After the All Blacks handed the Wallabies another drubbing, Steve Hansen didn’t hesitate when asked what won the game: attitude.
His team competed for everything, and his backs clinically took their chances. It was particularly interesting watching the All Blacks machine click into gear, as their tails went up with each mini-battle won, usually by applying excellence to the most simple of tasks.
Sam Whitelock and Ardie Savea dominated the contest, ably assisted by captain Kieran Read. The All Blacks’ game management was superb, particularly when Dane Coles was rightly sent off.
In fact, Coles should have been yellowed five minutes earlier for cynically rushing in from an offside position to shut down the Wallabies’ attack on his own goal line.
The wet weather proved to be no barrier for the Kiwis, and it was a positive, attacking attitude that saw them ruthlessly compete at every ruck, and demand of each other front foot step after front foot step.
The only thing to detract from their performance (besides the yellow card) was their opposition’s vanishing resilience from the 35th minute on.
The inability of the Wallabies pack to crush a seven-man Kiwi scrum was baffling, and their struggle to negate the All Blacks’ momentum – to scrap and fight their way back into the contest – was telling.
Attitude explains why the first 30 minutes was an even contest, while an absence of 15 resilient men in the final 30 left this die-hard Wallabies supporter frustrated and slightly embarrassed.
(Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
During the first 30 minutes, the Wallabies put together some beautiful passages of play, and were unlucky not to score. Two penalty kicks would have been helpful. But while all teams miss penalties, it seemed to deflate the Wallabies.
It’s hard to judge halves behind a pack on the back foot, but Christian Lealiifano seemed rattled by his penalty misses, and his own lack of resilience commenced the Wallabies’ downfall.
Lukhan Salakaia-Loto was particularly disappointing, and his body language suggested he had been out-enthused. This left Michael Hooper trying to take on both Savea and Sam Cane at the breakdown, and it’s little wonder the Wallabies captain was gassed at the end – Roarers should consider this before sticking the boot in.
The Wallabies’ blind-side jersey is still up for grabs, and it’s easy to see why David Pocock will be the one to grab it.
Similarly, the backs didn’t cover themselves in glory. It’s not unreasonable to expect better handling from the back line at this level. I’d love to read a story about the entire back line (not least Kurtley Beale) spending an entire skills session with balls that have been dropped in soapy water, with hands covered in sun cream.
On a brighter note, Isi Naisarani joined his captain and replacement prop Taniela Tupou in showing the most fight among the Australians in the second half. These three desperately need their colleagues to front up for the full 80 minutes and to bounce back after conceding points.
I can only imagine how frustrating it is for them to see their line-breaks so poorly supported, and then dismissed with a judicious All Blacks kick on turnover ball.
Attitude and resilience have been hallmarks of All Blacks rugby for the last ten years. It appears the Springboks have been learning from their old foes, most recently to scratch out a draw in Wellington.
The Wallabies’ recent results suggest that our current players are good front-runners, but terrible at chasing down a score.
At the turn of the century, our great teams – read: our great forward packs – had resilience in spades, continuing the fight until a last-minute try or penalty goal was pulled from the fire.
Even the 2015 Wallabies showed in the quarter-final against Wales that it’s not beyond them.
But four years later, it is up to their successors to develop resilience through application and attitude if they are to see themselves deep into the knock-out stages of the World Cup, let alone earn a win at Eden Park.
Chucked
Guest
Those crowing about the demise of NZ and toehold that SA have over NZ would have loved to see Argentina lose by just 6 points last SAT, and they had a deserved try brought back with 2 mins to go which would have won the game as the Arg player was under the posts - but play went back 4-5 phases to a highly dubious pass. South Africa looked a shadow of the team that beat ARG 43-16 just a week earlier. Who has the momentum out of NZ / SA / AUST NOW?
Jacko
Guest
All of this was predicted by me and alas it came to be true.....................................yes 99 lines of absolute anti ABs ranting with 1 line at the bottom saying ...The ABs will win with that ref....So 99% wrong and 1% right......Genius
One Eye
Roar Rookie
About 15 mins left, Aus were under lost forward advantage I think and the ruck was just Read over the ball held by an isolated player and Peyper blew no advantage and as the camera was swinging back to where the restart was happening you saw Tupou fly in arms to his side into Reads head.
Tony Hodges
Roar Rookie
Nah, they were out played in the first 30, too. It just took time for the difference to show up in the scoreboard. Sometime the avalanche at the end tells the story of what happened at the start.
Ryan
Roar Rookie
Riddler - but it was a great game, we put on 36.
Kane
Roar Guru
When did this happen?
riddler
Roar Rookie
physically we are the same size or bigger. we are just as fit. we train pretty much the same as them. there are only so many different types of drills u can do in rugby and everybody knows each others. we just don't have the smarts. small pool breeds arrogance and laziness. big fish, small pond comes to mind. how we could have been so good at so many sports with the people born between 1960 and 1980 is amazing says it was a freaky generation or that we have just got complacent and arrogant in our little world. i edge towards the second.
riddler
Roar Rookie
don listen to the rugby ruckus pod with herbie as a guest. he explains it simply and logically what they did under mcqueen. that was on field smarts created off field. i patent that little pearler before anyone on here tries to use that!! :laughing:
HiKa
Roar Rookie
E of E, well done on your first article up on The Roar. I enjoyed the read. [You did let yourself down a bit by referencing the 2015 RWC quarter-finals, though. Wales played SA in the quarters while the Wallabies rather (in)famously beat Scotland with a last minute penalty kick. I think the point you were looking for was the "Pool of Death" match against Wales where the WBs held out with only 13 left on the pitch.]
Ryan
Roar Rookie
Gloria was describing a rough night at Liks courtneay place.
One Eye
Roar Rookie
Our standards should not be set by others but by ourselves.
Ryan
Roar Rookie
Gloria owns both accounts.
Ryan
Roar Rookie
Yes.
Ryan
Roar Rookie
Gloria - I'll have a squiz after you look through the last 18 years of footage :laughing:
Ryan
Roar Rookie
Gloria - spend your dole money sensibly please, I fund your life through taxes.
Ryan
Roar Rookie
..not quite as snug as you would.
Dave
Guest
If it was an AB you would be outraged for the rest of the month that there was no red card
Dave
Guest
Read the analysis on the scrum over on today's Green & Gold, maybe you will learn something. Chap goes by the name of Who... Quote: "Further, Moody wasn't boring on an angle on 7A's. From my viewing of the overheads, both were setting up at a slight inwards angle (which is natural), but on the set, 7A's was getting turned in. He was at 45º to his hooker. Now, for a LHP, this means you've got a great angle at driving through the opposing THP - if you get away with it, that's a good thing. However, if you're a THP, it just means that you're exposing your ribs to the opposing LHP. Which is what 7A's was doing. . The net result was 7A's ribs were exposed, Moody was then able to drive straight ahead under 7A's ribs, and fold 7A's up and backwards onto Latu and Rodda. I don't know why 7A's wasn't able to fix this issue - because the change in angle from just off square to 45º happened throughout his time on the field. Tupou fixed it, and wasn't folded. He was pushed back and up - but he did much better against what was by then a scrum that was clearly on the up, a scrum that was better channelling the power from its locks."
Gloria
Roar Rookie
Harden up
Gloria
Roar Rookie
Ummm. I won money on the game. I posted my intention to bet on the ABs several times last week. If they had managed to lose at $1.18 at home in Auckland in the wet and I had lost my $200, then I probably would have had a ‘tantie’ as you so eloquently put it.