Running on without their ‘Special K’ quality in Japan completely changed the potency of the Wallabies, who face three tough battles to find a Test win in Europe.
Let’s give huge credit to the rise of Japanese rugby for getting as close as 32-23 when the Australians made hard work of their Saturday afternoon Test in Oita.
At 14-3 and 27-13, the Wallabies had big chances to kick clear early in both halves. And should have.
Lack of precision from the men in gold and the fight of the Japanese combined to draw the scores back closer than they should have been.
The biggest takeaway was just how much the Wallabies missed the blunt force trauma that Samu Kerevi and Marika Koroibete inflict on opposition sides.
Winger Koroibete’s damaging running and work rate won’t be back but the good news is that centre Kerevi has time on his side to get his injured ankle right.
Unusually, the Wallabies now go into a week off before zeroing in on beating the tricky Scots at Murrayfield on November 8 (1.15am AEST).
With no Kerevi to rampage in midfield from inside centre in Oita, it changed the whole dynamic of the Wallabies’ backline.
Flyhalf Quade Cooper suddenly didn’t have the sidekick to spear a pass to so he could run the ideal inside line to set up the Andrew Kellaway try that helped beat the Springboks on the Gold Coast last month.
(Photo by Kenta Harada/Getty Images)
Cooper tried to do more to compensate. Sometimes, it was excellent like the little, one-handed inside ball for the Tom Wright try.
Other times it was scrappy, like that cut-out ball that became the seven-point intercept try which closed the game into a tight, late contest.
Give Cooper some credit. He tried far more and took more risks against a weaker side with a return of his one-handed pop passes and may shelve them again against Scotland.
Equally, outside centre Len Ikitau was more dangerous when the focus was on Kerevi and Cooper could cleverly use him as a variety option.
The Cooper-Hunter Paisami-Ikitau formation just didn’t have any smoothness.
The Wallabies were coming off a break so you have to look through a little rust to see the positive parts.
They used the short side. They used the inside ball far more than early in the season. Both are essential weapons if you want to beat Scotland, Eddie Jones’ England or Wales.
One partnership that gets better and better is the Michael Hooper-Rob Valetini segment of the back row. The back row is still missing a third wing because Rob Leota, Lachie Swinton and others just haven’t nailed down the wide-open blindside flanker role.
No.8 Valetini bobbed up in the Taniela Tupou try. Cooper is now searching for Valetini as a runner and he’s finding that big body under the modified afro on the inside and outside. There’s always go-forward. That is a big 114 kg-plus to throw at the Scots.
(Photo by Kenta Harada/Getty Images)
The sight of Reece Hodge with his right arm in a sling after suffering a pectoral injury means we are going to see plenty of chances for Jordan Petaia in Europe.
He looked accomplished against Japan. He gobbled all the high balls that came his way. He was one of the most dynamic with his few chances in attack and there wasn’t a wasteful 50-50 pass or loose carry.
I loved the finish to the Test because it had some old-school quality with the rampant jersey-swapping and the heartfelt “well done” between Darcy Swain (Australia) and Ben Gunter (Japan).
Not so long ago they were both playing school rugby for Brisbane Boys’ College. Now they are thriving as Test forwards. The grin between them showed they knew exactly how far they have come.
I was in Yokohama when the Wallabies carved up the Japanese 63-30 in 2017.
To now lose by just nine points is how much the home-town heroes of the 2019 Rugby World Cup have improved in four years and it’s genuine.
That’s great news for world rugby to have another rising force that plays so differently. Great news for the Wallabies would be getting Kerevi back for the Scotland Test and winning the easiest of their match-ups in Europe.
Nicholas Bishop
Expert
Not played at all for Bristol Peter so far this season... Unlikely to feature in DR's plans - more of this on Friday!
Brett McKay
Expert
Nah, you know how to use the internet.
Francisco Roldan
Roar Rookie
#JAPvAUS was a really interesting game for many reasons. JAP makes remarkable progress and always complicates with their mobility in attack, and that is a permanent challenge for whoever faces them. I watched the game 2 times and was struck by the non-disruptive kicking game. The lack of Reece Hodge will take away his scope to put the game in opponent's territory, but the continuity of Quade Cooper can give him unpredictability and a much more random profile.
