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ANALYSIS: How positive Tate-Nic move sparked Wallabies and why Rennie must develop more combos

1st November, 2022
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1st November, 2022
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The relief at the post-match presser was palpable. It spread all over the face of Wallabies head coach Dave Rennie. It was not a rosy glow, but it was probably as close as a hard-bitten Kiwi rugby coach gets to it.

With the game at Murrayfield every bit as tight as predicted and the outcome hanging on a late penalty goal attempt by Saltires number 10 Blair Kinghorn, Rennie was fully entitled to breathe a deep sigh of relaxation. At least, for now.

It may only be temporary, with France in Paris on the menu next weekend, but it affords the ex-Chiefs man some wriggle room because it was one of the three ‘must-wins’ on tour. The one-point victory in Edinburgh gives just a little more leeway in selection terms, for Rennie to firm up the last few places in the squad he will take to the World Cup next year.

There were several positives to take out of the match. Maul-stopping in those crucial situations close to the goal-line was much improved from Eden Park and Melbourne, and Scotland were not permitted a score from 5 metre lineouts. Tick.

Young 6-foot-9 inch second row Nick Frost rose to the occasion quite literally, confirming the excellent impression he made early in The Rugby Championship: he won 10 clean lineouts out of 15 Wallaby feeds and Australia’s win rate jumped from a bottom-feeding 74% of usable ball in the Rugby Championship to 94% against Scotland.

Frost also spoiled or stole two Scotland throws for good measure, and that represented a huge improvement in a season-long area of need. Tick.

There now exists the concrete possibility of pairing him with Will Skelton for the game in Paris. and fielding a combination with an imposing blend of size, power and athleticism in the second row. Two locks standing over 6’8 and averaging 125-130 kilos would even grab French attention.

Will Genia joins Brett McKay and Harry Jones to break down the Wallabies’ halfback play in The Roar Rugby Podcast

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Coaches are always on the lookout for such combinations, the ‘one-two punch’ where the strengths of one player complement and reinforce those of another. When the balance is right, the power of the pair often far exceeds that of the individual in isolation. There is a chance that Frost and Skelton may create that synergy.

The one-two punch principle also applies between the opening-whistle starter and the finisher from the bench, and Australia re-discovered that value in the coupling of Tate McDermott and Nic White at scrum-half. Tate the running threat, ‘Whitey’ the strategist and passer; McDermott fixing the inside defence early in the phase count, White upping the tempo as the phases mount. It is a one-two punch should have been in place all along.

Wallabies head coach Dave Rennie talks to Tate McDermott of the Wallabies and Nic White of the Wallabies after winning The Rugby Championship match between the Australian Wallabies and the South African Springboks at Adelaide Oval on August 27, 2022 in Adelaide, Australia. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)

(Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)

A number of Dave Rennie’s comments at the post-match press conference gravitated to the same magnetic centre, orbiting around play at the base of the ruck:

“We know Scotland are very good [at the] post-tackle and [they] managed to get their hands on a bit of ball, so we’re going to have to be better against France obviously. [But] it was nice to get a result…”

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“We’ve got plenty of character here, and you got to see that out on the paddock tonight.

“We break our game down and look at areas where we think we can make shifts. The key for us is to back up tonight with a better performance. We know we’ve got a lot more in us.

“We knew that Tate [McDermott] could run and open them up, and he found a lot of space. [But] it was messy around the back of the ruck, especially in the ‘A’ zone [inside the opposition 22]. He got a lot of ball which was bobbling around and they came through and he had to fix the quality of his pass.”

The Wallaby coaches made a positive choice with their selection of McDermott and White in tandem, now they have to look at ways of making those shifts which hone the edge and sharpen the blade even further, so that the duo is a major weapon for Australia come the World Cup.

