Believe it or not I think the Wallabies have the selections just about right – except Izzy Folau is a roaming fullback.
Our attack method is where the problems lie. We do have the skill set in flyhalf and inside centre to set up clever and well timed angled runs. Consistently the Wallabies use decoy runners to hopefully fire quick ball wide to attack the outside channels.
To achieve this you need depth and therein lies the problem. Australia just does not have it. An opposition with amazing line speed in defence combined with the Wallabies’ predictability means attack is too easily cut down, scuppering the Wallabies attack before it can click into gear.
I’m sure on stats the Wallabies have plenty of speed over a short distance. They should use it more regularly on angles in attack. They should run hard at space, not at the man, to bend the defence line. This is how the defensive line can get bunched up, which creates overlaps. It also sews doubt into the minds of defenders.
It seems as though the All Blacks are remote controlled at times. Maybe the devices they all wear in the upper back of their jersey to monitor stats are used to program players. When there is a loose turn over they are like robots slotting into attack and support positions as if every player is in perfect unison.
They create attack channels and uncertainty for the defenders, somehow the secret must be uncovered and adopted.
Last observation – and it is stating the bloody obvious. If you keep kicking the ball back to a better attacking opposition you have no chance of winning.
Possession is everything in sport, particularly in rugby union. While you have the ball in hand they simply can’t score. This is a lesson that the Wallabies need to heed.
Hoy
Roar Guru
Australian attack through the backs has too much depth, plus our only attaching move seems to be a pod, passing deep on a second man play, who then passes deeper and wider in another second man play, for that player to be tackled either at the gain line or behind it, usually around the tram line. Our coaching seems to accept this, as it happens so often it can’t be anything but planned, otherwise you’d think they’d change it pretty simply. I have to agree with Dave above... how our line out has gone to hell is both a selection (hooker & backrow) and coaching issue. The fact it’s really deteriorated this year under a new coach can’t be denied. Lastly, I think the ABs have shown that you don’t actually have to win the possession game at all to win the actual game. But you do have to be a smart team to get away with that, and a smart team, we are not!
Cliff Bishkek
Roar Rookie
Tom very interesting. I would say that the selections are not "just about right". They may be for the current squad of players on the tour but they are not the best that can be put on the field. But first let me put a bench in front of you that needs to possibly be selected but will never be under Cheika. Not the full bench but the players who should be there; Hooper and Beale on the pine. Now I am not overly concerned by the front-row. What is missing is good scrum coaching or we have dumb forwards who have to listened to Ledsma. Similarly we can say the same re lineouts. The corrections to the scrum and lineout can be coached but players must listen and apply. So honestly I do not see why we have weakness there. Point on the forwards, for fact is that the current forwards coach is out of his depth on scrum and lineout coaching. No Fijian player is good at scrums or lineout. Not their forte. Best three No. 2s, BPA, TPN (should retire after RWC), and FF. They all need to be coached properly on lineout throwing and understand calling. Latu gives too many penalties, undisciplined, and BPA is better. Locks - any of the group but IMHO opinion, the starting locks should be Arnold & Coleman with Rodda on the pine - but I am not against Rodda starting. Simmons may be necessary but he should not be needed as lineout calling can be coached and learnt. No. 7 should be Pocock and No. 6 - a fitter Dempsey or Cottrel or Holloway or Valetini. No. 8 - Timu, Tui (or Tui goes to lock or No. 6), Holloway or the Fijian, Naisarani or Valetini. For the moment we need a backup for Foley and that is currently Toomua. But for the RWC, Hamish Stewart should be considered and QC if he shows good signs of being a very good No. 10 and could replace Foley. Under Cheika, this will not happen. For No. 9 - Genia and Gordon, Phipps out of the 23. With the centres, No. 12 - Toomua or Kerevi, No. 13 - Kerevi or Kurandani or Petaia of Hodge. Wings - we do not need Koriobete unless he gets some Rugby smarts. So Folau on one wing and Banks on the other or Sefa if he shows signs of being good and with rugby smarts. Folau is not an FB and will not a Rugby FB make. So for FB - DHP and/or Banks. Maddocks - bench player - needs time to develop. I think we are a long way from the best team. what is letting us down are the coaches. You talk the angles and gpas for the attack. That is Larkham's fault unable to attack - great player, poor coach. Similarly defence, Grey has been absolutely disgusting in defence strategy. The Forwards Coach, Raiwalui, seems to be delivering nothing.
DaveR
Guest
Welcome Tom as a new writer. In a well balanced and well performing team, a significant percentage of attack comes from the forwards, either from set play or in the loose. In my view the WBs forward set play attack has declined significantly over the last few years. I see two reasons for this: firstly, our forward set plays are not completing often enough or executing well enough to allow development of a potent attack off the back of them; and secondly, we have key release forwards playing out of position, with reduced effectiveness as a consequence. Taking the second point first: in an attacking scrum you need specialist players at each of 6,7, and particularly 8 to attack with ball in hand. The WBs do not have enough attacking scrum back row moves, in combination with 9 and 10, to really make a consistent impact at the top level. As good a loose player as Pocock is, we are well behind the orthodox plays from specialist 8s Read and Vermuelen. The line-out is less critical for specialist forwards in each position except the thrower. On the poor execution, the line out is such an ongoing dogs breakfast that well rehearsed set plays off the back/through the hole/5 man drive/back around the front dont appear with any regularity, or when they do, with any impact. Line out possession leading to effective attacking options is mainly lost. The scrum is OK, but again, effectively executed back row attack options are rare, especially where they come into their own 20m out.
K.F.T.D.
Roar Rookie
It was great to watch the young flyhalf Hamish Stewart and his halfback Tate McDermott continually having a run in the NRC this year ,if there seemed there was gap in front of them , it led to some great tries for QLD Country. Foley really just distributes the ball making it easy for opposition defence to read. Maybe it's what the coaches want from him, or coached out of him. or maybe it's just not in him to take on the defence. I realize that there is a big difference between Test Rugby and the NRC, but the Wallabies are fairly predictable in what they do at the moment. The Argies in that first half this year showed how damaging a good flyhalf can be, before he went off injured.