After all the excitement of the lead-up, the hope, the optimism and the speculation, the first week of the Rugby Championship is over and things pretty much went exactly as most people expected.
The All Blacks and the Springboks won, the Pumas were better than they used to be and the Wallabies weren’t as good as they promised to be.
More Bledisloe 1
» LORD: Wallabies should be ashamed
» WATCH: Video highlights
» Wallabies player ratings
» Match report: NZ whip Wallabies
» Re-live the match with our live blog
Set piece woes
It would be easy to focus on how the Wallabies were undone by their set-piece but in reality none of the four sides really covered themselves in scrum or lineout glory.
Of the 55 lines out for example across the two matches, a third were lost by the team throwing in the ball.
Of course nowhere else was the impact of a malfunctioning lineout more evident than in Sydney. The Wallabies lost 50 per cent of their own throws and their lineout become so poor that it was a genuine weapon for the All Blacks – they could kick into touch and have a pretty good chance of getting the ball back.
Every nation’s forwards’ coach will be working their packs hard this week to fix these issues and the Wallabies this is more critical than the others.
The way in which their set piece fell away in the second half in particular was alarming and they cannot hope to win the second round with the same level of performance.
(Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
Wallabies’ impressive first-half defence
In the opening 38 minutes of Bledisloe 1 the Wallabies kept the All Blacks scoreless.
That’s impressive and the controlled intensity of their defence was impossible for the Kiwis to break down.
There were long periods of possession for the men in black but the Wallabies kept them out time and time again.
In the same fixture last year the Aussies were torn to pieces in the first half and their defence was made to look like a pasta strainer. But in Saturday’s game they showed how far they’ve come.
There was just one problem…
Fitness levels of the Wallabies
That first half of intense defensive effort left the Wallabies absolutely spent. Within minutes of the second half beginning their defence started to leak as tackles were missed and holes appeared.
The situation was best summed up when Brodie Retallick – the big lumbering second row – dummied Bernard Foley, went through the gap and ran in unopposed from 35m while neither Will Genia, Reece Hodge or Foley could get anywhere near to him. This happened in the 62nd minute and the score was 19-6 to the Kiwis.
There was plenty of time for the Wallabies to come back and overcome that 13 point gap. But in that moment the Wallabies showed that they were running on empty.
There was a lot of talk last year about how Michael Cheika felt that his squad were arriving in camp from Super Rugby duty not in good enough physical condition.
This year there’s been more discussion about how the Wallabies coaches have been working more closely with the Super Rugby franchises to ensure a smoother transition from club to country.
But based on Saturday’s second half in Sydney there is still plenty of work to be done.
Yes you could argue that the players are at the end of the Super Rugby season but with all due respect – only the Tahs players played Finals rugby and they were done in the semis.
There’s been enough time to recover and get ready for The Rugby Championship.
(Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)
30 to 50 – such an important time
In many sports the periohalf-timeside of half time is critical and rugby is no different. In both the games this weekend the scores were close at the 30 minute mark.
In the following 20 minutes or so both eventual winners – the All Blacks and the Springboks – scored two and three tries respectively and they never gave up those leads.
Of course every minute of a Test match matters but the psychological impact of conceding just before or just after half time seems to have such an impact on the teams and the end result.
Too often you see team’s switch off before the half time whistle or struggle to get back up to 100 per cent intensity after the restart and live to regret it.
Less TMO = better right?
After a June international window where we saw the TMOs getting very involved in games whether the referee asked them to or not, it was interesting to see a lot less from the off field officials this weekend.
Surely that’s a good thing right?
Well the Wallabies probably don’t agree. Early in the first half Waisake Naholo up ended Israel Folau and as the boos of the crowd rang out it seemed likely that Jaco Peyper would get on the mic to Marius Jonker and a minute later there would be a yellow card.
Instead Peyper didn’t bother to go upstairs and just gave a penalty. It wasn’t an absolute howler of a decision but arguably in more than 50 per cent of similar cases, Naholo would have been sitting on the naughty step.
Of course we want refs to control the game and we don’t want TMOs barking in the ear for every decision. But that doesn’t mean that refs shouldn’t take advantage of the resources available to them.
Wallabies’ puddle deep depth
The Wallabies players that are on the bench just aren’t good enough. In some cases this might be down to a lack of experience and in other cases they are never going to be up to the challenge of top level international rugby.
Perhaps more concerning though is the lack of depth in the crucial positions of scrum half and fly half.
Will Genia had an average game and it’s hard to believe he’s going to be in career best form after another 12 months heading into Japan 2019.
Bernard Foley has never reached the heights of his performance in the 2015 World Cup but in three years not a single challenger to the No.10 crown has been found. How is that possible?
Meanwhile we’ve got Quade Cooper being shunned by Brad Thorn and no real other fly half talent that is ready to step up. Cheika has got to be worried about this but doesn’t seem to be doing anything about it.
(Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
Folau MIA
The Wallabies biggest attacking threat was no real threat at all. That’s partly because he himself had a quiet game but also because Foley, Genia and Kurtley Beale never got him into the game.
