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Was that a watershed moment for the Wallabies?

26th August, 2017
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What next for Michael Cheika and the Wallabies? (Photo by Hannah Peters/Getty Images)
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26th August, 2017
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The Wallabies may not have beaten the All Blacks in Dunedin on Saturday night, but they went damn close.

Perhaps the most damning element of the loss in Sydney, apart from the general disorgansation defensively, was the apparent lack of effort displayed by the men in gold. In Dunedin there could be no accusations of lack of commitment to the cause.

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The Wallabies may have ultimately fallen short, but the performance was one of such grit and determination – with ball in hand and without – that the result almost felt insignificant in the end. Sure, it would have been wonderful from an Australian perspective to have won the game, but for so long all that Wallabies fans have asked for is for the players to play like it means everything – and they did just that.

Credit in glorious defeat aside, the match was decided by the basics – errant goal kicking from fly-half Bernard Foley, which has been a bugbear for fans for some time now – and the Wallabies’ inability to secure the ball from restarts, none more crucial than the penultimate restart after Kurtley Beale’s try to put the Wallabies in front. Secure that ball and the Wallabies surely win.

Kurtley Beale Australia Rugby Union Championship Wallabies Bledisloe Cup 2017

(Photo by Mark Nolan/Getty Images)

The harsh truth is that until the Wallabies find a decent goal kicker they cannot expect to beat the best teams. You simply cannot afford to leave nine points out on the park in missed kicks and get away with it. Some fans will point to the rotten luck of Foley hitting the upright on three separate occasions, but this is international rugby, and they were playing indoors. You won’t find more kicker-friendly conditions.

But cast aside the disappointment of the result, and Saturday night did feel like a watershed moment for Wallabies fans. Supporters of the national team have been crying out for something – anything! – to get behind. The match in Dunedin gave them plenty.

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The Wallabies were adamant that they would not be changing their defensive structure after the debacle in Sydney, however there were some obvious tweaks made to the set up.

Foley and Beale spent a lot more time defending in their ten and 12 channels and did so with great credit. It was that combination, Foley low and Beale high, which inflicted the best tackle of match, on Sonny Bill Williams which resulted in Beale stripping the ball in contact.

The additions of Dane Haylett-Petty and Tevita Kurindrani, who had a monster game in attack, to the backline gave the Wallabies a much tighter feel than the mix-n-match selections of Samu Kerevi and Curtis Rona the previous week.

There were still some scary moments defensively, with Nathan Grey’s tactic of employing screening defenders behind the main defensive line causing headaches for defenders not sure whether to slide and cover the overlap or push in and close the hole on their inside.

On several occasions the Wallabies’ master plan was picked apart by simple draw-and-pass attack from the All Blacks.

But this is the best team in the game, you’re unlikely to shut them down completely, the best outcome is to keep them as quiet as is reasonably possible, so Grey and the Wallabies must be handed credit for doing just that.

Michael Hooper Wallabies Australian Rugby Union Championship Bledisloe Cup 2017

(Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)

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In attack, the Wallabies appeared to finally practice what they preach – keeping the ball in hand. Sean McMahon and the aforementioned Kuridrani in particular ran the ball at the line with a ferocity which has been sorely missed for some time.

The simple desire to get over the gain line, the willingness to hit the ball at full speed and bend the defensive line makes players like McMahon so valued. The fact that he has been allowed to slip through the Super Rugby cracks and sign overseas is a huge blow for the Wallabies based on this performance. The phase play in the build up to Will Genia’s try, in which McMahon handled twice, was some of the best attacking rugby the Wallabies have played in years.

The Wallabies can take heart from the fact that all of this came in the absence of the inspirational Adam Coleman, and it should not be understated how well Michael Hooper handled referee Nigel Owens. Hooper had a relatively quiet game by his lofty standards, but the way in which he lead his team and managed to stay on the good side of the officials – something previous captain Stephen Moore seemed perennially unable to do – bodes well.

Special mention too for the Wallabies’ set piece. The lineout, lead by Rob Simmons, looked solid under the most extreme of examinations, while the scrum just about managed to hold its own once Moore had been replaced by Tatafu Polota-Nau. Moore must surely have started his last game for the Wallabies now.

The Wallabies were clearly exposed as being underdone in the first Bledisloe encounter a week ago but remained steadfast in their belief in their methods under tremendous pressure from the public.

Saturday’s performance will provide some vindication for Cheika and co, while also buying them some time to iron out the remaining kinks in the system ahead of the matches against South Africa and Argentina.

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