The basic balance is illustrated by the raw stats. In his 56 minutes of game-time, McDermott made 32 passes, five kicks and three breaks; over the last 24 minutes, White authored 24 passes and three kicks with no breaks, but drew a penalty on defence and made a key decision on the final dropout which ended the game in Australia’s favour.

Let’s look at some of the nuances of these two versions of scrum-half play in action. Although his passing has improved markedly over the past two seasons, McDermott is still the type of scrum-half who enters the tackle zone high and stiff-legged, and tends to lift the ball at the base in order to provide that running threat around the side of the ruck:

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Once the mullet-headed Queenslander straightens up with the ball in two hands, it means only one thing for the defence – trouble. The following instance occurred off a Nick Frost lineout steal:

Get McDermott a second touch on the ball within the same move, and he can generate even more attacking momentum:

Entering the tackle area upright also has its debits as well as its credits for the number 9. It makes it easier the scrum-half to lift-and-run (at the start of the play), but it also creates disconnects as the ruck forms. At the end of the play, McDermott has to commit immediately as the second man to the cleanout on Scotland skipper Jamie Ritchie, but he is too ‘high’ to do it. His centre of gravity is not low enough to adopt the driving position necessary to remove Ritchie from the contest, so he stays out and Scotland wins the turnover penalty instead.

As the first half unwound, Tate McDermott encountered increasing difficulties derived from his body height around the base of the ruck:

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With such an upright entry stance, the number 9 is just that little bit more vulnerable to disruption by the defence, and that means slow ball, or a negative collision on the following phase.

It is only a matter of time before spoils become steals:

In the first instance McDermott does look to clean out, but his height in the saddle is just too tall for an effective removal on a big Scottish forward. In the second example, he is so close to the base that it allows his opposite number the opportunity to spoil as the Queenslander goes to lift the ball off the turf.

When Nic White came off the bench in the 56th minute of the second half, he was able to impart more tempo from the base immediately:

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White is ‘pass-first’ so his body-height is generally lower, and his feet are quicker to shift, which means that attacking changes of direction are easier. During the 75 seconds that this sequence lasted, there were nine rucks (at just over eight seconds per phase), with five plays to the left and four going right. Even when White lifts the ball his body remains square to the defence, so Scotland needs to stop, and honour the running threat. Less interference at the base, more fluidity from ruck to ruck.

It meant more defensive uncertainty for Scotland, and greater cohesiveness and fluidity for the Wallaby attack:

Two passes straight off the deck, two changes of direction, with one play going right and the second left, are enough to unlock a D struggling to cover all the spaces, and regroup in time to match offensive tempo.

At the very end of the game, White still had his strategic head screwed firmly to his shoulders. He realised that he could not kick the ball straight off the field from a restart on the 22 without incurring a penalty, and he did not want to give Scotland possession in the Australian half of the field. The solution was a low ‘scuttler’ straight into touch.

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Game, set and match Australia.

Summary

It was indeed a damned close-run thing, but Dave Rennie and his coaches will happy with the one-point win at Murrayfield. Beating Scotland outside the November window in the first game was probably the single biggest end-of-year tour requirement.

After the sense of sheer relief has subsided, it will be back to work for France in Paris on Guy Fawkes night next Saturday. It is one evening on which Rennie will be hoping that Les Tricolores do not turn up with too many fireworks in their armoury. If the game starts setting off those showering lights of celebration above the Eiffel Tower, they will only be red, white and blue in colour.

The Wallaby head coach at last has some combinations on which he can build. There were definite signs that Taniela Tupou is willing and able to support Allan Alaalatoa at tight-head prop; that Nick Frost can potentially partner with Will Skelton to provide a real presence in the second row; that Tate and Nic can provide the one-two punch at number 9 behind them.

All have attributes which can complement and enhance the other, and make the sum of the pair greater than its individual parts. Does White start and McDermott finish, or vice versa? Which parts of the game do the talents of a dynamic fast-breaker, and strategic link-passer fit best? At least the questions are alive and well, if the answers have yet to be set in stone.

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