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The Wallabies played terrible rugby against Wales

11th November, 2018
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11th November, 2018
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Wallabies coach Michael Cheika will be pulling the knives out of his back following yesterdays 9-6 loss to Wales in Cardiff in a boring try-less, penalty goal shootout.

Much has been spoken, and written, about Wales losing 13 on the trot to the men in gold until yesterday, but it’s much worse than that.

Wales has won only four of the last 29 meetings with the Wallabies, since the inaugural 1987 Rugby World Cup clash in Rotorua.

Andrew Slack led the Wallabies that day in the 22-21 loss, followed by Wales’ 24-22 win at Millennium in 2005, the 21-18 success at Millennium in 2008, and yesterday’s boring 9-6.

And you can throw in the 29-all draw at Millennium in 2006, leaving Wales with 24 losses against the Wallabies in the last 31 years.

Little wonder the Welsh faithful went hysterical yesterday, even though the Wallabies gift-wrapped them the win.

Cheika didn’t order the Wallabies to knock back two “gimme” penalties in the 50th and 53rd minute from right in front – but Michael Hooper did look for the hero seven-pointers that amounted to nothing.

“My reading of the game was amiss, I should have gone for goal,” was Hooper’s explanation post-match.

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Michael Hooper

Michael Hooper and the Wallabies are struggling (Photo by Phil Walter/Getty Images)

Cheika didn’t lose possession over the line like Samu Kerevi did in the fourth minute, nor did Cheika knock on like Hooper, Israel Folau, Kurtley Beale, Will Genia, and Adam Coleman when the Wallabies were in try-scoring positions.

Nor did Cheika give away a penalty like Ned Hanigan for not releasing two minutes from time to allow another interchange player Dan Biggar a penalty shot to win 9-6.

There’s no nice way to describe the Wallabies yesterday – they played crap rugby, and Wales weren’t far behind.

It was an international clash of importance between the fourth-ranked Wales, and sixth-ranked Wallabies, but they played like the 40th and 60th ranked sides.

In 11 months, the two nations will meet in the opening round of the Japan-hosted Rugby World Cup with the winner most likely to top the pool, and the loser virtually out of contention very early in the tournament.

So where did the Wallabies fail yesterday?

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Under normal circumstances, any team that has 56 per cent possession, and 59 per cent territory in the first half has a comfortable lead.

Not the Wallabies.

It was 3-3 at the break, and only because Welsh fullback, and champion goal-kicker, Leigh Halfpenny missed a “gimme” penalty in front in the 40th minute.

But the players weren’t the only ones to blame.

Kiwi referee Ben O’Keeffe played a major role in making sure the entire game was a debacle.

On May 12 this year I suggested O’Keeffe had his ticket withdrawn after an appalling display in the Crusaders-Waratahs Super Rugby clash at Christchurch.

No referee is more in love with his whistle than O’Keeffe, and he’s killing the game as a spectacle.

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No back in either Wales, or the Wallabies, could beat Usain Bolt over the 100 even if the Jamaican gave them 30m start, yet defending backs were constantly cutting down opponents well short of the advantage line.

Simply they were offside with O’Keeffe keeping his eyes on the ball, and rarely looking behind because he was on the wrong side of the play.

So where to from here for the beleaguered Wallabies?

Next up the Italians, the easy-beats of the Six Nations, but there’s no iron-clad guarantee the Wallabies will win.

Wallabies head coach Michael Cheika speaks to his players during an Australian Wallabies training session

(Photo by Michael Dodge/Getty Images)

And to finish a year to forget, England at the home of rugby for Will Genia’s 100th cap – a major, and deserved, milestone.

Is it too much to ask that the Wallabies play both games as they did in the second half against the Pumas at Salta?

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Down 31-7 at the break, the Wallabies stormed home playing superb rugby with five magnificent tries to win 45-34.

If they can do it for one 40-minute half in 22, why can’t they do it more regularly?

The answer to that rests between 23 sets of ears.

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