Wallabies fans will know what I mean. Going into that final five minutes on Saturday night, with the Wallabies clinging to a 20-18 lead, I could feel the heartrate lifting, and the nerves lifting with it.
My notes page has nothing after Damien McKenzie’s missed conversion in the 73rd minute until after full-time.
This is what I refer to as the ‘dead zone’ but you might know it as something else. Whatever you call it, it means the same; it’s that nervous period in a Bledisloe Cup match where Australians realise that there is a genuine hope of winning the match, but where all too often, those hopes are killed off by a final piece of All Blacks brilliance.
You only need to go back to Dunedin in August, but there’s been countless other examples in the recent history of trans-Tasman contests.
Just when it looks like the is hope, all hope is gone. Another victim of the dead zone.
But there was something different about the dead zone in this game.
For one thing, McKenzie missed a conversion that he’s kicked on plenty of occasions, in an obvious sign that New Zealand were still feeling the pressure forced upon them by the Wallabies all night.
And then Reece Hodge nailed his long-range penalty with two minutes to play, a kick that was always going to be long enough off the tee, but with the eternal question of accuracy from beyond halfway still hovering. As the ball sailed closer and closer to the posts, the sight of the assistant referees unmoved beside the uprights, arching backward with the ball on its descent toward the posts was very welcome.
Over breakfast on Sunday morning, I was informed that I made more noise in my office after Hodge’s kick than I did after Wayne Barnes blew time on the game. Fair enough; it was a big moment in a great Test Match.
(AAP Image/Dave Hunt)
What the Wallabies showed over those closing five or so minutes was indicative of the upward trajectory that can no longer be questioned. Wallabies teams of the recent past would’ve found a way of losing that match in Brisbane, but this one didn’t.
Hodge nailed the penalty. Lukhan Tui came forward and took the restart in front of his face like he was Tony Lockett in his prime. At the All Blacks’ final lineout, the Wallabies aimed up with Adam Coleman, Ned Hanigan and Tui in the back half covering the New Zealand jumpers, from which Kieran Read came forward before the ball went short and low to Ardie Savea. The jumpers were covered, so the All Blacks didn’t jump.
The Wallabies forwards used this to their advantage, immediately forcing the All Blacks’ maul sideways and forcing them to rescue the ball and play to the open side. The Wallabies fanned out in defence. And pressured the breakdown. For some reason, TJ Perenara stood off the last two rucks. Sam Cane found a carrier from the penultimate ruck, but knocked on at the last one.
The dead zone, so often a period where the Wallabies crumbled in the past, was now a high point in composure. It was as wonderful as the jubilation was immediate.
A few weeks ago, I wrote that a winning 2017 season is well within reach for this Wallabies group, but that it’s up to them entirely if they want to achieve it. On Saturday night’s performance, not only is it closer, but the desire to achieve it is very apparent.
How this desire is now cultivated, how this result and the confidence that deservedly comes with it is benchmarked, is all up to Michael Cheika.
He’s done incredibly well, along with his coaching group, to pull the Wallabies out of the mire that was halftime in Sydney back in August, and the June Tests before that. The side that played the first four Tests of 2017 bears resemblance only in the colour of the jersey and the names on the team sheet to what won in Brisbane.
It makes perfect sense the rest 13 of the starting side this weekend, and the Barbarians coaching trying to draw a reaction out of Cheika and the Wallabies only highlights the craziness of the scheduling of the game this Saturday.
(Photo by Hannah Peters/Getty Images)
What we need to see from Cheika over the remaining Tests in 2017 is further development of the team, of the confidence within, and the combinations that bring it all together.
While the front row, and backrow depth is there, we need to sort out the revolving door within the no.4 lock jersey. It doesn’t matter who the preferred partner for Coleman is, they just need to be identified and stuck with.
The pecking order at scrumhalf and back-three depth looks well established, but the same cannot be said of flyhalf. If Bernard Foley was hit by a truck tomorrow, who plays 10?
Whatever the answer is – Quade Cooper, Kurtley Beale, Duncan Paia’aua, whoever – they need to get serious game time at flyhalf on this tour. Foley remains the best option at 10 for the Wallabies, but the reason cannot remain ‘because there are no alternatives’.
There are certainly goal-kicking alternatives within the side now, however, and that needs to be explored, too. I can’t recall the last time Foley didn’t take a kick within his range, yet that’s exactly what happened in the 65th minute. If Foley’s kicking confidence is down, then now is the time to put more work into Hodge and others.
(AAP Image/Dave Hunt)
Israel Folau sitting out the tour makes good sense, particularly if this becomes the chance to play Karmichael Hunt in the front line, and with Kurtley Beale continuing his roving commission in the no.15 jersey. It feels like it’s been on the radar for some time, so let’s see if it’s as good as we all suspect it will be.
The Brisbane win was the Wallabies’ biggest TV audience in two years and there is clearly a lot of goodwill toward them again currently.
Cheika and the side have a lot of credits up their sleeve for the moment, but we don’t want to see those credits wasted in the northern hemisphere. The ground work for 2018 starts in Tokyo in a fortnight.