Of course everyone knows that Folau is a threat in the air but knowing that doesn’t mean defences can stop him.
Yet we didn’t see any contests between Folau and the All Blacks back three and the short restart which caused the Irish some real problems was used as soon as Folau had limped off the field!
It’s this approach that makes you wonder what the game plan really was and how Cheika and Michael Hooper had meant to play the game.
Was there genuinely no intent to use the high ball for Falou to run onto? Or was the plan just not executed on the field for some reason?
It was a real shame to see Folau going off early and every rugby fan is hoping it’s nothing serious and he’s back for round two.
If he is then the Wallabies have got to lean on their high flying weapon so much more.
SandBox
Roar Guru
Nice strawman. Didn’t say I had a problem with the Haka. Just the referee shouldn’t be watching it. Neuroscience supports this. No matter how much a referee wants to be impartial there’s lots of evidence that the first scrum makes a difference to subsequent scrum penalties. The subconscious will always overuse the conscious. Let me ask you some questions. Why is it so important to you that referees see the Haka? What tradition requires referees to see the Haka? What tradition requires the kick off to be immediately after the Haka? Why is it that any AB that says the Haka fires them up is quickly silenced? Is it much easier for you to go to personal insults and dismissal as conspiracy, than construct an argument? Thinking is difficult hey? On your fourth point, two can play that game. What your post really says is that you want an unfair advantage even if you have the best team in the world. Being number one isn’t enough. Let’s pull out any tactic against anything that might stop the advantage we gain before kick off. Including Ad hominems and strawman, fairly common, and irrelevant responses. Designed to crush any legitimate debate. Just want to repeat, the world community needs to stop this nonsense of the referee seeing the Haka. Any individual country will be attacked by the NZRU social media arm, or desperate fans
Joe
Roar Rookie
They should definitely not be looking at the League ranks for Unions players. If Koroibete and someone below mentioned Vunivalu and Radradra are examples....these guys were Union players before they became league players. Storm brought Vunivalu from Aucklands as a junior...they now have Jnr Ratuva who was playing secondary school rugby in NZ. They take these youngster and train them within and inch of their lives so they're the best player they can be. The problem is fitness and conditioning....the Wallabies and Union in general are way behind NRL. Someone mentioned below that Koroibete was the fastest player at the Storm but I can guarantee that after two years at the Rebles and Wallabies he would be nowhere near the type of fitness he had at the Storm. No matter fast he is by halftime he would have been beaten by the slowest back in the ABs because his legs were gone. Lastly Cheika seems to think that defense wins games like League...maybe why he likes league converts. Union is a vastly different game...the amount and type of defense the Wallabies did in the first 40 can't be sustained by any team which is why they don't play like that. He doesn't seem to have learned anything from the Ireland tests and is doing the same thing over again. I said then that they would be hammered by the ABs with that game plan and here we are. If he sticks to that expect another 2nd half thrashing in Auckland.
concerned supporter
Guest
You genius Thugby Fan, ''I said last week that Jack Maddocks would be a bad selection as he is a poor tackler and doesn’t cover the back three positions to a level required for International rugby'' It was his first test match, FGS, give him a chance, you cyclops.
Ralph
Roar Guru
I agree Bakkies, but in Richies day you didn't have to come in through the gate and Ref's were not so critical of technique.
Rugby Tragic
Roar Rookie
KH is correct but I was surprised to find that the AB’s have been held scoreless on 8 occasions. Once by Aussie in 1910 ... so apologies to Foley
ClarkeG
Guest
Rather than blow a try I thought Maddocks helped create one which Latu and Hodge collectively managed to blow. Smith would have made the tackle on Hodge had he received the ball directly from Maddocks. Not a clear run to the line.
Machpants
Roar Guru
Wow on 11 minutes of rugby you're rating Crotty and goodhue as ABs best ever defensively? That must've been an amazing 11 mins during which Crotty made one and missed one tackle, along with a horrendous drop with the line open. Now I rate Crotty as the ABs glue and I think goodhue should be permanent 13, but there is no way they can be rated like that until they've actually had a few games together in black! Sadly I think Crotty should retire for his long term health :(
Bakkies
Roar Guru
Peyper should referee in the NRL. Boyd Cordner tipped a Raiders player on to his head and wasn't cited. Blatant tip tackle that was yet the commentator said there was no intent and didn't lift him between his legs. WTF.
Bakkies
Roar Guru
Doesn't he have at least 8 years remaining on his 10 year contract?
Bakkies
Roar Guru
To be fair to Hodge a lot of those kicks are long range efforts. When he kicked against Japan as the regular kicker he kicked ten out of ten.
Bakkies
Roar Guru
'But a civil war is not good for business or health. Australian rugby needs Forrest on their side, offering his pilantrophy to all of Australian rugby, not just the west.' Well it is needed Sheek because the RA are thick and continue to waste money. They had their chance to get to the table with Twiggy but blew it with de Clyne running his mouth making up sums as he goes and talking rubbish. As a result Twiggy is putting his money where the RA continues to ignore or turn their back on.
