A tournament that was positioned perfectly at the mid-point, with all four sides having won and lost twice, eventually split into two, with New Zealand and South Africa crushing the hopes of Australia and Argentina over the last 10 days.
Knowing they needed a winning margin of 39 points in the final match, South Africa also crushed their own hopes, employing a game plan that confirmed their set-piece strength, but was never the secret sauce required to set the Durban scoreboard alight.
Instead, New Zealand claimed their 19th Rugby Championship/Tri Nations title from 27 attempts, as well as retaining the Freedom Cup and Bledisloe Cup. Not a bad haul for a side said to be in total disarray just six weeks ago.
It was business as usual at the Eden Park fortress, the All Blacks far too strong for a Wallabies outfit that has been talking for weeks about the need to stay disciplined, but with the players seemingly unwilling or unable to match words with actions.
(Photo by Greg Bowker/Getty Images)
Jed Holloway set the tone early, and while the Wallabies didn’t concede during his sin bin, matches were burned. A hard-fought first quarter saw the All Blacks ahead by only three points, but it was no surprise when things opened up after that; 17-0 at halftime, 27-0 seven minutes later.
That period included a controversial try to Sam Whitelock. The call was tight, but the officials got it right; no matter Angus Bell placing his mitt on the ball, Whitelock’s secure underhand grip ensured he never lost possession, and meant the try was always his.
With the result never in doubt, all that was left was for the All Blacks to keep pushing the margin out. In that regard, conceding late to Jordan Petaia stung a lot more than it might otherwise have.
With Jason Ryan finding his feet in the coaching group, improvement in the All Blacks’ pack is becoming increasingly apparent. Unconvincing in Melbourne, their scrum this time assumed dominance, although it was the purposeful ball carrying that really caught the eye, with the All Blacks’ post-contact metres off the charts.
Among the most prominent was Tyrel Lomax, whose transformation from underachieving penalty magnet to dynamic All Black starter, is one of the rugby stories of the year.
Back on May 14, in a Round 13 Super Rugby match, with the Hurricanes scrum in the process of being destroyed by the Waratahs at Leichhardt Oval, Lomax suffered the ultimate humiliation, dragged before half-time, replaced by veteran Owen Franks.
Brett McKay, Harry Jones and Jim Tucker are joined by Tony Harper for an Instant Reaction podcast
Along with Ethan De Groot, who has made the necessary steps with respect to his conditioning, and hooker Samisoni Taukei’aho, the All Blacks now boast a front row that has an appealing balance of strength and youthful sass, which will only be better by the time they arrive in Paris in a year’s time.
At the other end of the scale, 142-Test veteran Whitelock also looks to be in a good place. Sam Cane is Ian Foster’s man as captain, but Whitelock increasingly looks assured as a leader, and to have enough spring in his legs to carry him through the World Cup.
Akira Ioane still feels like the odd man out in the pack, but with Scott Barrett and Shannon Frizell to come back at 6, the question mark over Ioane might prove to be moot.
Sweating on an opportunity at 12, Jordie Barrett more than justified his selection, putting in a dominant performance. He offers a foil for Richie Mounga inside him and looks like a good fit for Rieko Ioane outside him.
Full and frank assessment will have to wait until this midfield combination are properly tested on defence, but – accidental circumstances or not – this feels like a very promising development.
One of the reasons Barrett has been preferred at 15 is his ability under the high ball, but with South Africa now off the schedule for the best part of a year, and Caleb Clarke and Will Jordan capable catchers, Foster can feel more comfortable about the positional switch.
Before All Blacks fans get too carried away, caveats apply. This is not a vintage Wallabies team, and while a win is a win, context and perspective are everything.
Wallabies players react to losing to the All Blacks. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)
The All Blacks are due credit for the way they are digging themselves out of what looked to be a serious hole, and the triumph in Johannesburg spoke to a depth of character and self-belief that many thought the team and coach didn’t have in them.
Speculation about Foster’s job has been put to bed, giving the group much needed clear air, but it won’t be until December, at the completion of the northern hemisphere tour, that things can be better lined up.
