Righto Wallabies, now you’ve got me interested. And that’s not to say that I wasn’t interested in the Wallabies before or that I was planning to abandon ship anytime soon. Of course I was and of course I wasn’t, respectively.
But after wondering about positioning and defensive patterns and positioning within defensive patterns in recent weeks, and then penalties and discipline and how much ball is not enough ball for the Wallabies, it was nice to finally see something in Melbourne that shows that things may be – very, very slowly – falling into place.
Before you start scratching your head and wonder what on earth I’m about to launch into, let’s just clear a few things up about the Wallabies’ performance on the weekend.
They were, make no mistake about it, very well beaten. 38-7 was a more than fair reflection of the difference between the Wallabies and All Blacks on the night.
The Wallabies are still a long way off being able to put eighty minutes together. 19 New Zealand points in the final 21 minutes at the MCG is just the most recent confirmation of that.
Unfortunately, they still can’t put a half of rugby together, either.
They got a bit lucky that Mark Telea forget a major component required to take a quick tap in the 26th minute, and had done well to hold Ardie Savea up a minute short of the break.
But after defending 20 phases very effectively for a couple of minutes after the halftime siren, they still offered up the slightest sniff of opportunity that allowed Will Jordan to maintain his quite unbelievable strike rate of scoring Test Match tries.
While 38-7 did accurately tell the tale of the tape on fulltime, but I’m not sure 19-7 was a true indication of the first 40.
And they still can’t help making the little mistakes – often silly, often lazy little mistakes – that give referees little option but to deal out yet another yellow card.
Marika Koroibete’s in the 26th minute and Taniela Tupou’s in the 58th minute after he’d already succumbed to his rib injury were the Wallabies’ fourth and fifth yellows in three games this season, meaning their already really bad average is now even worse, at a card every 48 minutes in 2023.
On Saturday night, those two cards cost Australia 26 points. And I wouldn’t have been surprised if more came of Tupou’s lazy shoulder charge either, just to rub more salt into his already ordinary night.
The Wallabies had a lot more possession, but still couldn’t do a lot with it. Apart from Jordan Petaia being help up shortly after the break, the All Blacks defence wasn’t tested much in the second half at all.
In 250 tackles for the match, twelve players had double-digit tackle counts including Richie Arnold and Rob Leota coming off the bench. Six of them had more than 15 tackles each. It’s great that the defence workload is being shared, but this remains an unsustainable level of defending. 41 missed tackles is an unsustainable level of not defending, too.
The Wallabies are still giving away too much possession by whatever means; voluntary, error, or infringement.
But with all that said, Saturday night was the first time I walked away having seen something.
The Wallabies had an intent about their play, and even a method to get to where they want to play from.
Quade Cooper of the Wallabies talks to team mates in a huddle (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
Through that first half, when New Zealand did launch an attack, the Wallabies were able get back to the other end in response and launch attacks of their own. If the All Blacks struck, the Wallabies stuck back.
Once into groove, there were guys looking to carry and were in the right position to do that, importantly. Pods were in place early, and ball carriers were applying a bit of footwork before contact.
And then on contact, guys were looking to get an arm free and get an offload away. Support options were being offered as well, and some taken – Petaia to Andrew Kellaway early being an obvious example that sticks in the mind. Not all options were taken, and not all looks resulted in an offload, but the fact both were often there as an option is a welcome development.
Carter Gordon continues to show what the post-Quade future will look like, too. To the point that a genuine question might arrive this year as to whether apprentice is actually preferred to master.
And yes, he fluffed some kicks, but those midfield bombs were being launched from the right part of the field. Bombs from halfway have a lot better chance of being contested than those in the first two weeks being launched from well back in their own half.
Gordon played with width, passed well and created space for his teammates outside, and was quick to react to opportunities. It was a really promising first start, getting through 50 minutes and even looking a bit annoyed when he was replaced.
I love that; it shows that he’s already got a desire to keep wanting to do more.
