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Opinion

Let's focus on the moments between the madness for the Wallabies

Roar Rookie
10th July, 2021
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Roar Rookie
10th July, 2021
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The Wallabies got their 2021 Test season off to a winning start against Les Bleus on Wednesday night at Suncorp Stadium.

While it took until the 83rd minute for the men in gold to gain the lead for the first time in the match, there were moments in an otherwise messy encounter that suggest Dave Rennie’s men are on the right path.

The French were always going to come out of the gates firing, they’d arrived to Australia and were forced to endure two weeks of quarantine, allowed out for training purposes only.

They raced out to an early lead, showcased their typical French flair and capitalised on some soft defence from the Aussies. Jonathan Danty was monstrous all night. The young halves were solid and we could see the ability they possess.

They were let down late in the match by some poor handling errors and typical decision-making errors that come with a young team who hasn’t played together.

They will be better for the performance and in a scary sense, this is not their strongest side. They are my dark horse for the 2023 World Cup.

Dylan Cretin jumps in lineout

(Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)

As for Michael Hooper’s charges, they will be relieved with the win but also disappointed with certain aspects and moments of the game.

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There was a lot to criticise and many have done just that. Beneath it all, though, there was a lot to like about the performance and it is one that has me excited for what’s to come with this group.

The good
The squad is building some depth in key areas. The front row was solid. The second row has some options with troops still to come.

The back row had a great balance. Rob Valetini will be better for the run. The halves did their job and Hunter Paisami is the real deal and is someone the Wallabies can build around. Our wingers may be frustrated with the lack of ball received but we have options and they can finish when given the chance.

The pack showed real toughness. Maul defence and attack was excellent and I’m sure that’s got Dan McKellar’s DNA all over it. Defence close to the ruck and physicality was an area Dave Rennie wanted to see improve and I’m sure he’ll be happy here.

Noah Lolesio wasn’t spectacular but he showed resilience and enough to warrant another chance in the saddle. His drop goal showed he won’t be scared of the big moments and his ability to move on from mistakes quickly will be a huge asset to his Test career moving forward.

Noah Lolesio kicks the winning goal for the Wallabies

(Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)

Michael Hooper once again proved why he is worth every cent Rugby Australia pays him. His leadership is evident in the way he plays. I was surprised when he opted to kick to touch instead of kick for three points when down 21-13 with 12 minutes to go. It was a brave call and one that paid off in backing his men.

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The shape and finer details of the Wallabies’ attack at times looked off, as we could expect from a first hit out together, but there were glimpses of hope that Scott Wisemantel’s work is coming to fruition.

There were some lovely tip-ons from the big men Isi Naisarani to Taniela Tupou late in the game. There was some good timing from the forward pods to a ball player out the back with shape and width to play off it. There was a lot to like outside of the errors, which plagued both sides’ ability to get a flow in this area.

The bad
Matt Taylor will be scratching his head at a few individual error reads in defence and allowing some pretty soft French tries.

Breakdown accuracy was poor and almost cost the Wallabies the match. It is one of the new trends of world rugby with ruck speed and accuracy sometimes being the difference in a team’s ability to play how they want to. This will be a huge focus for the Aussie coaches moving forward.

Counter attack was poor. I’m not sure if Tom Banks is a Test-level rugby player. It all just looks to happen a little to quickly for him out there. At one stage you could see Michael Hooper pointing to a big hole in the French defence for Banks to carry back and exploit but he chose to kick a bomb, which went out on the full. Some have it at that level and others don’t.

Kick space opportunities were on a lot more than the time Hunter Paisami cross kicked for Andrew Kellaway with minutes to go. The French defence could have been exploited a lot more with a bit more eyes-up play and I’m sure this will be an area to work on looking to the next Test.

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Hunter Paisami runs the ball

(Hyde/Getty Images)

What we learned
The ‘Tongan Thor’ must start. Tate McDermott must start. Marika Koribite will be a huge loss when he leaves for Japan.

There is some fight left in the Wallabies’ jersey. You could see how much the win meant to them and how badly they wanted it until the end.

There is a lot of improvement left in the side. There are still some selection questions. And gee, the French have some serious depth.

Don’t underestimate the quality of that French team. Yes, they’re clearly missing some big names but it’s no wonder they’ve been at the top of the junior systems for the last few years.

They too will be better for the run and it sets up an exciting series that the Australian public should be excited about.

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