Tim Sheridan

10:00 AEST Wed Aug 29 2012

Big Dan Vickerman's retiring advice to Wallabies fans this week might well have been also for his fellow forwards.

Keep the faith.

Watching the Wallabies backs run out of ideas and kick in play, it's easy to feel sorry for those big men who win the ball.

These are the kicks that put plasma screens in danger at home, and fans' heads into their hands at the ground. They also put the All Blacks on the attack.

One second you're in possession – it's nine tenths of the law in rugby – and in the next moment a Gear, Dagg or Jane is swooping onto a gift.

In the first 20 minutes at Eden Park the Wallabies pack matched the home side in face crunching, finger mangling fights for the ball. The point of contact was where Australia competed for - and won - roughly half the ball.

So kick it back to them? It would be less morale sapping to just run into touch.

Read more: http://wwos.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=8523979