Rhys
Roar Rookie
Yep, he'll really need to improve defensively to earn a jumper with 12 or 13 on the back in tests. It won't take much though, he has the ability to and is tremendous defensively one on one but learning, just needs to learn the structures/nuances of it.
jcmasher
Roar Rookie
Yeah seems to get a lot for his attacking skills but I’m more worried that he’s a revolving door on defence. No pint in scoring 2 tries if you let in 3
Derek Murray
Roar Rookie
He had a strong running game and was solid under high ball. His core fullback skills were always OK. I never understood why he was so unpopular here
concerned supporter
Roar Rookie
Brett, ''In this case, Nine had the rights. They then chose to use their subscription service,'' You are correct, the bete-noir is Ch 9. Brett, Can you do a 15 sec google search and tell me the TV viewing Audience on Saturday Afternoon? Bet it was nowhere near the last test v South Africa, eg, 9Gem, 464,000, (Metro 336,000, Regional 128,000). Brett do you agree or disagree that potentially up to 464,000 people were denied the opportunity to watch which was apparently a decent game.
PeterK
Roar Guru
too bad he hasn't play for a long time due to a hamstring injury, can't bring him in with zero match fitness
Rhys
Roar Rookie
He did play wing for the reds and for junior wallabies etc if I’m not mistaken. I’d be much more confident of him there in a test than in the centre’s as he’s learning how to defend at centre, too much shooting up at the tahs.
Jim Tucker
Expert
Good point. If any top team in the world could be rusty it's Japan and they excelled
Jim Tucker
Expert
Happy to let a few less stoppages appear in my rugby viewing.
Jim Tucker
Expert
Experienced fullback like him is what is needed. What a comeback that would be!
Jim Tucker
Expert
Cheers mate. Banks had a length to his clearing kicks that was very valuable and may now be missed in Europe.
Jim Tucker
Expert
There will be far more pressure on our kick-catches in Edinburgh, London and Cardiff.
Jim Tucker
Expert
The grass was genuinely greener than the 1999 Rugby World Cup final at Millennium Stadium in Cardiff. They used some digital tricks to green up the muddy brown-green of the real turf for all the commemorative merch.
Jim Tucker
Expert
Good observation. Some of the very best attack in rugby comes off a halfback taking two or three steps forward to create that direct arrowhead. Sideways is slideways.
Unca
Roar Rookie
You’re right, his stint at the reds was before going to league, then France. I think the Tahs were considering him there at some stage, but injuries and his form moved him to the centres. Along With Dangunu I think they would be closest to Koro for the Tazzie Devil, no fear ball running in the squad. But you’d rather see how he handles the positional play of a winger at SR level before picking him in a test.
Brett McKay
Expert
Because even just a 15-second online search tells you that the anti-siphoning list is there to give FTA broadcasters the first chance to buy rights, not to force FTA to show something. The ASL prevents subscription services from blocking the FTA networks out. And if no FTA networks buy the right, they're open. In this case, Nine had the rights. They then chose to use their subscription service, which they can do. If a FTA network has the rights, they don't even have to show an event live. LINK: https://www.infrastructure.gov.au/media-centre/publications/anti-siphoning And when you dig in a bit deeper, you can see what I told you from the start: it doesn't includes games played outside Australia or NZ, unless part of a RWC: 6 Rugby union football (1) Each international test match that: - (a) involves the senior Australian representative team selected by the Australian Rugby Union; and - (b) is played in Australia or New Zealand. (2) Each match of the Rugby World Cup tournament that involves the senior Australian representative team selected by the Australian Rugby Union. (3) The final of the Rugby World Cup tournament. So Nine didn't wriggle out of anything. But you, yet again, decided to rant about something you don't understand...
Paddy
Guest
"The back row is still missing a third wing because Rob Leota, Lachie Swinton and others just haven’t nailed down the wide-open blindside flanker role. " They Wallabies have had Fardy, Leota, Swinton, Naisiarani, Timu, Hanigan, Higginbotham, Wilson, McMahon, Pocock etc etc over the last 6 years and have always failed. The problem is not at 6, it is at 7.
concerned supporter
Roar Rookie
wriggle out of the anti-syrhoning rules when Australian Rugby played a Test Match?False Argument? Potential FTA viewer loss, here are viewing figures from the last South Africa Test. ''Australia v South Africa 9Gem 464,000 (Metro 336,000 Regional 128,000) Note, No Stan figures available. Brett,how did Ch 9 wriggle out of the anti- syphoning rules when it was a Test Match featuring Australia?