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When you get hammered by a record 45 points, the summary of how you played is pretty easy: sh*t-house. So what I'm going to do here are two things - put together the main causes of the arse pounding (at 53-8 there were plenty) and out of that pull what the Wallabies might have learned going into the all important Tri-Nations decider against the All Blacks in Brisbane on the 13th September.
1 - What went wrong
- Fitness levels. The Wallabies were destroyed from about the 20th minute on, whereas the Boks were still full of running in the 80th. This isn't just a matter of training at altitude for the week leading up (why wouldn't you base yourself at altitude for the whole tour?) but stems back to the Irish game earlier in the season when Deans admitted squad fitness wasn't where it should be. When you're out on your feet mistakes creep in, tackles are missed and it becomes impossible to defend the breakdown, which was the pattern of the game
- Tactics. Considering the above, do you a) try and outrun the home team at high altitude or b) play for field position and apply pressure? While the Wallabies actually attempted to play more rugby in the first 20, this was exactly the wrong thing to be doing - running from the 22, clever 22 re-starts etc - and it cost dearly.
- The problem was, there was no kicking game in any shape or form. Whether or not it was the loss of Barnes, Giteau didn't even try anything meaningful. This should have been the way we controlled the pace of the game. And if the only kick you can do is a midfield bomb then you can't call yourself a fullback. Especially if there isn't going to be any meaningful kick chase.
- Line-out. Only last year Australia was second only to the Saffas in the line-out, this year we're a f**king basket case. You simply can't have a sh*t scrum and a sh*t line-out and not expect to get a stuffing. How on earth was McMenimen ever going to replace a Vickerman?
- Defence. This is the most worrying. Even if you try and rationalise Saturday as an abberation, the stats, as pointed out in this article, show the previously stalwart Wallaby defence to be in freefall. The Deans line of "These fellas know how to tackle, it's just about trust" isn't holding water any more and the nagging voice with the question of why we don't have a defense coach like Muggo or Kissy is getting louder and louder. Out of 164 attempted tackles, 34 were ineffective and 41 missed. Leaving a success rate of 52% (vs 69% for RSA) and resulting in Eight tries in a match for sucks fake.
- And I should say of course that the Saffas played bloody well. Aggression, pace, smarts. On top of this Bryce Lawrence didn't seem to think they could knock the ball on or fall over a ruck. When it's your day, it's your day.
2 - Learning
Well, read above obviously. They're all pretty big f*cking learnings. But another important one is personnel. Sure, no-one played well, but the bench players who got the start: TPN, Tahu, Waugh, McMenimen all proved the bench is where they belong, if they're lucky.
Funnily enough, even with this spanking, I still saw positives in the Johannesburg debacle. There was some fluent attacking play, especially in the first half. But the Wallabies always managed to drop a pass, miss a tackle or stuff a line-out at exactly the wrong moment, thereby pumping the Bok momentum to runaway train status by the second period.
The ABs in Brizzy won't need this help. Aussie Robbie and these record breaking (not for the right reasons) Wallabies have a hell of a lot to put right in two weeks.
Last edited by Jehna; 01-09-08 at 13:10. Reason: Just language editings...as much as I agree with them :)
To mind,
1. Significant difference when Cross came in and I think Cross needs to start (especially if Barnes is out) or come in much sooner at 2nd centre. He's hungrier and has proven his rugby nous to be right up there. Not the best start for Tahu (in combination with Gits and Mortlock). Perhaps the whole backline just simply didn't switch on in defence. There was plenty of two-man tackling especially from the 2nd-centre to wing.
2. Smith has to start, don't think I need to push this point further. Bring in Waugh with 20 minutes to go to finish off the job.
3. Lineouts. If Vicks can't start (and word is he won't) then Sharpe must be a definite. While TPN contributed significantly to the dismal lineouts, some experience and height may have given the Wallabies a chance on a few of their own lineouts.
Mitchell on the wing too. From all of what i saw, Hynes went missing at times and AAC wasn't there all the time either, Mitchell does a far better job then Hynes is at the moment and AAC has to stay at fullback because there is no alternative if Mitchell is on the wing.
oh and put Brownie on the bench for good measure, he is much hungrier for this than Waugh seems to be and I have been saying it for weeks but he has the mongrel, like Rocky, to be fantastic defensively.
BamBam will be back in the country by the next match ....![]()
After AAC performance on Sat I be willing to put Drew in at full back over AAC and leave Hynes on the wing. AAC was out of position far more often than Hynes and we can deal better with a poor winger than a poor full back. At least the centres can play wider to cover the outside but when you're down to your last line of defence and he's not there you've got no hope... At this point i'd be willing to bring in Nick Cummins and put him on the wing...he has to be better....
"Remember lads, rugby is a team game; all 14 of you make sure you pass the ball to Giteau."
Cummins still recovering from foot surgery. He's hobbling around with an ankle support. Even if he did get a call up, which i'm willing to bet my entire job and house on that he wouldn't, he still would not be fit to play.
But on the other hand, I reckon Digby Ionae and Mark Gerrard would be the next options to cover at Wing and Fullback respectively.
Oh yeah i forgot about that injury...having said that an injured cummins may not be a bad option anyway! I probably wouldn't trust Digby still..his a little too inconsistent...but Gerrard is certainly an option.
"Remember lads, rugby is a team game; all 14 of you make sure you pass the ball to Giteau."
It's a sad day for Aussie Rugby when Mark Gerrard is an option for Wallabies Fullback.
Anybody Think Phil Kearns would be the go as hooker.
C'mon the![]()
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I was thinking more on the wing GIGS. You'd have to move Drew to fullback
"Remember lads, rugby is a team game; all 14 of you make sure you pass the ball to Giteau."
Gerrard is nothign spectacular but he is generally consistent which is more than i can say for most of the team right now
"Remember lads, rugby is a team game; all 14 of you make sure you pass the ball to Giteau."
ill go out on a limb and question mortlock. i know how incredible that guy is, but saturday was woeful. i think the point where we lost the plot was when cordingly threw that pass to mortlock and it slipped straight through his fingers. please noone think im saying mortlock is a bad player, i know he is not, but his game on the weekend wasnt much better than tahu's, and everyone wants him to be dropped. yes mortlock has experiance over tahu, but i just wonder where crossy would be if mortlock wasnt captain...
drew should definetly be out there next game, question is WHERE! lote and hynes and aac were all hopeless! defence especially was gut-wrenching and aac needs to learn about kicking and CHASING!!!![]()
A kick in this game is like a rather nasty alcoholic shooter, only as good as it's chaser...
Courtesy of quality South African commentry
i didn't think Gerrard was looked down upon as an option. I always admired his games, i never thought he was that bad as you seem to make out. i think he would be a temporary option while Sheps is on the mend
Be There. Be Heard. Be The Force Behind The Force
AAC couldn't chase coz the Bokke formed a blocking wall so he couldn't get through and be a challenger for the ball
Be There. Be Heard. Be The Force Behind The Force
but there were so many times he could have, well, i saw heaps. there were times he couldnt, but isnt that obstruction? ive never really understood that rule, but ive always thought they couldnt block people without being penalised...
even kearnies was commenting- why isnt he chasing?
A kick in this game is like a rather nasty alcoholic shooter, only as good as it's chaser...
Courtesy of quality South African commentry