There’s no nice way to say it, but apart from Israel Folau’s first try that was all class, the rest of the Wallabies played like stuffed turkeys.
England was in command from the third minute when winger Jonny May scored in the corner to run out 37-18 winners over the Wallabies for a record sixth successive time.
Sure, there were some other exciting moments from the Wallabies, such as the first half midfield bust from Will Genia celebrating his 100th cap, another from Dane Haylett-Petty in the second session, a try-saving tackle from Michael Hooper when he dropped England’s runaway winger Joe Cokanasiga centimetres from the line, and some strong runs from centre Samu Kerevi.
But overall it was simply awful.
Bloody hell, when are the Wallabies going to earn their thick wallets?
Matt Toomua’s not a 10, nor is Bernard Foley a 12. In fact, I kept asking myself was Foley a late withdrawal until I pegged him trying to defuse a push and shove just before full-time.
That was the only time I sighted him in 80 minutes, and he never had a shot at goal even though he’s the senior kicker.
As for the Wallaby forwards, they looked like a Punch and Judy show with the English pack pulling the strings.
None of them could have been tired by the final hooter, most just wandered around letting men in white, especially man-of-the-match hooker Kyle Sinckler, run riot in midfield at will.
And for the life of me, I cannot understand why the Wallaby forwards back off every lineout and eventually join the lineout at a leisurely pace from a distance, even when they are behind on the scoreboard?
Rubbish rugby.
The basics of pass, catch, support, retain possession and tackle were, for the most part, again ignored.
Long passes found touch, not a runner, and a blatant forward pass cost Marika Koriobete a try late in the piece, as the backs were crowded out of business.
The halftime 13-all scoreline wasn’t indicative of the play as the Wallabies owned 52 per cent possession, but squandered so many opportunities with the exception of the Folau try that even had the English faithful on their feet applauding, pointlessly beating three defenders, and diving over with a huge smile.
(Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images)
It was the second half when the Wallabies fell apart.
Until Folau touched down for his second try on full-time from a Toomua kick-pass, England had piled on 24 unanswered points.
Throw in the 28 missed Wallaby tackles, the 25 aimless kicking away possession with the 14 turnovers, and the 37-18 loss was a justifiable result.
It wasn’t the Christmas present on offer, and there won’t be a ticker tape reception on arrival home.
But there has to be a day of reckoning in 2019 or the Wallabies won’t qualify for the Rugby World Cup finals in Japan.
Yet in the back of my mind is that superb second half against the Pumas in Salta, turning a 31-7 deficit into a resounding 45-34 victory, touching down for five brilliant tries.
That proved the Wallabies can really play.
But it also begs the question why only one half in an entire campaign?
No.24
Roar Rookie
Ex-Salta the Wallabies' second halves have been a collective horror show. In nine of the 13 matches this year they scored 7 or less points.
warwick5763
Roar Rookie
Times up for me as well. I too spent 2 hours getting there, 200 quid on tickets and 2 hours home. I have lived in the UK since 82 and seeing the Wallabies once or twice a year was one of my last connections with home. (Yes I still call it that) Its a big deal for people like me and its just too painful now. I don't know what's going on in Australian rugby but even I can see urgent action required. I will always go and see them but its such a shame that there are no signs of progress.
soapit
Guest
dave what you are proposing there is different to your original proposal. being behind the passer does not gurantee it wont be caught in front of the point of passing. wrt to being further back to compensate, again, youd need to adjust how far back based on how fast the person passing was moving and how long the ball was in the air (how far sideways you are). and a large proportion of current passes would be forward under your rule. the vast majority of cases where someone is running at pace the ball travels forward over the ground. try testing it with your pause button. maybe we should wait till you try it and video before we talk too much more about this
Hertryk
Roar Rookie
The know hopers at RA and the East Coast could learn a lesson or 6 from the state that does not exist according to RA!... Grassroots is flourishing in case no one has noticed, and the attendance at all the games is amazing.. Bring in Twiggy and his team and bloody sack the leeches at RA. We need business nouse, as well as a passion for the game....
Hertryk
Roar Rookie
JSJ I think RA knocked back Twiggy's offer because they didn't want him and his team seeing how bad the books were!! RA are even more in debt now, and handing out $million dollar contracts will nilly from goodness knows where...
Hertryk
Roar Rookie
If nothing is done rugby could well be dead in this country by 2020. If it’s not already. The code has fallen so far behind its competition it is embarrassing...... Bring in Twiggy Forrest he has a love of the game that no-one can match.. he'd sort them out..