The Wallabies’ situation seems more straightforward. This season they have beaten England, Argentina and South Africa, and were a whistle away from beating New Zealand. But they have also been beaten by all of those sides, in some cases, badly.
It’s that inability to build off success, to maintain skills execution, to find the sweet spot between intensity and red mist, and to lock in enduring combinations that ensure consistency of performance, that is failing the Wallabies.
This all starts at the collision. With the All Blacks able to punch through contact, the Wallabies found themselves scrambling. And when that happens, poor decisions get made and penalties get conceded.
On their own ball, aside from an early bust by Holloway, the Wallabies never found the same forward momentum. As a result, their attack lacked shape, and the Wallabies barely threatened when it counted.
As in Melbourne, Pete Samu stood out for his sheer combativeness. A late try to Petaia hinted at what might have been possible, but that was really just more of what has teased Wallabies fans throughout this 20-year Bledisloe Cup drought. Glimpses.
Given the focus on discipline – confirmed by Tate McDermott at half-time – the Wallabies failings were galling. As Allan Alaalatoa colourfully noted after the match, “It’s hard to verse the All Blacks with two yellow cards.”
Indeed. Particularly when, after losing Porecki, the Wallabies looked rudderless, desperately trying to avoid set pieces and resorting to hoisting an old-fashioned garryowen from a free kick.
Curiously, the Wallabies didn’t need to feel so constrained; either unwilling or unaware that they had the option to call for a scrum, which would have allowed for Folau Fainga’a’s introduction.
Post-match, a frustrated Dave Rennie called time on his side’s ill-discipline, saying that the solution might be found at the selection table. His loss of patience is understandable, and it is fast approaching time that players who are not delivering are set aside.
Paradoxically, changes at the selection table are one of the things holding the Wallabies back. Playing like a team which has been subjected to too many changes, lacking the cohesion and confidence that comes from continuity in selection, more changes are about to be forced upon them for the northern tour.
Lalakai Foketi joined the list of long-term injured, there is uncertainty around how the overseas-based player picks will be used, and there is still an opportunity for players involved in the ‘A’ tour to Japan to force their way to the top table.
As gloomy as things look today, all is not lost for the World Cup. The Wallabies still have time to gather their best personnel and link their better performances together. Remember also, how kind the World Cup draw gods have been.
But a few important things need to happen. As well as fixing their own failings, the Wallabies are due a kinder run with injury. And they need to nip in the bud any emerging hints that they are the perennial victim of injustice.
No matter their brush with Monsiuer Raynal in Melbourne, Australia is no better or worse treated than any side.
(Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
One of the things that happens when the Bledisloe Cup becomes a distant 20-year memory, is that commentators and fans increasingly frame each piece of play in terms of how the officials have treated them.
Not only do these cries for fairness become increasingly insufferable to bear, they do the Wallabies no favours.
Could De Groot have been penalised for his tackle on Len Ikitau? Perhaps, but referee Andrew Brace had a clear view and judged that Ikitau was still making a play on the ball. TMO Ben Whitehouse also had the opportunity to review on the run, then chose not to step in.
Such incidents represent nothing more than a 50/50 call falling one way or the other. With the All Blacks already holding a match-winning lead, in terms of the match, in terms of where the Wallabies are and where they need to be, such rugby collisions are inconsequential.
When a 39-point winning margin is required, a lot of things need to go right, but South Africa’s stand-in flyhalf Frans Steyn clearly didn’t read the script, thrice missing touch from penalties, setting the tone for a frustrating afternoon for a lively Durban crowd.
More expected was Argentina’s contribution; a collage of ill-discipline, basic skill errors, and flashes of individual brilliance. Pace of play too was problematic; the Boks, without a minute to waste, repeatedly asking referee Damon Murphy to hurry the visitors along.
As Murphy was justified in pointing out, if the Springboks wanted to speed things up, they were welcome to forgo their own pre-lineout conferences, just as halfback Jaden Hendrikse could have secured faster possession from the ruck, instead of going through his customary, laborious set-up before kicking the ball away.
Perhaps the Boks had convinced themselves it was possible to win by 39, but even so, a static, stodgy game plan that relied upon an (admittedly strong) set-piece, was never going to deliver enough tries.
