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SAINT ETIENNE – Hidden away throughout the Wallabies’ World Cup campaign thus far has been defence coach Brett Hodgson.
Every Tom, Dick and Pierre-Henry has been rolled out over the past four weeks to face the media with the exception of Hodgson.
Why? Only Eddie Jones will know.
The Wallabies boss has opted to keep the former State of Origin fullback largely away from the public domain this year. That has proved especially the case since the Wallabies arrived in France on August 18.
Instead, new attack mentor Jason Ryles, the former NRL star turned coach, who was drafted in at the 11th hour to fill the void left by Brad Davis, has spoken twice in the past 10 days, as has lineout assistant Dan Palmer, maul specialist Pierre-Henry Broncan – a French native – and forwards coach Neal Hatley.
Hodgson? Crickets.
Yet, the spotlight will turn sharply on Hodgson when the Wallabies take on Fiji in their crunch Pool C World Cup clash on Sunday (Monday, 1:45am AEST).
Assistant coach Brett Hodgson has yet to address the media since the Wallabies touched down in France. (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)
The Flying Fijians might have lost 32-26 in controversial and dramatic fashion last weekend, but had Semi Radradra, a former NRL tryscoring machine caught and finished off an attacking movement in Bordeaux, they would have been a sideline conversion away from beating Warren Gatland’s men.
History, of course, shows they didn’t, but the stats pointed to what should have been a Fijian victory. The two balls they dropped over the line was a key reason why they didn’t win.
Nonetheless, the Fijians, who had 61 per cent possession and 65 per cent territory, made Wales attempt 287 tackles of which they completed 253 – a success rate of 88.
Mick Byrne, who has been a part of three successful World Cup campaigns and has coached the Drua over the past two years, said the Wallabies couldn’t afford to invite Fiji into the game.
“Australia is going to have to be on in defence because this Fijian side is an 80-minute side with a lot of talent, hard running, and Australia, like Wales, are going to have make their tackles. That’s just the way it is,” Byrne told The Roar.
“You just need to hang on to the ball. If you toss up loose balls and you have you have loose carries, you’re asking for trouble against any Fijian team. Nothing’s changed in that area for 20 years. That’s nothing new.”
In the absence of Hodgson talking, Ryles said the Wallabies had paid extra attention to the defensive side of the game as they prepare to take on Fiji.
“Obviously they’ve got a lot of individuals that are very talented, very athletic, some of the best ball carriers in the world, so that’s going to be a huge challenge for our defence,” Ryles said on Wednesday.
“Their ability to break tackles and contest the breakdown and then also play off the back of that, a bit of Fiji footy off the back of that speed of ball, is second to none. It’s going to be a huge challenge for us.”
Fiji blew several chances, including a last moment play after Semi Radradra spilt the ball, of beating Wales. (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)
While the Wallabies had a comfortable maiden victory on the scoreboard against Georgia to kick start their World Cup campaign, the Eastern Europeans still managed to expose the Wallabies on several occasions.
The Wallabies particularly were exposed on counter-attack.
In the 26th minute, Georgia spread the ball wide on halfway after Mark Nawaqanitawase spilt a high ball.
Despite the Wallabies having three on three, Samu Kerevi was beaten on the outside by Davit Niniashvili, which lured Jordan Petaia in and created space for winger Akaki Tabutsadze to make a linebreak where he eventually kicked in behind before Ben Donaldson cleaned up.
Soon after in the 35th minute, Ben Donaldson was skinned out wide after kicking ahead and it led to a 50-metre linebreak where Nawaqanitawase eventually brought fly-half Luka Matkava down.
While the Wallabies’ defence was caught too narrow and exposed out wide when Georgia played on quickly from a mark inside the 22, as Niniashvili sliced through on a four-on-two overlap and was brought down Nic White on his own 10 metre line before the fullback’s pass off the deck ended up in Taniela Tupou’s hands.