Hertryk
Roar Rookie
Bamboo If thats not bad enough, fail to make it out of pool play and I’d say thats pretty much the death of rugby in Australia, at least for the next generation.... Maybe on the East Coast ......
Dave
Roar Rookie
As a support player you just have to be behind the player with the ball - that's it - the speeds of the players are irrelevant because you have removed momentum from the equation. The vast majority of passes now would still be considered backwards, the only exception are long passes where the ball carrier is sprinting like the Wallabies no try - and no one can agree whether that was forward or not - mainly because half the time it is not called forward and half the time it is. If the rule was a line across the field (like the offside line) the supporting runner would just keep a little further back and run onto the ball.
Hertryk
Roar Rookie
The last game of the Western Force beat the Tahs 40-11... and now the game in the West is winning hands over fist with ANYTHING that is happening on the East Coast.. Karma is wonderful
Hertryk
Roar Rookie
Aussieinexile "there is little or no proper visible expansion of Rugby. "........There is in the West :) There's a WHOLE state in Australia with fast growing grassroots, which RA do not acknowledge.. It's exciting, family friendly and knocking any attendances on the East coast out of the park..
Hertryk
Roar Rookie
Na nothing will shift the present from their ivory tower... we took them to court and still they are there.. it's a hopelees case, but none of them can see there is dire problem with the board, and the toxic players.... I didn't see one player all out for giving their all on the field..not one.. look at the Welsh Team in comparison.. they could not have played another 5 mins...
soapit
Roar Guru
dave without being rude i cant explain it any better, all i can suggest is you actually try it. just try running and doing it with a few support players all running at different speed with you changing speed also and see whether they can track where they need to be. there will be a heck of a lot of stride breaking. if you wanted to film it id be interested in a watch, ive had this conversation with people in the past and am comfortable with the theory but have never actually tried it.
Oblonsky‘s Other Pun
Roar Guru
I agree, KG should have been brought into the fold, not left out. He was one of the best defensive centres in all of super rugby.
Oblonsky‘s Other Pun
Roar Guru
And I don't disagree with any of that, but his comments also consistently pretend that Australia has been in the same position from 2005 to 2018, which is evidently not the case. The pathways have been stuffed for decades, but we are in a worse spot now due to worse coaching.
Aussieinexile
Roar Rookie
I agree with many of the comments here, but I would sack the whole bloody lot, have clearing of the boards I will start as I said in my first comments by sacking the Sydney Rugby Union move up to NSWRU and QRU and ARU (including coaches) Spring clean out an anyone else complicit in this shambles (ACT, Brumbies) they all have been complicit one way or another in the state we are in. When I left for Europe many moons ago Australia where one of the leading coaching development nations. Now they are so far behind is laughable and it shows in how short sighted the development has taken place, allowing Player revolts, scandals etc. Twice the sacking of a West Sydney Clubs from competition and further. there is little or no proper visible expansion of Rugby. In my opinion don't bring a blowtorch do a Cersei like she did in game thrones and blow up the church and start from scratch.
Aussieinexile
Roar Rookie
Yes I remember that, they looked good but it showed we could play.
Aussieinexile
Roar Rookie
over coached, over Analysing and not let the players play in my opinion . Coach led structure
Aussieinexile
Roar Rookie
Got a Russian top, Lyn Jones is doing wonders based on yesterdays performance.
Rugby wizard
Guest
Good point but I think who our head coach is and supporting staff actually is the sole reason australian rugby is looking poor and not development. I recently saw a list of 30+ overseas based players on roar,if those players was in super rugby teams the teams would look very strong,in fact a squad of overseas players would probably beat current wallabies with the likes of McMahon,gill,white,fardy,Emile, connor,morahan,barnes etc.so in terms of talent we do have. Wales,Scotland have improved massively and it's not as if they have had better talent coming through but because of there coaching system,so why have they become so strong it's simple there head coach and supporting staff and picking the best possible team thing cheika and CO have failed too do
Rugby wizard
Guest
If coach is changed I feel it has too he Deans,he has unfinished business and it wont feel as if wallabies are starting fresh with a new coach which is good considering RWC is less than a year out,I definately can see barnes coming into the mix if he does become coach,Barnes does the basics so well alot like AAC,you wont get bad passes,kicks out on the full and many of the errors we have seen from Beale,tomua and Foley this year