As it happened, four lineout maul tries, plus an after-the-siren consolation represented a below-par return against an opponent who had four players binned at various stages.
They were also unable to stop Argentina scoring – three times – with Willie le Roux left red-faced at the way he was stood up by Argentina’s player of the tournament, Juan Martin Gonzalez.
(Photo by Joe Allison/Getty Images)
South Africa knows that World Cups aren’t won by sides scoring 40-50 points against the clock. This Rugby Championship hasn’t fallen their way, but with the emergence of some fresh backline talent, they will feel that no lasting wounds have been inflicted.
Argentina meanwhile will feel satisfied with their two wins; a comprehensive towelling of Australia in San Juan and a historic first win in New Zealand, but their chronic discipline issues leave Australia in the shade.
Time and again cheap penalties are given away for ‘nothing’ offences like grabbing at a leg in a maul, or advancing ahead of the kicker; all of this despite the referee shouting multiple warnings.
They will benefit from a break; their leading men have shouldered a heavy load throughout, and with another 12 months for coach Michael Cheika to get fully accustomed to the players and vice-versa, assuming they learn to listen to the referee, they will be a dangerous opponent in France.
Refereeing remains a topic of intense debate, and Damon Murphy – not known for having a relaxed, empathetic manner at the best of times – only added fuel to the fire by finding 39 penalties, six yellow cards and two penalty tries.
Those numbers will do nothing to quell the concerns that referees have become too dominant, but it’s also worth highlighting the responsibility that the players have to the game.
Yes, there are pressing issues around the laws, TMO involvement and referees, under the microscopic eye of multiple cameras, caught between contradictory demands for accuracy and calls to keep the game flowing – often coming from the same people.
Nobody wants a World Cup where there are 39 penalties handed out per match. But a good place to start might be to point the finger in the right direction.
Last week, Bernard Foley learned a costly lesson about listening to the referee. Despite all of the publicity that surrounded that incident, it’s a lesson that the Springbok and Pumas players clearly didn’t pick up on.
Two Cents
Guest
You'll find that it is precisely because league is a simple game for simple people that it is "tribal" and [sic]"awesome".
Two Cents
Guest
I might also add that I believe this is the collegiate to and fro that you were bemoaning had long since departed from this website and I thought I would just give it a go to restore some of that spirit.
Two Cents
Guest
Granted and that is more or less the spirit in which I took it. Only some Australians are so humourless as to take such things personally. I just wanted to put on the record that there are some genuine fans around for whom our love of the game and our respect for the history of it are as deep as yours. You might note that my comment ala Lord Bledisloe was a repayment in kind for your cheek.
Jokerman
Roar Guru
It was funny hearing the Australian commentary; “that’s Bells hand!” They were convinced.
WEST
Roar Guru
Have you heard anything about the meetings Razor has been having with NZRU? Been seen at the HQ over the long weekend
moaman
Roar Guru
i won't deny my post may have been ''trite and ill-informed'' but when you get to know me a tiny bit better you might find it was also delivered with tongue firmly planted and intended as banter only. But then again, you might just as easily continue to hold that opinion?
Two Cents
Guest
Completely agree. With a caveat. It's kind of flawed thinking from the get-go. The "next big thing" doesn't exist in the game of rugby, so anyone who assumes this "messiah" approach to selection has chosen the wrong sport. This "marquee" system has achieved nothing for the Wallabies in 20 years and has in many ways set us well behind our competition in terms of development. Deans, I thought, was a positive direction for Rugby Australia to take because even with the talent bottlenecks created by decades of underinvestment in domestic rugby, he created genuine depth in the top level stocks available for international selection. His TRC win and his team reaching the RWC final are testament to this. However, thanks to both of his successors, MacKenzie and Cheika, we have an entire lost generation of players whose only pathway at the time was to head abroad because neither of these coaches was going to play them, making most of them ineligible for selection. Thus, they squandered the depth that had been created and now Rennie has to recover from that deficit as well as deliver performance. I hate to say it, but that is wishful thinking. It would be a tremendous disservice to these young players to see their talents be wasted. But I don't know how you judge whether someone is ready for the big time if you never give them a chance to show what they can do. I understand the caution required to not "spoil" them but part of your ability to both play at the top level and remain at the top for a full career are largely dependent upon your resilience and mental fortitude. Being thrown into the cauldron of international test match rugby is the ultimate test of these qualities and you sometimes just have to see if people will sink or swim. This is the caveat. I agree with you that the Petaia experiment failed because like with Folau, Quade 1.0 and JOC, he was continually hyped as the "next big thing" without demonstrating any results or having had to show any graft. That is the part that is dangerous for player development, not the actual game time that they get at the top level. So, get these guys in there, let them prove their worth, then laud them for their results (or jibe them for their failures), not the other way around.
