacking elite level finesse and decision making. Where Hansen goes from here will be very interesting.

Of the forward debutants, Liam Squire, off the bench, impressed most, although he may have been helped by Wales running on close to empty by that stage. Tactically also, they took a step backwards in this match, too often feeding the All Blacks’ counter-attack.

Wales did provide us with Liam Williams however – an outstanding player on attack and defence, surely a certainty to break into an England-dominated starting XV in next year’s touring Lions side.

After South Africa raised hopes with an assertive finish to last week’s second Test against Ireland, they reverted to disappointment this week, holding on for a thrilling 19-13 win in their final match in Port Elizabeth.

No disrespect to Ireland who, despite being outmuscled in the scrum, played with all of the spirit and endeavor one expects from them, but this match was always South Africa’s to win or lose.

And lose it they nearly did, because they offered almost nothing in attack – unable to retain possession for meaningful periods, and once again lacking cohesive interplay between backs and forwards.

And win it they did, because they tackled repeatedly, when it was needed, and because their little dynamo halfback Faf du Plessis got himself into the right position twice – for a leaping intercept and a spot tackle – both of which prevented a possible winning Irish try.

With due respect to U20 winners England, local interest centered on the playoff for fifth, between Australia and New Zealand, which provided a highly entertaining match, won 55-24 by the team in black.

In truth, the match was far closer than the score suggests, Australia having a dominant scrum, and Reds duo Lukhan Tui and Campbell Magnay impressing with strong ball running.

But – and stop me if you’ve heard this one before – it was the ability of the New Zealanders to turn half-chances and turnovers into breakouts, and their interplay, passing and offloading which killed the game off – replacement lock Isaia Walker-Leawere ripping a wide pass off the left hand, under pressure, for his flying winger to run onto and score, something truly special.

Anyone looking to query the bona-fides of the New Zealand team might start with lock Hamish Dalzell, cousin of the All Black Whitelocks, who didn’t look a day under thirty, with a receding hairline very closely resembling that of… Michael Cheika.

If the pressure of four straight losses and further tough times ahead are any impact on the rate of hair loss, then I’m backing Dalzell to keep what’s left of his for far longer than Cheika.