Ok so yes it’s disappointing that the Wallabies lost in Melbourne, but admit it – you’re quite excited that the series is heading to a do or die climax next week.
But what do the Aussies need to learn from Game 2 to set them up for success in this thrilling series?
Wallabies! Behave yourselves!
In the first Test, the Wallabies conceded 11 penalties and helped to shut down one of Ireland’s key scoring weapons in the penalty goal. In Melbourne, they gave away 15 penalties and Jonathan Sexton racked up 12 points from them.
These games are so tight and the Wallabies cannot afford to gift the Irish so many, relatively easy points. Yes, Marika Koroibete’s yellow card was an issue and put the Wallabies under pressure in the key early stages, but the general level of discipline and control was not as sharp this week and it needs to improve.
Where was the aggression?
Game One saw a Wallabies defence that was quick and aggressive from minute 1 to 80. The intensity that they brought caught the Irish off guard and they were not able to cope.
Sadly, that controlled aggression wasn’t there in game two and it had two major impacts. Firstly, the Irish were able to play their possession game and control large periods of the game at a pace that they wanted to and secondly, it made it a lot harder for David Pocock to work his magic at the breakdowns.
Last week the Irish turned over the ball 21 times – this week that was down to just nine times. If the Aussies want to win the decider they have to get the intensity back in their defence.
Peter O’Mahony v Pooper is a great contest
Pooper was on great form in Game 1 and while neither of them had bad games in Melbourne, the Irish definitely found a way to stop them having such an impact. Peter O’Mahony especially was impressive in the Irish win and he masterminded the Irish efforts to take back control at the breakdown.
The Irish got their clearout working so much better and gave the Wallabies much fewer opportunity to disrupt their possession.
The Wallabies are going to need to find a way to counter the way that the Irish have found to counter Pooper.
It’s there but needs more consistency
When Kurtley Beale went through in the opening minutes with such a beautiful line it really looked like the Aussies were in fine form and could rip the Irish to pieces. However, after that fast start, the key players like Bernard Foley and Beale struggled to get their rhythm going.
(Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)
It didn’t help that Will Genia was lost so early, but if the Wallabies want to be a serious threat (and they definitely can be), then they need to find ways to win when key players are lost or are having an off night. At the moment there’s just too much reliance upon too few players.
The Wallabies must get Folau involved even when the opposition don’t kick to him
This is sort of connected to the previous point – the Wallabies need to find a way to get Israel Folau into the game even when the opposition don’t kick to him. In the first Test the Irish, bizarrely, kicked to Folau and he thrived.
In Melbourne last night though, the Irish had clearly rethought this approach and they kept Folau quiet for a lot of the game – he only managed 54 runs from his seven runs. He is such a weapon that, of course, it makes good sense to keep the ball away from him.
But the Wallabies should be able to utilise their own weapon themselves and that just didn’t happen in this match.
Front five getting better
Yes, the Irish pack dominated in this match but the Wallabies are getting some real muscle and power in their front five that could turn them into a real dominating force. For too long the Wallabies set-piece has been, at best, average and regularly opposition teams have been able to target the Aussie pack in the loose and/or the set piece.
But in Melbourne they won all their scrums, only lost one line out and earned their side a penalty try and sent one of the Irish to the sin bin. With Adam Coleman taking on a real enforcer role and players like Taniela Tupou showing he could be world class, there’s a lot to be excited about when looking at the Aussie front five.
Phipps played well but Murray will be licking his lips
The loss of Will Genia with a broken arm is obviously a big loss to the Aussies and while Nick Phipps did a pretty good job of stepping in to this match, he is definitely no Genia and many would argue that Connor Murray is better again than Genia.
The Irish #9 had a good game and his talent with both boot and hands is going to be crucial in the deciding match. Phipps just doesn’t have the same quality or range of skills as Murray and if he cannot deliver good ball to Foley or keep his forwards moving forward then the whole Wallabies machine starts to stumble.