Two Cents
Guest
Sport is not like other businesses, even in the entertainment world, and rugby union is not like other sports, so adopting a KPI-style model to evaluate performance is worthless. If you want mass-market appeal, which seems to be the angle that you are driving at, rugby is not the brand to achieve that because the complexity of the game and the continuous nature of play naturally excludes that part of the potential audience that doesn't care for content that lacks stoppages and that you have to think about. It takes us back to the whole rugby versus... debate which has no merit. Rugby doesn't need to compete with any other code because the sport itself has so many unique characteristics that the people who in fact follow the sport passionately would not exchange for a game that more people can and would consume (ergo league and VFL). The Wallabies is still by far and away the most profitable franchise for the sport in Australia, so it isn't wrong for RA to be looking to spend as much money on improving this product as they can. However, what is clear is that the structural deficiencies for rugby development in Australia have created talent bottlenecks that RA is both unwilling and unable to effectively address. Bringing players from overseas back and poaching rival competitions for "marquee" talent are experiments that keep failing to deliver long-term improvements and results. And the biggest problem with this pathway is that it consumes the increasingly limited resources of RA for no gain. Talk about throwing good money after bad. Your definition of "good" is in fact good enough for the genuine fan and genuine fans are the lifeblood of the game, not the fickle fair-weather fanboys who only latch their wagon to the Wallabies train when they are winning. Genuine change in Australian rugby can only be achieved by taking the courageous decisions now, to forego short-term results for long-term sustainable success. Part of that long-term has to be the establishment of a premier national competition between the state premierships and Super Rugby which creates an additional value-generating conduit to funnel both money and talent in the Super Rugby and national franchises. Rennie is a good coach who knows how to win and if he really can repeat the Deans experiment (that did in fact generate a lot of depth which his successors then squandered), we will have the makings of a competitive team when the World Cup lands back on these shores. I have no problem with casuals such as yourself commenting on the state of Australian rugby, but you have to understand that the game is bigger than just some weekend entertainment. There is genuine passion and devout following for the game and that will continue regardless of results. The problems for the Wallabies are in fact not as monumental as people like yourself would have everyone believe. The Melbourne test showed this with the Aussies making up an unheard of deficit to practically win the game from what was a losing position. There are no quick fixes in the game of rugby. Success is a long-term prospect that you earn by continually doing the little things right and Australia has shown that they still have a lot of work to do to earn their place back at the table. But I have every confidence that this will happen. I just don't know when.
Two Cents
Guest
Whether Whitelock lost the ball or planted it like an egg is actually irrelevant. He could have lost the ball and it still wouldn't have changed the call on the field. The referee's call always has primacy. My understanding of TMO rulings is that whatever the on-field call is, for the TMO to overturn the call, they have to be convinced that the replays clearly show positive evidence that contradicts the on-field call. Since the TMO did not see anything that convinced him to overturn the call, the call stands. No mystery, no controversy, no cabal of international referees punishing the Wallabies. And a distinct lack of snakes anywhere in sight.