ThugbyFan
Guest
Exactly right Brett, (btw very nice article, a pleasure to read) I would totally agree with your halfback lineage. Everyone throws bad passes, even Aaron Smith or Will Genia. Will Genia has been in superb form this year but who can even forget in this June's Scotland match his pass to no-where which hit the ground and resulted in a Scottish try between the posts. Granted he was coming back from a long lay-off, but for a bloke of such class it was a shocker. Perhaps an U20 player will come through the ranks in the next year or so. Brett while on about U20 players and in light of the above blogs about Australia's dearth of quality 5/8s (and avoiding the BF v QC blue), I've seen Hamish Stewart play a few matches for Queensland Country this NRC and he looks a nice prospect. Can you see him as a prospective eventual reserve or replacement for Quade Cooper in the Reds setup ? This is assuming the Reds keep Duncan Paia'aua at IC.
ClarkeG
Guest
Jerry - his default is to normally refer to others as clowns. So at least you have avoided that...so far.
ClarkeG
Guest
Jerry's point is correct. Sometimes I get confused as to what direction the cuteness,ego, fragility, insecurity etc is coming from - probably from where the allegation is coming from. The blowout had to start somewhere and it started in the first 20 m.
ClarkeG
Guest
When the scrum is pushed through the 90 as you say then the referee is required to reset the scrum. Also the flanker is unable to detach from the scrum and pick up the ball from the scrum. And Dempsey was tackled so not sure how he should have scored
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
That could be completely true. But the fact still remains that 2013 and June 2016 were the only times he was even a squad member. Suddenly he's now ahead of players that he was behind in the past without playing for close to a year?
Bakkies
Guest
Piru on the topic of insufferable did you read Alan Winney's submission to the Senate Inquiry? Quality stuff there https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate/Community_Affairs/Futureofrugbyunion/Submissions
Charlie Turner
Guest
TWAS a symptom of his illness is extreme lethargy and exhaustion and probably dogged him for quite a while.
Marto
Guest
^ Robertson will never get to it..
Bill
Guest
Responding late but I would like the jersey to stay at least semi permanently. Maybe it could be used in the RC and in the WC only. Oh and of course when ever we play NZ.
Jigbon
Guest
Yep Beale is a crab and has never really proved himself at. No 10 at this level. Despite being great at schoolboy level. He is a no 12 all day. And a great player and has helped this team heaps this year as he now has the nous and the ear of his mates much more captain sensible this year.
AndyS
Guest
But, to be clear, I am still somewhat agnostic. I thought it was an interesting suggestion so early in the piece, was disconcerted at its accuracy, but accept (hope) it was probably pure coincidence. As noted though, I am also aware that it routinely comes up in other football codes when there is a benefit available to a poor outcome and could see the mechanics of it. It even comes up occasionally heading into finals once one team has already qualified, and the odd run chase certainly and openly gets fluffed.
AndyS
Guest
What was predetermined? They weren't chasing a specific score, because that probably would be impossible. Only a level of effort, with the suggestion being that the outcome in the second game didn't matter so long as it was close. Had chance intervened and NZ lost it, the third might have been a different game. But it didn't, so again the actual result in the third game didn't really matter. But sure, you are probably right. Every team always plays and has always played to its utmost ability, in every game, for the whole match even when the result is irrelevant (or a big win not to their benefit). No team has ever or could ever take the foot off the throttle and let an opponent back into a game; that would just be utterly impossible to co-ordinate. NZ was desperately lucky that the first game wasn't a little longer and the AB management must be sweating cobs... And all the sudden relief and re-ignition of interest it has created in this case was a totally unforeseeable but happy happenstance. Who would ever have thought the results, even the result from a dead and meaningless game, might keep the punters interested and paying.
Paulo
Roar Rookie
To get predetermined results like that, no one individual has that kind of ability. They would need to conspire to get it... hense a conspiracy is formed.
Paulo
Roar Rookie
Nonsense, nothing wrong with selective stats. Its not misleading or misrepresenting. For example, when I played, if you look at the last game I played and disregard the others as anomolies, I scored 2 tries in everygame. I make the assumption the other games were anomolies as I didnt score 2 tries in any of them. Oh also, if you only look at my last kick at goal, I was striking at 100%.
Richard
Guest
Great win by the wallabies, love the jersey, congratulations to the coaching staff and the team. Obviously we want to see more of this and the level of commitment and skill etc but i think coach Cheika, larkham and the senior players are on the right path so very happy to leave it to them to do what they think is best.
Taylorman
Guest
No its just a humility lacking Connor getting as much mileage from a rare win as he can. Suddenly hes the expert. Go figure.
Taylorman
Guest
Its one thing being able to break things down and analyse plays, especially if you have been in a paid position to do so, but its another predicting the outcome of future matches, team or individual performances and I think you'll find the experts are just as much at a certain level of guess work as many others. So their opinion on who will perform better than another is still widely open to conjecture as there are so many unknowns, as opposed to post match analysis, where everything is a known...the biggest difference being...it hasnt been played yet.
Taylorman
Guest
Yes the Foley Cooper non competition gets way too much traction. Coopers not going to get near a Wallaby selection this year so why harp on and on about it.
Taylorman
Guest
Yes Ive always thought Barretts a better fullback but Hansen has continued to start him at 10, a decision which I thought cost them a win in the Lions series, where Cruden should have started when Smith went out test one. Not just because Barrett is the best FB back up but because of Crudens starting value.
The Desert Nut
Roar Rookie
I disagree. No matter the meaning, wearing the jersey permanently would dull its attraction. I think having one week a year that recognises aboriginal culture is fine enough. Remember that familiarity can breed contempt. Moreover, whatever the 60,000 year history of aboriginals in Australia, rugby is an English game. There have only been 14 indigenous players to don a wallabies jersey for 100 years or so. To adopt the indigenous jersey full-time would be to represent one tiny minority at the expense of everyone else.