There’s no doubt the Wallabies earned their win on the weekend.
They turned up, worked hard, and starved their opponents of possession. But the key to picking the All Blacks lock was laid bare for all to see. While some have downplayed the modern set-piece’s importance, it is the second row that drives a rugby team’s engine and the All Blacks’ engine is in a bit of strife at the moment.
However, Australian’s love of running rugby means we continue to overlook the importance of the tight five. This is strange – not only is our greatest player ever from the ranks of the tall timber, but our great sides have featured great second rowers.
Eales and Griffen, Eales and McCall, Williams and Cutler. But instead of highlighting the work rate of our tight five’s tall stuff, our commentators ramble on about schoolboy results from the Alma Mater of our fullback, or competent performances from our centres.
Elsewhere, the importance of the second row is no secret. Our Kiwi cousins have built their 21st-century dominance to date on world-class locks – McCaw didn’t do it all himself – while Colin Meades was their 20th Century colossus.
Matfield and Botha will always be synonymous with Springbok success, while Johnson and Kay led the poms in 2003. England’s resurgence in recent years cannot be dissociated with Mario Itoje’s emerging as a world-class player, while Nic Bishop has examined the rise of James Ryan – who joins Iain Henderson in leading the green machine to Japan.
Closer to home, the doubts about the All Blacks in 2019 have correlated with the below-par – and now absent – Brodie Retallick.
(Photo: Matt King/Getty Images)
Just as Sam Whitelock and Brad Thorne built their success in 2011 with hard-nosed attack, uncompromising defence and set-piece dominance, so had Retallick picked up where Thorne left in 2015 to compel his side to the highest of heights.
But Retallick’s injury brought the All Blacks to a stuttering halt two weeks ago against the Boks. Scott Barrett was playing well as his replacement against the Wallabies on the weekend, but his attempted aggression in defence badly misjudged a run from the Wallabies Captain.
Barrett watched the second half from the bench, and his replacement – whoever it may be – will have a lot of catching up to do at Eden Park on the weekend.
The Wallabies were already playing well enough to win against a Retallick-less New Zealand. It was particularly pleasing to see Isi Naisarani on the front foot, but with the Kiwi’s engine room gutted, their expert halves lacked front-foot ball to work with.
The ascension of Rodda and Arnold over their opposite numbers – and Coleman’s excellent impact in the second half – is the key reason the Wallabies won. We can talk about the backs all day, and it was certainly entertaining.
But it’s been a while since I can remember the Wallaby backs having such a good platform to let loose. Can they do it two weeks in a row and lay a platform not just for their backs, but for their nation’s World Cup tilt?
We’ll see on the weekend.
terrykidd
Roar Pro
Rob M thats a good point you make about the restarts. It was not so long ago that securing the ball from a restart was a real iffy proposition for the Wallabies. Yeah, we do seem to have fixed that problem.
Chucked
Guest
One thing which has been missed by most in the panic of AB's win (by NZ Public and writers) and euphoria by Aust public and writers is that the loss has done a huge amount of good. 2015, the last two RC games were played with under 50% of the RWC top team - to give all players a chance. Both games were lost, albeit not in the manner of last weeks shellacking. I personally think the Red card gave the Kiwis an opportunity to save face, when in reality they were out played. But, i'd imagine Shag wouldn't have gone into Cheika type meltdown at all. Hansen can and has made some intelligent changes Retallick will be back in two months, Liam Squires will surely make the squad, after his self imposed wthdrawal from RC - there is your lock cover and No 6 issue solved. Patrick T gets a whole game do show that he is capable, and he is capable, he can be devastating, and is never going to get a better chance to show it. Nepo Lalaula needs game time (again after injury), as does Dane Coles. The Backrow started to fire last week then the Red card changed things. Ardie Savea pushing at 8 in Scrums still managed to get the ball out quick off the back of half a dozen scrums. So all in all All Blacks forwards have a good blend. Ben Smith is still recovering from injury and this showed, Ioane has lost confidence - both needed a rest, and Reece and George Bridge both need game time. What better place to blood two young blokes. NZ needs a Israel Dagg type player, will that be George Bridge or Jordie Barratt. I can see calmness settling into the All Blacks. pick up 15% more possession, stop silly BBBB kicks and get parity at breakdowns - then let rip
mzilikazi
Roar Pro
Nice first article, Earl. Good choice of position. Thanks. Another great lock combination from way back was Willie John McBride and Gordon Brown for the Lions in 1974.
Paulo
Roar Rookie
Simmons is on the bench.
Earl of Earlwood
Guest
Thanks Dean, I think you knew who I meant - hopefully Dave and Bradley will forgive me.
Zado
Guest
Cheika now has at his disposal 3 world class locks. If Simmons is used it`s a travesty.
BuffaloTheorist
Roar Rookie
With Arnold rumoured to be out from a lingering hand injury, will be interesting to see who our third lock is. While Simmons is a technician he doesn’t have the grunt of the other three around the park. Could be an opportunity to move LSL to bench lock, but our six options are slim. If Pocock is fit and is played at six then we throw away the line out advantage.
Hertryk
Roar Rookie
"our commentators ramble on about schoolboy results from the Alma Mater of our fullback, or competent performances from our centres"..... "Our" commentators could not call a game if their life depended on it.. All it is most of the time is biased verbal diarrhoea.... After just a couple of minutes I turned down the sound and watched to Classical music.. They wreck a good game with their boring diatribe ...they should be replaced or take some lessons from a commentator that knows how to call a game...
Carlin
Roar Rookie
Good to see an article focused on the best position on a rugby field. There is a lot of locks who are key in the international stage which you highlighted. I wished I had the height and athleticism of some of the big men we see. Always a joy to watch a good lock put in a dominant performance.
Rob M
Roar Rookie
Great article. Just so easy to gloss over the impact of having the 3 second rowers dominating. Their set-piece was almost faultless: scrum, lineout and restarts. The clean outs were accurate and quick. And the tackles were hard (and fair). You just can't ask for more. (Well you can, Retallick normally nicks a couple of lineouts) Coleman looked back to his menancing best off the bench. So fingers crossed for a back up performance from the 3 this weekend.
Dean
Guest
Griffen? Thorne? Perhaps greater focus on the second row will eventually lead to spelling their names correctly?