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Australia have kept their Grand Slam hopes alive, securing a tense one-point win over Scotland this morning at Murrayfield.
The Wallabies will be relieved to get out of this match with a win but will be far from happy with their overall performance with a number of unforced errors while Scotland will be left to ponder another missed opportunity.
All the wash-up from Scotland vs Wallabies:
» Match report: Wallabies produce great escape
» What changes should the Wallabies make?
» Vote on our DIY player ratings
» Re-live all the action with our live blog
Here are my talking points from today’s match:
Wallaby lineout
It’s becoming a bit of a broken record from me, but it is still a problem area for the Wallabies to resolve. Little pressure is exerted on the opposition throw while the Wallaby ball is often disrupted and under pressure, if not lost. One particular loss inside their 22 with 15 to play could have proved very costly if it was not for some lazy running from Richie Gray, causing obstruction. With the Irish and English on the horizon, it has to be fixed as those sides are likely to not be so lenient.
Poor handling
Incredibly frustrating performance from the Wallabies with ball in hand, a number of opportunities squandered through poor handling or pushed passes. With a far more settled side with consistent selection in recent weeks and in the latter stages of the season, you would expect more accuracy and cohesion within the side but it is an area that is letting them down at present.
Wallaby kicking
In the face of a well-organised Scottish defence, it was surprising to not see more attacking kicks from Bernard Foley this week. The short kicking game from him last week was a highlight against the Welsh yet was absent from the arsenal this evening. In fairness to him, his place kicking was a clear point of difference, securing all five of his attempts, including three penalties which were vital in context after the Wallabies were outscored by three tries to two.
Wallaby bench
Yes, this again. After the early injury to Adam Coleman, I thought the Wallabies lost a lot of aggression up front, the collision area a cause for concern so it was a surprise to me to not see the majority of the bench used until the last twenty minutes. Considering the 6/2 split, I cannot help but feel Michael Cheika is missing a trick here and is perhaps too rigid in his application of his reserves or ‘finishers’.
Composure
While highlighting a few concerns around the Wallabies from this match, it should also be noted that the composure shown by the Wallabies in the last 10 minutes was outstanding. Reduced to 14 men after Will Skelton’s ill-discipline and still six points behind, the men in gold still managed to put themselves ahead thanks to a wonderful piece of individual brilliance from Tevita Kuridrani, beating several before stretching out to dot down by the posts then a fantastic period of defence and discipline, withstanding 19 phases from the Scots to close out the match and the victory. Ok, they didn’t help themselves conceding a freekick at the scrum on their own ball moments before, but it was still an excellent effort against the odds.
These are my talking points from this encounter, what are your thoughts Roarers?
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.