Dublin Dave
Guest
God Bless your memory Michael. I remember watching the 1979 tests too but haven't seen any of them since. There is a mystery surrounding the TV recordings of same. Do they exist? I have never come across any footage of those matches online. They would presumably have been taped by the Aussie TV broadcasters at the time but where are they now? Were they consigned to the dustbin to cover up the ignominy of a home series defeat to the Irish? I remember receiving a Christmas present a few years ago from my kids of a double DVD set of "Ireland's Greatest Rugby Victories in the TV Era" (Yes, smart-alecs, There are enough for a double disc collection!!) but there is no mention or sight of either of those two matches, which, given that they were Ireland's first and indeed to-date only series win in one of the three traditional SH strongholds of rugby, should surely qualify as among the greatest Irish victories ever. I have hunted in vain on You tube and other sites for a glimmer of these matches but found nothing. Does anybody in the Australian broadcaster's offices have a copy? I think we should be told. And shown :)
taylorman
Roar Guru
It wouldnt be far off it. Which irish team over five years has had better success and wins than this one? Very few Id say. Very few.
taylorman
Roar Guru
Dont think depth is a one man coaching thing. Its much more about grass roots, recycling of players through the clubs as others retire, go overseas or go international. Often it has nothing to do with the national setup. Ireland have? Four or five major clubs? Several overseas players helping hold each up? That alone suggests a lack of depth. Ie that the immediate top tier below still needs to spend baluable resources buying players off the shelf, and looking for the odd residence based international. Thats not real depth.
Kirky
Roar Rookie
T/man! I feel sure that as long as Joe Schmidt is with Ireland that won't happen, but the rumours are all about him heading home to New Zealand, so who knows! England has always been like this though, they have a bit of a run then crap themselves, they are as you'd know well, a very brittle side who, when they going well they'll everyone how good they are, they Telegraph it to the World much like other teams we know of!
Kirky
Roar Rookie
SP ~ You must know something mate, the Irish have a culture of rugby, Aussie' don't ~ you are right with the mention of "this Wallabies are one of the weaker sides of recent years", I agree mate it is a very weak side and I'd imagine the Paddy's didn't really hit their straps last game, next Saturday they will be a far better team and all over the game! And your "Wallabies have a lot of improvement in them, Ireland don't'', ~ you're a tad mixed up there cobber as The Irish have a similar set up to the New Zealand arrangement with players coming through all the time and there is some fine young players just busting for a game, ~ They will improve alright although they don't have many worries at the moment as they are Number two in the World Rankings.also and with a top Coach in Joe Schmidt they're going to only get better! The Wallabies on the other hand have very few players coming through and the ones they have at the moment aren't even in the same class really and they are not well Coached!!
ThugbyFan
Guest
ARU Web site article just posted "Wallabies query Ireland blocking tactics" although its mainly S.Larkham talking about I.Folau being blocked on kick chases. I find it strange there is no mention of decoy runners blocking WB defenders which happened often. There was a lot of borderline blocks on Saturday. The Sydney match will have a French referee, so the WB really need to keep calm and adjust to the referee's interpretations if need be.
ThugbyFan
Roar Guru
Simon, many years ago (late 1980's-early 1990's) the PRC women swimmers and middle distance runners were smoking all the records from the books. The runners had this wily old bloke as a coach. When asked what was the secret of their success, he told the world media that it was "turtle blood". I guess it must have been female turtles. Do they have male turtles in Ireland or Canterbury district of NZ? :)
ThugbyFan
Roar Guru
Peter K has a valid point and should be a penalty every time a bound player goes down with the tackled player. Am not sure if its classed as a maul as the laws clearly state that the tackled player is off the ground in a maul. But it is a tackle so I'm cut n pasting World Rugby Law 14:4 here: "Players in a tackle are: a. Tackled player. b. Tackler(s). c. Others: i) Player(s) who hold the ball-carrier during a tackle but do not go to ground. ii) Player(s) who arrive to contest possession in the tackle. iii) Player(s) who are already on the ground. Add in Law 14:8 (a) which states "Other players must: Remain on their feet and release the ball and the ball-carrier immediately." You are now in murky water, the bound player who falls under 14:4 {c(i)} likely also falls into 14:8(a). Once the tackle is made then I read the laws as if the bound player does not stay on their feet or release the ball carrier then it's a penalty. For unknown reasons the referees are ignoring this law with the bound player falling with the tackled bloke and interfering with the contest for the ball. Ireland do this play often, mainly to keep possession and/or to use the bound player's weight in forcing the ball forward and putting pressure on the defence, especially near the opposition's line. You sometimes see the bound player trying to get out of the ruck but other times they lay over the tackled man like a blanket. Ireland are not the only team who do it. What is annoying is it's not so much that Ireland are getting away with it as to why have the referees just thrown their hands in the air and said "Too Hard, ignore it". To be honest I HATE players being allowed to flop all over the ball when it is still a contest and seal it off, and yet I see it too often in every match.
