Winning ugly will do as the Wallabies look to complete a roller coaster Test season on Saturday night chasing only a second victory from six outings in 2020.
For all the promise and strides forward the Wallabies have made under New Zealand coach Dave Rennie, they have only one win, two deflating draws and two defeats to show for it.
Rennie concedes it’s been a year of lost opportunity and atoning for their last-start 15-15 stalemate with Argentina, a draw that cruelled their chances of winning the Tri Nations trophy, is paramount at Bankwest Stadium.
“We’ve had a couple of Tests that we should have won that we didn’t, so that’s frustrating,” Rennie said.
“But the key for me is that we learn from it.
“Our culture’s really good, we’re working really hard, but everyone wants to see that reflected on the field, and that’s what we want.
“A win on the weekend will mean we’ve got more to build on but certainly we had a chance of silverware if we’d got it right a couple of weeks ago, so that’s disappointing.”
(Andrew Phan/supplied by Rugby Australia)
A rare win over the All Blacks in Brisbane has been the high point for the Wallabies. The record 43-5 loss to their arch-rivals was the undoubted low.
But giving up a nine-point second-half lead against the Pumas burns almost as much.
Little wonder why Rennie is more concerned about his largely youthful and greenhorn Wallabies mastering the art of winning than worrying about any so-called obligation to entertain fans in the last Test of the year.
He accused his game managers of being “naive” in not kicking for the corners when the game was there to be won in Newcastle a fortnight ago.
So he doesn’t care how they beat the Pumas this time, so long as they do.
“We dominated a large chunk of that first half and created lots of scoring opportunities but we didn’t score tries,” Rennie said.
“What we’re trying to do is grow our understanding of how to win games and you get into games, especially with northern hemisphere sides that won’t play an enormous amount of footy, and you’ve got to find ways of winning.
“And sometimes that’s through smart kicking options that create opportunities to attack.
“So, look, we definitely want to play and we’ll certainly try to grow our game around our skill set.
“But I think we’ve got an obligation to put in a quality performance, not necessarily entertain by throwing the ball all over the place at the risk of losing the game.”
Wigeye
Guest
Have to take kicks at goals.only need a point more than opposition to cancel a draw can someone let them know
Adsa
Roar Rookie
The WallyB's would go a long way to achieving this goal if they stayed away from the speculator plays. Ditch the chip and chase and the double cut out pass and keep getting better and retain and recycle, put it through the hands and work angles runs. Which means support the ball carrier at all costs. Invest in speed out wide, seriously Rob Horne as a winger FFS* And win your own lineouts FFS* (*regd trademark of Chook Corp)
J Jones
Roar Rookie
I thought the Wobblies has done enough in their last outing to deserve a win. Argies are playing 10 man rugby (essentially but not exclusively) and are doing so very very well. It’s a hard nut to crack. Their tacking is relentless and accuracy at the ruck is their #1 weapon. I tend to agree with those that would like to see Hooper relieved of his captaincy - but there doesn’t seem to be an obvious replacement.
Wigeye
Guest
Dave Rennie has made the right moves,a lot of changes new and raw keen players still with some overseas players later to call on he's in the perfect position now to produce a hell wallaby team plenty of time to world cup even for as a kiwi I are I feel the good :happy: Bar one area - current 7 as a player no problem need to be sharing the pine with the next best 7. - current captain I feel is one of the last hurdles definitely holding this team back go the whole hog new squad needs new captain straight of the bat in 2021, Go wallabies
Jack
Guest
The failure to adopt the right tactics to close out games must be the skippers to own. That’s his job. Read the game, understand the momentum, decide the game plan for the next 15 minutes. Hooper has shown again and again that he does not have this skill, this ability. This test should be his last as Captain.
numpty
Roar Rookie
particularly with your first and second choice 10 injured.
J Jones
Roar Rookie
Depends how you frame it. First up draw, one sided loss followed by a record loss then a scratchy win. Sounds pretty much to script.
Harry Jones
Expert
If you told Wallabies fans last year that they’d have only 2 losses but play the All Blacks four times, they’d take it?
Laurence King
Roar Rookie
Absolutely agree with what you're saying and I think that we've got a mature group of coaches who can make the most of this
jcmasher
Roar Rookie
absolutely correct. The boys need this one. To be honest I'm more pissed about the draw with the Puma's than the big loss to the ABs. The big loss was always on the cards whereas I felt we had that game against the Pumas and then stupid decisions by the senior team members at critical times lost us that game and the chance to win the Tri-Nations. While Rennie might be building a good culture and while, if I'm fair I didn't expect too much this year after all the disruptions, that draw in a game that should have been won was very disappointing and about as bad as anything under the clown.
Noodles
Roar Rookie
It's a young team with a lot of potential. The obvious issue is decision making and hopefully some of these young men have learned a great deal in a short time. We're lucky to have four good props, three good locks (and a youngster or maybe two in the wings) and lots of strength at 7 and 8. White has been terrific and hopefully JOC will give the young centres better vision and clarity. Today's two wings are serious threats and hard workers and I'm hoping Hodge has a big one at 15. I expect that WBs will be contenders once they get their heads right, which with Rennie and co will only be a matter of time.
Puff
Guest
I don’t believe any quality test team, before a match have negative convictions. But as the match clock ticks down, when cool heads are imperative, some players unintentionally lose structure. DR’s problem is, younger players don’t have old heads and the Wallabies have few mentors with leadership abilities.
Laurence King
Roar Rookie
Wise words imo, this side needs to learn how to play intelligently, with cohesion and learn not to ever let the foot off the neck of an opponent. As they learn how to do these things then the time will arrive for Lolesio, Harrison et al. This is what the ABs, SAs do and it is the smart way. Foundations, bricks and mortar.
Kick n Clap
Guest
That be hard because recently they’ve been quite accepting of not us to Winning?