Will Skelton embraces Jordan Petaia (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
Ultimately, the contest still got away from the Wallabies, but it wasn’t all one-way traffic for the whole 80 minutes for New Zealand. The All Blacks needed to find the patience they ultimately played with late in both halves.
It was a big margin in the end, but the best Wallabies performance of the year did indicate what they’re trying to do. That’s what we’ve needed to see. That’s what a team and a game plan can be built from.
That does get me interested.
Is it going to be enough to progress through the pool stage in France? I don’t know that and no-one can answer that currently without large amounts guesswork, assumption and/or time travel.
But I do know that that performance and that showing has them in a lot better window to progress than was the case in Pretoria and in Sydney.
Call it promising signs, call it green shoots, call it whatever you need to. But the point is, there now is something.
Finally, there is something from the Wallabies that adds a bit of meat to the bones of hope that Wallabies fans have been asked to hold tightly since mid-January.
It’s taken way longer than we wanted but finally – happily – there is something there.
Rogue Estate
Roar Rookie
Played Blind side flanker last time didn't he.
Cec
Roar Rookie
Did the prop advance or impact the play?
FunBus
Roar Rookie
Eddie appears to want to bring the kicking game he tried with England to a side that has had a rubbish kicking game for years, utilising a fly half who on the evidence of Saturday can't kick from left to right, in the same way as the Ben Stiller character in Zoolander couldn't turn left at the end of the model runway. Others can decide whether Carter is 'ridiculously good looking' but I'm at a loss to know where the current optimism comes from. I thought the WBs were in a reasonable place at the conclusion of the EOYT, but these last three games have been poor - plus the loss of the main tighthead and question marks about the other. If the plan is to use the pool games to 'fix it', Wales, Fiji and even Georgia might have a 'vote' on that.
Gepetto
Roar Rookie
Please explain why Harry Wilson is not in then squad. Highest workload of any super rugby player. EJ is an incompetent appointment by the RA old boys club
Rogue Estate
Roar Rookie
I agree - very contrasting players - Carters tackling was good and most decisions were good - just some kicking to get right. As for Quade - I like the impact he can have attacking in the back line with cut out passes. But I think Carter has more on the go than Quade & I certainly agree on defense is one of them.
Rogue Estate
Roar Rookie
I have always been a Q Cooper fan in NZ, just not the way I feel he has been treated over the years of in and out combined with injuries. I think he has an important role at the WRC for Ozy, especially the way he has embraced the senior side helping the younger guys. I look forward to seeing whatever he is given the opportunity for - but he needs combination help to click in the halves well with good front foot ball. I think the forwards showed good glimpses of this last week at times.
Rogue Estate
Roar Rookie
Grass roots are certainly all encompassing to play. Professional sport is all to win, I agree dfenda. At the heart of it though I think if we want a player to become better they just need more time on the field. However, talent becomes the next criteria to evaluate to know if someone can learn and become better. That's where the coaches and selectors need to make important decisions. The way EJ and others talk up G Carter I assume he has plenty.
Old Bugger
Roar Rookie
Cheers KP. Barrett was close to becoming a liability to the ABs as he became a card magnet. Someone (dunno who?) must've had a sit-down chin-wag with him cos now, he seems more focussed with purpose, on what his role is, in the team. Whoever that someone is/was, deserves a medal for helping SB to sort out his top 2".
WEST
Roar Guru
They’ll be back :thumbup: not for awhile though
Tipene Roar
Roar Rookie
The wallaby try really could of been disallowed on any other day
Khun Phil
Roar Rookie
Bluesfan,Wallabies might have gone close in Melbourne last year,but got thrashed in NZ and also got beaten badly by the Pumas.Easy to remember the good games but don't forget about the shockers.This is also a much better AB side than last years.