Jacko
Guest
I think they were...i also think Ireland was a lot better that last week and thats why they won
ThugbyFan
Roar Guru
Mick, I can't see it as a maul as the bloke with the ball is tackled and on the ground. A maul is only if he is still off the ground. However Peter is correct, it should be a penalty for sealing off.
ThugbyFan
Roar Guru
Agree with you there Blues. I just posted an article for the Roar (not sure if it will be published though as I talk a lot of cr^p) but in it I suggested #6 L.Tui, #7 P.Samu (ruck monkey to help Pocock and hard man up the middle) and #8 D.Pocock. Keep a 6:2 split with lock/backrowers as R.Simmons, N.Hanigan (lineout reserves) and M.Hooper (speedy tackling machine) to burn the tired Irish off their feet. Sadly I don't think M.Cheika reads the Roar so more likely that M.Hooper is the openside. :(
JP
Guest
And ?
Michael Scott
Guest
Sorry for mispelling your name, Derm, the site blipped when I tried to correct.
Michael Scott
Guest
Dermo, Another point on the 1979 Irish win in Australia, and a pivotal one so many other times. Ireland also still had their not-so-secret weapon, the GOAT Mike Gibson. Very unfair. Then aged about 37 he was still going for the gap and the tackle as effectively as ever. Had Gibson and some of the other ultra-high performance midweekers, such as Andy Ripley, who remained fresher than some of the jaded Test 15 which played in fourth Test against the Springboks, it's a dollar to a doughnut that the 1974 Lions could rightly have called themselves the Invincibles (in the sense of winning every game) not simply the Unbeaten.
John R
Roar Guru
Maybe they'll do similar to the Sunwolves / Japan and have their national coach run their super rugby team as well
Franky
Guest
Hooper a machine, 22 tackles,
Michael Scott
Guest
Good one Derm, : ) Two sides to every story. I think 1979 Oz also shot themselves in the foot when they should have done better, same as 2018 Oz in second test.
Derm
Roar Guru
"That is bodies heaped on the wrong side of the ruck, hands in the ruck and obstruction of potential tacklers with hardly a penalty awarded. " Copying the Australian tactics from 1979 mightn't have worked out for them so well, Michael... :)
Michael Scott
Guest
I recall from watching Ireland win against the Wallabies in Australia live on New Zealand television in 1979 that they used much the same tactics as in this year's second test. That is bodies heaped on the wrong side of the ruck, hands in the ruck and obstruction of potential tacklers with hardly a penalty awarded. Possibly they viewed video from 1979 as prep for Saturday.
Noodles
Guest
Seems to me that Ireland are clearly playing well but they are at the end of a tough season. WBs are starting their year well, but will need to show a lot more accuracy in most phases of the game to have a good year overall. There were some wild and sloppy passes, notably by Kerevi. The breakdown accuracy in the phases that led to the Tupou try was excellent, but for the rest of the game ireland dominated with much superior execution. Despite quite poor execution for much of the game the wallabies got close to taking it. That’s a big improvement. But not an improvement on last week as it turns out.