Later, in the 78th minute, the Wallabies’ defence was again caught too narrow as Marika Koroibete, who got found out a couple of times defending in the midfield, was beaten on the inside and Lalakai Foketi failed to stop the offload.
It led to another linebreak before Tabutsadze threw the ball into touch.
But it wasn’t just on the counter the Wallabies struggled, but off set-piece play too.
Georgia followed the path France did a week earlier by running regularly at the Wallabies’ smaller inside backs, particularly Carter Gordon, in the absence of Samu Kerevi.
In the 45th minute, Georgia directed their big inside centre Merab Sharikadze at Gordon first phase from a lineout on the Wallabies’ 22m line. It led to Georgia getting well over the gain line and the Wallabies conceding a penalty for not rolling away.
A minute later, Georgia scored the first try as Luka Ivanishvili scored out wide as Gordon failed to bring the flanker down from five metres out.
In the 65th minute, Georgia again targeted the Wallabies’ inside backs, as they directed traffic between their opponents midfield combination. Foketi managed to get a hand on the ball despite Giorgi Kveseladze looking like he had broken the line with the tryline in sight.
Donaldson’s frailties in defence were again exposed in the 72nd minute, as Tabutsadze broke through the fullback’s hands out wide. The winger would have scored were it not for another great Nawaqanitawase try-saving tackle.
Two weeks earlier, France directed plenty of their attack at Gordon from set-piece play.
Twice inside the opening 10 minutes 110kg wrecking ball centre Jonathan Danty targeted Gordon in defence.
He broke through him just short of half-time in the opening minutes, before France, sensing opportunities by running at Gordon, played quickly off the top of the lineout and ran straight at Gordon and carried him over to score the opening try.
The French continued to direct traffic at Gordon in the 16th minute from a scrum and again from a lineout in the 26th minute.
By doing so, France narrowed the Wallabies’ defence and, by doing so, later allowed for space to open up on the outside.
It led to France often exposing the Wallabies out wide on the fringes where Damian Penaud ran amok.
Fiji will have noticed.
It is likely one of the reasons Simon Raiwalui has promoted 113kg back Josua Tuisova in the midfield.
By doing so, Fiji, should they get quick ball, can direct Tuisova at Gordon in the inside channels and suck in numbers to try and get the likes of Radradra one-on-one with Donaldson.
Fijian assistant Graham Dewes said as much on Friday.
“We want to give Josua a go, he’s a big power runner,” he said.
“We see Australia as a team that has a lot of power runners as well, so we want to bring some of our biggest power runners on right from the start this weekend.”
Josua Tuisova has been promoted into the starting side to take on the Wallabies. (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)
Foketi, who will come off the bench, said the Wallabies knew the attacking threat coming at them.
“Whoever they put at 12 or winger or seven – it doesn’t matter, they’re going to be hard to tackle,” he said.
“If we can stop them in their tracks and get two on that tackle and then try and get the next defensive person around the ball for the offloads, that’s a big focus.
“But obviously, as everyone knows, Fijians are really hard to tackle and they’re made out of stone. So again, we’ve just got to get numbers around the ball and we know they love the offload.
“I think every time you go into a tackle, you’ve got to have the mindset of trying to stop them there.”
Key to stopping the Fijians will be denying them opportunities to counter and quick ruck speed.
Unfortunately, the Wallabies’ biggest on-ball threat currently, Will Skelton, looks set to miss the Test because of a calf injury.
Asked whether defence was going to win the match against Fiji, Jones said the Wallabies had to stop their opponents dead in their tracks from the outset.
“Well, again, there’s two sorts of games, one will be the power game and one will be the transitional contest,” he said.
“The power contest will be interesting, they’ve got a big pack, a very big pack, but we want to take them on in that area. And then the transitional, we’ve got to be one step ahead of them, one step ahead of them.”
There’s a lot resting on Hodgson’s defensive set-up, breakdown pressure and transition.
It’s the defence coach’s moment of truth. It would be great to hear what he thinks.
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.