DUBLIN – Four years ago the writing was on the wall for Eddie Jones. After a disastrous Six Nations campaign and a series defeat to the Springboks in South Africa, the perception was the Australian had lost his Midas touch and as winter loomed so did his future.
For a nation that had bombed at their home World Cup in 2015, there were fears reverberating around Twickenham that another car crash was coming.
From Sir Clive Woodward to Stuart Barnes, England’s pundits wanted Jones’ head.
One performance shifted the wave of negativity, as Jones’ side took it to the All Blacks, bursting out of the blocks and scoring early.
Ultimately, a controversial no-try to Sam Underhill meant England fell just short, losing 16-15 to the All Blacks who mounted a brilliant comeback and hung on in the wet. Funnily enough, those two proud nations will once again meet on Sunday AEDT.
But despite going down, England delivered a statement against the All Blacks. They took them up front and showed flashes of brilliance in attack. The performance, not the result, saw the Rugby Football Union back Jones into the World Cup – a tournament England stumbled at the last hurdle in the final.
In the minutes after the mouthwatering clash in London, another foreigner coaching Australia faces a similar moment of truth to the one Jones experienced one year out from the World Cup as Dave Rennie’s Wallabies face the music at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin.
Rennie spoke of being a glass half full person at his team announcement on Thursday, but the mood reflects the short days in Dublin, where the sun barely rises and the air is crisp, following their embarrassing defeat to Italy in Florence.
Dave Rennie (Photo by Timothy Rogers/Getty Images)
Just like Jones four years ago, Rennie doesn’t need a win so much as a performance. This is Ireland after all, the world No.1 nation.
If it doesn’t come, he will head to Cardiff with his future on the line.
On paper, Rennie’s squad is good enough to win. The front-row is solid, the backrow is balanced and the halves are proven internationals.
The great concern however is the constant chopping and changing does little for cohesion and combinations.
Consistency has dogged the Wallabies all year and stringing back to back performances together often develops when players trust each other and the system.
It is therefore no surprise that players are giving away “Dumb Arse Penalties”, as Rennie called them, because the constant changes do little to instill confidence.
Players, as Nic White said on Tuesday, overplay their hand trying to pull off a crucial moment for themselves as much as the team.
Captain James Slipper is vowing the Wallabies can find their best form again against Ireland.
“Performing off the back of a disappointment has probably been our biggest positive but in saying that I’d much prefer a consistent performance throughout the year,” Slipper said.
“It’s something that we’ve been chasing all year – it’s a massive area we need to improve in because at this stage it hasn’t been good enough.
“We will definitely rise to the occasion … we will respond just like we have throughout the year after adversity.
“I’m confident in the group we have and the coaches we have that we’ve got the game plan to put Ireland under pressure.
“We want to implement the game plan from the first whistle to the 80th minute – to close out a game would be nice.”
The Wallabies must be clinical at the breakdown to stand a chance against the Irish.
With back-rowers Josh van der Flier and Peter O’Mahony as well as lock Tadhg Beirne in the side, Ireland will be razor sharp at the breakdown.
If they can deliver Nic White some clean ball, the Wallabies can push Ireland and win back some respect.
Their coach’s future depends on it.
sheek
Roar Guru
Lincoln, I've described in the past the highs of Australian rugby like islands dotted throughout the Pacific, success few & far between. If we looked back in years, the good years are roughly as follows: Wallabies first played 1899, but first real success in 1929/30, 1933/34, 1947/49, 1963, 1965, 1979/80, 1984/86, 1991/94, 1998/2003. The 1927/28 Waratahs are also celebrated, winning 3 of 5 tests. They were called the Waratahs because from 1915-28, rugby shrunk to only NSW & didn't restart in Qld until 1929, but with spectacular results. Although the Wallabies made the world cup final in 2015 & finished 3rd in 2011, they were rare achievements in an otherwise near two decades of rank mediocrity. And those results in 2011 & 2015 said as much about the ordinariness of other supposedly great rugby nations, as it did about the Wallabies over-achieving.