Bakkies
Roar Guru
'Agree Ralph, Pocock has lived by the luck of the referee many times' No different to Richie then.
riddler
Guest
jez.. i am personally biased with pat howard so i won't agree with u.. tim keheler was for me the shocker.. tried catching the highball with his head he misread it so badly.. never to be seen of again..
riddler
Guest
missed tackles obviously doesn't include where he didn't touch the player.. watch the game again from when he comes and note the time when he made and missed tackles.. you might be surprised that stats are very misleading around this place!! some k nob jockeys are saying foley picks and chooses his kicks.. he has a 82+% kicking rate this year the majority from the sideline to 15m line.. he gave the kick to hodge as it was just beyond his reach.. that to me is good team play.. hodge has 60% success rate in international rugby..before his kick yesterday.. check his stats at super level.. some people on this blog really are so out of place.. or maybe i am the one out of place!!
riddler
Guest
thugby.. 100% correct.. thank you.. i was calling it during the live blog call.. both his defensive misreads and missed tackles.. he ran in a super easy, unmarked, unchallenged try after foley did a draw and pass to him.. how does someone get such exaggerated credit for that? he was not anything flash at all.. quite the opposite.. much prefer banks to him..
ThugbyFan
Roar Guru
terrence, Not only did J.Maddocks miss tackles but he was woefully caught out of position in defence a couple of time. Also just before Maddocks ran in that gift try, he totally blew a try when he cut inside and hogged the ball for glory with R.Hodge outside him and looking at a clear run to the line. I said last week that Jack Maddocks would be a bad selection as he is a poor tackler and doesn't cover the back three positions to a level required for International rugby. On the other hand, Tom Banks is an accomplished fb, has speed to burn and doesn't shirk his tackling duties. But M.Chieka won't listen, he anointed Maddocks as the "Golden Child" by bringing him from NRC to an EOYT2016 and will stick by him similar to T.Robertson and N.Hannigan.
Joseph, it is 5 years mate, hence $60 000 goes into $1 200 000, 20 times.
ThugbyFan
Roar Guru
Was up in the nose-bleeds when Waisake Naholo tip-tackled Izzy Folau and all the Kiwis around us groaned, praying to their Sheep Goddess that it was just a yellow and not a red card. If ever I have seen a yellow card tackle that was it ! What was even more amazing was reports that Jaco P suggested to M.Hooper that Folau was partly to blame for the tackle. I'm surprised that Hooper didn't tell JacoP to 4k-off right there and then. It made no difference to the result but from that moment on, you could see D.Pocock and W.Genia questioning Jaco P and showing him disrespect. In the meantime K.Read was buttering him up. The WB had lost any chance in the 50-50 calls. Its easy in hindsight to say the wrong team was selected (M.Hooper was clearly not match-fit and J.Maddocks cannot tackle, nor pass to a support with a clear run) but more than anything Oliver's 1st talking point was the primary reason for the WB wipe-out. I doubt if any team could win a high level rugby match while their line-outs are being demolished so effectively. The AB line-out was on another planet, so looks like a lot of thinking and work for the WB coaching team. You have to congratulate the AB, they were awesome. It was a great match, the WB tried hard but the result went them Penguins because they were just too good.
Jokerman
Roar Guru
He’s 23.
Joe
Roar Rookie
Righto - where to start......at the high level - RA need to think smarter. Aussie players are MORE attractive to Europen clubs BECAUSE they don't qualify for Wallabies selection (in most cases). When European teams lose all of their internationals, the Aussie players keep playing for their clubs...ie Fardy at Leinster. First change I would make - Select any Aussie player for the Wallabies regardless of where they play. Don't punish players for moving abroad to earn big money - instead USE that as an advantage to attract better players through the youth system. Ie future potential earnings, opportunity to live overseas etc etc. Also, use the fact that European clubs can afford to spend more on players - let THEM spend their money to keep our players in Union. If I was going to put any restriction on Wallaby selection you could do something age related as a better option - so if you play SA until you are 25, you will be open for any future Wallaby selection. Or some such. The above would mean you dont need to pay the Hooper's and Folou's of the World 6 mil......Let someone else foot the bill. Second - redirect scant resources into youth development. The Irish did this brilliantly over ten years ago with their 'position for everyone' scheme. They basically went from school to school saying we want everyone, the tall skinny kid, the short fat kid, the short fast kid - essentially there is a position for everyone in rugby regardless of shape and size - and look at the talent pool in Ireland now.... Lastly - again borrow from the Irish - the National body can dictate who play in what club. All contracts are centralised. That means they take a up and comer number ten from a top team where he is getting no game time, and sent him to another team where he will play every weekend....smart. We wouldn't have this issue if we did the same. They also limit foreign players in their domestic league to develop their own. Especially in key positions. In the short term - rotate the player group significantly for this week - and move away from Pooper. Its unlikely we will win, butgive some experience to some other players and let the regulars know their positions are not safe. Australian rugby has to address fundamental causal issues and short term improvements...they just lack sense in my view.