Two Cents
Guest
That's just it, isn't it? Since the referees will always miss things and make wrong calls, it's up to the players to neutralise that part of the equation by giving them as little reason to play with their whistle as possible. Had Australia knuckled down and played simple tight rugby without going the flashdance, they might've given the referees nothing to do. But instead they grandstanded, never got into the game and invited the ire of the referees upon them by mouthing off and continually infringing. They were very lucky not to have spent the entirety of both games with less than 15 men on the field. It just isn't good enough at test level. And interestingly enough, had the Wallabies simply done the basics right and played the majority of the game down in the ABs quarter, they would've gotten the rub of the green with the whistle as well as the results. A tall ask but certainly far from impossible. Remember that the Wallabies are still responsible for inflicting the worst losing margin upon the ABs that they've ever suffered so certainly it is within the character of the program to achieve such results. It just remains to be seen if the current playing group can deliver. I remain cautiously optimistic but I am realist and with the horrendous injury list and too limited time remaining until the cup, I won't be holding my breath for a miracle.
Two Cents
Guest
Couldn't have said it better
Two Cents
Guest
But, all the laws are essential so I'm not sure where you imagine you would start. The complex laws or rather the comprehensive laws of rugby are part of what makes the game so beautiful. If anything, I think there should be even more rules so that there is even greater clarity for situations that are potentially too vague or broad and currently require too much interpretation. There'd be a lot more consistency with this approach rather than being simplified to a point that it becomes different game.
Two Cents
Guest
So, the Australian has no history to be equally proud of? That's interesting. Well, you can deride our more than 100 years of rugby heritage if you want to. That is your prerogative. I'm sure that Lord Bledisloe only commissioned the cup on a whim because he felt sorry for the Australians rather than because the annual fixture was such a hard-fought spectacle that he felt it was worth commemorating. I'll make sure to give him your regards when I see him upstairs at the big game. If your assessment of rugby followers in Australia is that people only care about wins, you've clearly been listening to too many league and AFL commentators or league and AFL fans masquerading as Wallabies supporters. As someone who played rugby through school and all the way to second grade as well as at uni, I find your rather limited perspective on the real following of rugby in this country somewhat trite and ill-informed. The genuine rugby supporter in Australia is not a fair-weather traveller who turns out only when the sun is shining. Rather, they are a time-worn soul whose unwavering dedication to their team and their code endures under the mockery and scorn from friend and foe alike. You can belittle our team if that's what makes you happy but don't malign our history. We have just as much as you to be proud of and you haven't earned that right.
Two Cents
Guest
You have to compare like with like. Neither the AFL nor NRL are international competitions and of those 2, representing Australia in league doesn't have quite the lustre as competing in union. The attraction of playing union is that you can genuinely compete internationally, secure a high paying contract offshore and you have the potential to represent Australia at both the Commonwealth Games and Olympic Games. If money is the only thing that you think matters, rugby is not the game for you. And clearly enough of the best rugby players that Australia can field play rugby, they don't go to league. It's only speculative prospects that seek out their fortunes in "lesser" competitions.
CW Moss
Roar Rookie
I would make the final game vs the WBs the run-on team and stick with it. Whitelock Capt, + the Barret boys, thanks, Sam Cane, you were a loyal skipper, but it's over, really sorry. Jordie is a dangerous 12, BB can handle 15, Richie is a fixture at 10. Game on.
Geoff Parkes
Expert
Some good picks there, Rusty.
Geoff Parkes
Expert
One area where I do agree Paulo, is around the live match threads. These used to be a lot of fun, full of shape observation and smart banter. Now it's mostly a place for partisan ref bashing. Again, I blame the broadcasters for some of that - they have reinforced the idea that rugby is a game to be viewed in terms of how badly the officials are treating my team.
Geoff Parkes
Expert
Predictive text messing both our posts up, Billy. Let's try... Edmed
Carlos the Argie
Roar Guru
Family visit. Have not seen my mom since ’19, right after the RWC. We are not getting any younger. So, I am hanging out with mom, brothers and other relatives. Mucho asado y vino.
Carlos the Argie
Roar Guru
Yes, Basque. There was a large Basque immigration to South America. An Argentina team captain was of Basque origin, Martin Azpiroz. But the most famous one (recently) has been the Uruguayan Ormaechea. I think that's his name. He played 8 in a RWC'99 at 40 years old. He's the current Uruguay coach. Basques introduced the tannat grape to Uruguay and make great wine with it.