Khun Phil
Roar Rookie
OB,I respect your commenting and mostly agree with you on this and I find you are always fair with the comments.However,I think it is difficult to line up how the Wallabies are actually going compared to last year.Remember last year we also got hammered by the Argies and thrashed by the AB's in the 2nd game,so they were not memorable performances. There has also been considerable personnel changes and,as you even pointed out,players coming back from very serious long term injuries. There is another factor too which was evident last Saturday.Your AB team is playing much better rugby than they did last year.Just take the performance of Scott Barrett.I always thought he was lucky to be in the side and had a bit of the "thug" about him,but he has been absolutely brilliant this year,for the Crusaders and the AB's.Then look at the play of Frizell,the other Barretts,Jordan,Telea and much improved Ioane,the rest of the pack! The fact that we even competed quite well against your team for much of the match,gives me some hope.I was also one who didn't think Rennie should have been dumped,but now we have to just get on with supporting Eddie,unless this improvement comes to nothing,then I will bash him like everyone else!
Khun Phil
Roar Rookie
Only just read your article today and not looked at any of the comments,but before I do and get swayed by popular opinion,I would just like to say I had exactly the same thoughts as you,Brett.At half time I was hugely optimistic and so impressed as to how much better the Wallabies looked compared to the previous 2 games.The big concern was the toll that period of NZ attack in the latter stages of the half had taken.The start of the 2nd half allayed my concerns for a time but then reality set in.Injuries,yellow cards etc meant they were no chance against a very good All Black side. I liked what I saw of a few of the experiments eg Tate and Carter,although I wish Tate could pass like Smith or Roigard.Carter made a few errors but mostly looked quite comfortable in test rugby.The errors will diminish with experience.Kellaway is a must at fullback and the wingers select themselves.Bell and Valetini were immense and Hooper also showed promise. The big downside is,of course,the front row problems.However,I think we are at last on an upward move.
Nobody
Roar Rookie
Or are you saying what if the roles were reversed, and the ABs got two simultaneous yellows? idk, if they're justified, I can't really complain. Easy for me to say though, it will never happen. :)
Nobody
Roar Rookie
I think I'd be pretty stoic about it moaman. You can never win them all. Not saying I wouldn't be bitter and disgruntled for a while because we lost, but complaining that if there had been two yellows then we would have won seems kind of pathetic. If the opposition get any cards, my view is that if we can't put them away without needing extra help then we don't deserve to win anyway.
The Colonel
Roar Rookie
I have a question regarding the Laws and I was wondering if the ROAR Gurus could provide me with an answer. In the 26th minute, there was a disallowed try by Mark Telea. Initially, Wayne Barnes declared it an "onfield try," but later ruled that Telea did not touch the ball with his foot during the penalty tap. Ethan de Groot, the All Blacks No. 1, was positioned ahead of Telea when he attempted the kick. Should Mr. Barnes have penalized the All Blacks in the first instance?
cs
Roar Guru
:happy: Um, I think I was being serious ...
moaman
Roar Guru
I understand that sentiment and would feel exactly the same were there just a decent degree of consistency from the refs! The exact same thing could occur against your team in a WC knockout and maybe you would then be baying for blood? The chances are, the ref or the TMO will then make a different ruling and somebody (or Nobody?) will end up bitter and disgruntled.
Phil
Roar Rookie
I think I need to watch the game again. I saw a big team trying to bash their way through in a most unintelligent way, then getting tired and beaten by skills and speed.
Old Bugger
Roar Rookie
That's why I give Vaa'i a full hit-out cos Josh, already put in 50+mins against the Puma. Wholesale changes I have but, it is the last chance saloon for some - I think those guys will turn up knowing that a plane ticket, is there for them to grab. Amongst these choices are 13 players, who played against the WBs in Melbourne hence, I suggest they've already got a ticket. I wish a couple of them didn't but..... the remaining 10 players could, by virtue of getting a run in Dunedin, presume to make the balance of the RWC squad however, there's always another on the sidelines that the coaching panel may still select, without having a run these past few weeks. Who knows???