Lincoln
Roar Rookie
I just find it odd that the version of rugby that is much bigger internationally and seems to generate more national pride when we win is the 2nd class version here. As an AFL supporter, Rugby Union caught my eye probably due to more kicking and marking than League. It find it embarrassing that we keep losing to NZ when we've got players here that could beat them if only they played union.
Jimbo81
Roar Rookie
Who said anything about Hooper playing? Biggest problem is the ruck. We need to money-ball this and pick ruck clearing forwards first and foremost and Hooper doesn’t have this in his skill set leaving us the most penalised side in the world in attack on our own ball (which is kind of staggeringly pathetic given we get to decide where and when these rucks happen).
Ulrich
Roar Rookie
Greatest borefest of the season. Thanks. Amazing play by Australia to look so lame. Wonderful. Congratulations. Ban the Boks for their boring play.
No Arms
Roar Rookie
We will rise in order to fall?
Chufortah
Guest
Robbed again by a bloke who has never played rugby in his life. That’s heartbreaking. Weak penalty
Passit2me
Roar Rookie
What's with grubbing for the line with so much space behind the Irish defence?
Passit2me
Roar Rookie
What are we waiting for on the clearance from the Ruck? We should be 20 down at this point.
Passit2me
Roar Rookie
Valetini goes high far too often. Why he still tackles like that is beyond me. It is so stupid and the coaches are negligent at not correcting it. The commentators need to watch the footage instead of listening to and hanging their hat on an incorrect ref call. That’s what the TMO is there for you gooses.
Passit2me
Roar Rookie
How on earth we are still in this game, I have no idea. The Irish backline have done nothing so far thankfully. Maybe it's a calm before a 2nd half storm. I hope not.
Passit2me
Roar Rookie
Give it a rest White. With that action, you represent many things that are wrong with our team.
Tony H
Roar Pro
Agreed. We can pick a coach from Northern clubland. Ours are terrible
sheek
Roar Guru
Tony H, It’s funny ironic how life turns & twists. Back in the 1990s & early 2000s, I wasn’t interested in reading opinions from the northern hemisphere, because it was obvious all, if not most of the great rugby thinkers were south of the Equator. How things have changed. Now I don’t take any notice of what any of the ‘experts’ south of the Equator says rugby-wise.
Tony H
Roar Pro
Oh I understand that completely Sheek. I'm not over egging club rugby, but all of the senior coaches in Aus for the last decade (since Link) have played ridiculous game plans that are either indecipherable, or just stupid.
Cec
Roar Rookie
I’ve just explained that our cattle are just not good enough compared to our competitors. It’s not our boys are necessarily lesser athletes but have a look at the difference in development in terms of identification, pathways, amount of training & games played leading up to test level selections. I believe that’s why so many AUS boys improve when they move to EURO at club level and now to the point where our guys are even getting selected st test level for O/S teams. The same amount of mistakes and penalties we see in this team are pretty much the same ones during Chieka’s 5yrs & even at SR level. So can you see what DR has to deal with? Our administrators have failed our players many many years before they got to DR. So yeah I’ve been paying attention but with a long term & holistic view to DR predicament limiting his choices. Some here choose to take a more simplistic short term view with a whinge that offers little to a discussion but that’s fine. To be clear I’m not happy with the results for the WB but DR is not entirely responsible for this.
GC Red
Roar Rookie
And Foley and Beale anywhere near the squad.
GC Red
Roar Rookie
I don’t think they will turf the bloke. But I doubt they will renew his contract
GC Red
Roar Rookie
Except that the back row isn’t balanced. And we will be found out again. Jed Holloway is a great player, but you say in the article that we need to be razor sharp at the breakdown. Who in that wallabies team is good at the combat in the ruck? It’s not the back row that has been picked.
Peter
Guest
Not a chance! Another pasting for the whining Wallaroos. If the Poms battle to put away a fragile Aussie team, they really are in trouble.
Englishbob
Guest
England and Australia share a similar trait in Union in that their best or worst performance usually follows the other one. Not very scientific but I just fancy the game in Ireland may be closer than it appears and I still think Ireland can be bullied up front. Cmon the wallabies