Rugby is a pretty simple game. But if a team that can’t pass, can’t catch, can’t tackle, and has a dysfunctional scrum plus lineout, then the team is stuffed.
More of the wash-up from Bledisloe 1
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» WATCH: All the highlights
And that’s exactly what the All Blacks did to the Wallabies at ANZ Stadium, last night, stuffing them to the tune of 42-8, their biggest win on Australian soil in 113 years.
And there was no Richie McCaw, Tony Woodcock, Dan Carter, Ma’a Nonu, or Conrad Smith, boasting 605 caps between them.
Mattered not. The All Blacks offered a master class right across the park with halfback Will Genia the only bright spot for the Wallabies which was no mean feat seeing he hadn’t played a game since January,
The script last was in three acts – the Wallabies led 3-0, the All Blacks rattled up 42 unanswered points, before the Wallabies’ sole try near time.
Basically one-way traffic – and all black.
To be fair, the Wallabies’ cause suffered severely with the early loss of Matt Giteau (ankle), Matt Toomua (concussion), and Rob Horne (shoulder) that created positional changes never envisaged.
But there was no excuse for the lack of basic skills.
Any footballer who pulls on a coveted gold jersey must surely have the basics under control, or how did he represent his country?
Wallaby coach Michael Cheika took full blame for the dreadful performance, which was very noble of him.
But Cheika didn’t drop passes, miss tackles, nor fail to feed the lineout properly.
The stats are an embarrassing reminder of the one-way traffic.
The Wallabies lost five of their lineout feeds, while the All Blacks won all their feeds, with a bonus tight head in their six tries to one romp that secured a bonus point.
So there was precious little joy for the gold-clad among the 65,238 crowd.
Next Saturday it’s Westpac Stadium in Wellington for the return Test. The burning question: can the Wallabies regroup after such a shellacking to keep the Bledisloe Cup campaign alive?
It will be a big ask. The Wallabies haven’t won on New Zealand soil for 15 years.
There is a big plus, however, in that the Wallabies can only improve on last night’s performance.
FrancisF
Roar Pro
Chejka's strategy and tactics for the Wallabies against the All Backs didn't work.,Perod, Failed miseably against the England team in the recent test. Despite tweaking the team, with players from overseas, moving around the players like musical chairs still failed. It looks like the bright spot sport for the Wallabies during the World Cup was a flash in the pan. ALLBLACKS and ENGLAND improved and played better after the World Cup, WAllabies went downwards. WHY? Wallabies game is predictable, and somehow Wallabies players are not showing individual flair. Wallabies have not master tevart of offloads as the All Blacks Eddie Jones drilled the English players on offloads when tackled. The backs have uninspiring runs, Larkham's game plan torn apart by Hansen and Eddie Jones.
John
Guest
I just think, like, wallabies need to get more points than the other team. Then they'll win
Chas
Guest
Aussie rugby has also spent thirteen or fourteen years ignoring blokes like you and blaming Richie instead of having a good look at themselves. Never thought I would ever not enjoy seeing Wallabies flogged but that was tragic. Hope Nathan Grey is right and they can turn it around at least to some extent in Wellington. Would only need blokes like Kepu to forget about the faux mongrel BS that he has carried on with from the RWC final and concentrate on core duties for Wallabies to show a marked improvement IMO.
Buk
Guest
' Rugby is a pretty simple game. But if a team that can’t pass, can’t catch, can’t tackle, and has a dysfunctional scrum plus lineout, then the team is stuffed. ' Unfortunately on the basis of what we saw on Saturday, this is one time I seem to agree with pretty much everything you say David. Hopefully the only way possible from that is up.
Bakkies
Guest
They ended up being terrible and playing for consolation places outside of the semis. I don't think Australia has made the semis since 2011 that should be ringing alarm bells inside the ARU.
Bakkies
Guest
Every other team apart from France and Ireland who had to play the Italians. Italy weren't far off beating Ireland, even though Italy were better off targeting the French game. The French didn't want to play for their coach and they had beaten France twice in recent years.
Brisneyland Local
Guest
Agreed Don. The kicking was appalling and has been for the last five matches. Foley is not getting better and is consistently making the same kicking errors over and over agan.
Bushranger
Guest
As already said, kicking was poor. There seems to be no one with a big kick like Roger Gould, for example, to clear from the 22. Except there is and its Folau. He has a big boot and should be used more for this purpose. Foley's clearing kicks, whether they went out or not barely got to half way, either putting NZ's runners on attack, or giving NZ attacking lineouts, in Australia's half.
Homer
Guest
Nope - they can't re-group in time. Here comes the shellac.
avsfan
Guest
Better than Smith???!!????? Really?????!!!!!!!??????? Holy Smoke.
Crackle
Guest
I saw the Aussie U20 team play the Saffas in the 2014 IRB Junior World Championship at Albany, and while they lost the match to much larger team, I remember thinking that they played with a lot of guts, commitment& skill and when they catch up physically, they will be great assets for the senior WB program. When watching the reconstituted crap dished up by the current regime, I often wonder what happened to those bright youngs lads of 2014 and their promising talent.
Chris Fotis
Guest
Concludes the Wallabies can only improve this week. Maybe in the basics, but the margin on the scoreboard will be greater in IMO. I thought 40+ difference for the last match, but was wrong. Hopefully, I'm wrong again. A 5/8 who can kick and think strategically is desperately needed, assuming Wallabies can do the basics. If not, it won't matter who is where. All Blacks by 40+ this week, their best is yet to come.
StevieB
Guest
All blacks just continue to next level
Chris Fotis
Guest
Can't kick - you forgot that one.
SDHoneymonster
Guest
Got walloped in the final Test in the 2014 series in NZ as well as in the game against Aus at the RWC in fairness, but in the main you're right - what was most frustrating about Lancaster's results is that we tended to get relatively close to the ABs and the Boks without ever truly feeling as if we were going to win the match (2012 aside). Reckon if Eddie had been in charge for the 2013 rematch for example or the loss v the Boks in 2014 England might have won those.
Timbo (L)
Guest
Yep, Morahan to 14
Timbo (L)
Guest
NRL? what about NRC. Perhaps if Chiek stops fishing in the backyard pond that only has players from Sydney club rugby and starts looking in the Force/Rebels/Reds ocean he might find some genuine talent to nurture.
Timbo (L)
Guest
I don't think McCalman was a bad choice, however Dropping Fardy was. The Pooper experiment is over, time to choose one Sophie.
Timbo (L)
Guest
The feeling I got Last night was that the Wallabies were bashed by giants, Every try had small or slow men unable to either get to a tackle or successfully make one. Ginea's last ditch attempt to put J. Savia into touch made little or no impact and I can't really fault Ginea for it. A big man moving at speed and he barely made a dent. . To compete against the Kiwi's I think the aussie backline needs to be beefed up and sped up.
Timbo (L)
Guest
I have never been a Cooper Fan, but I am not a foley fan either. There are others: Hodge, Jonno Lance or Debraczeni if you want size would be good to start investing in the future.