Forward fundamentals where All Blacks exceed Wallabies
It seems like a parallel universe now and ancient history but there used to be a time when a Wallabies versus All Blacks Test was a 50/50 affair.
A toss of the coin would decide it, perhaps a kick for goal on the full time whistle. How long ago this was when a Wallaby coach had the same luxuries as any All Black coach has at the helm. Now Coach Cheika has hookers turning up who can’t throw a ball into the lineout, props who lack the basics, a good strength base and are easily bent out of shape, all forwards have no idea how to defend a driving maul or put a driving maul together, both backs and forwards are stripped of the ball in one on one confrontations, no idea how to assist the ball carrier in a tackle just stand back and watch them get belted, no idea that going forward in ruck defence is a legitimate option, no idea that there are other options besides going wide every time.
In short, in a Bledisloe Cup Test week Coach Cheika is teaching his hookers to throw a ball, praying his scrum will hang on plus all of the above to cover. This used to be club level basics, refined at each level as you moved up the representative ladder. Steve Hansen has skilled, fit All Black players turning up; he needs to fine tune the All Blacks not coach the basics. Looking at the skill level deficit between the Wallabies and All Blacks players, coaching the Wallabies is made out to be a pretty tough gig.
The days of the press beating up a long shot win for the Wallabies are well and truly over. You would have been hard-pressed to find anyone who actually admitted to watching the game by Sunday in Sydney. The Wallabies were up 6-5 at halftime and were absolutely belted in the second half to lose 38-13.
You would not get me out to the ANZ Stadium at the best of times to watch a rugby match. It is the worst field I have ever seen for rugby. You can’t see most of the play and remain permanently glued to the big screen to catch any of the action. So the Gold army shuffled home again into the bleak night after forking out over $100 each for the cheapest seats, who would be back for more punishment?
After such positive signs in the Irish Test Series and at over the Super Rugby season, the Wallabies scrum was again in big trouble against a very good All Black pack. The All Black front row simply outmuscled the Wallaby front row and scrummed them into the ground. Owen Franks was outhitting Tom Robertson, right shoulder down taking the inside angle. Robertson missed his left bind many times as Franks jammed down the right shoulder, denying him the space. Joe Moody was also outhitting Sekope Kepu. I saw Kepu a number of times take a half step back and try and jam his right shoulder down as Moody hit him back and got the classic long straight bind on Kepu’s shorts.
I thought the whole Wallaby scrum was poor in both their set up and engagement. You always look at what is happening behind when the front row is getting belted. I saw an All Black pack with minimal movement before the crouch, the locks down on two feet self-supporting; at the hit all movement was forward and feet movement was into the Wallabies. The All Black back five generated enormous power and forward momentum as they launched the front row into the scrum.
I had a good look at the Wallaby pack in their set up and engagement and it was a real contrast to the All Blacks. Both Wallaby locks were down on their inside knees before the crouch, then moving up on their two feet as the crouch is called, outside legs up. On the engagement the outside foot moved backwards to get two feet square. Both props were also making a foot readjustment backwards to try and compensate for getting smashed on the hit. The All Blacks were settled with minimal movement and all eight stepped in and smashed forward on the hit. This translated to a very hard day in the office for the Wallaby scrum.
The axe has fallen this week as Michael Cheika attempts to shore up the scrum. Tom Robertson is replaced at loosehead by Scott Sio and Sekope Kepu is replaced at tight head prop by Allan Alaalatoa. Unless the Wallabies also fix up what is happening in the rest of the scrum it might just be like swapping deck chairs on the Titanic.
The lineout was also terrible especially when Tatafu Polota-Nau was replaced by Tolu Latu. Latu lost five lineout throws by just handing the ball to the All Blacks, he has paid the price and been dropped completely out of the squad. Rookie Folau Faingaa comes in to replace Latu on the bench. Latu’s throws were not good in the Irish Test Series, he can’t hit the mark and it amazes me in the professional era how this can’t be corrected when you have all day to train.
Added to the pressure on the Wallaby lineout through simply bad throws was a very good All Black defensive lineout who are good at getting a jumper up high and just in front of where the ball is going. Again something that used to be corrected on the run. Latu could not hit the four or five jumper with a basketball; Michael Hooper should have kept pulling numbers out until he found a mark that Latu could hit. This will usually be around two or three where the defence find it hard to get a jumper in front, especially if it is fast, a walk-in and throw.
I don’t think anyone has high hopes for the Wallabies for this Second Test as they are coming off a belting and have history against them – their last win at Eden Park was in 1986. But we live in hope for Eden Park this week, parity in the scrum and lineout would be a start. The Wallabies are one of the few teams in the world that can beat the All Blacks. They have many times in the past shrugged off defeat and played like men possessed to give magical wins. Then again that may be the Irish poet in me and I will be stuck typing a match review much like this one next week.
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Comments on RugbyPass
I think Matt Proctor became a 1 test AB in the same fixture. Cameron is quality and has been great this season, can’t believe’s he only 27. Realistically how would he not be selected for ABs squad this year. Only Dmac is ahead of him as a specialist 10. With Jordan out, it will come down to where and when Beauden Barrett slots back in, and where they want to play Ruben Love. Cameron seems an absolute lock in for the wider squad though. Added benefit of TJ-Cameron-Jordie combination at 9, 10, 11 too.
1 Go to commentsFarcical, to what end would someone want to pay to keep this thing going.
1 Go to commentsHavili, our best 12 by a mile, will be in the squad, if he stays fit. JB is the most overrated AB in the last 50 years.
61 Go to commentsWe had during the week twilight footy, twilight cricket, tw golf plus there was the athletics club. Then the weekend was rugby 15s plus the net ball, really busy club scene back then but so much has changed and rugby has suffered. And it was all about changing lifestyles.
6 Go to commentsIn the 70s and 80s my club ran 5 Senior sides plus a Vets. Now it is 2 sides with an occasional 3rd team. Players have difficulty getting to training now, not sure why and the commitment is not there. It seems to me more a problem of people applying themselves and not expecting to turn up and play whenever they want to.
6 Go to commentsROG’s contract is until 2027. The conversation about a successor to Galthie after RWC 2027 may be starting now. We can infer that Galthie’s reign stops then. He is throwing the Irish Coaching Job angle in because he is Irish. The next Irish coach MUST be Leo Cullen. As well as being the best coach available, coaching the vast majority of Irish Internationals week in week out, he has shown incredible skill at recruiting the best coaching staff for the job in hand. That was a failing in France. Cullen is a shrewd guy and if there is a need for foreign coaches underneath him he won’t hesitate. Rightly so. Ireland does need to start to bring Irish coaches through. Not just at the professional level but we need to train coaches to man new pathways for developing kids from schools/clubs up through the divisions.
7 Go to commentsNo Islam says it must rule where it stands Thus it is to be deleted from this planet Earth
18 Go to commentsThis team probably does not beat the ABs sadly Not sure if BPA will be available given his signing for Force but has to enter consideration. Very strong possibility of getting schooled by the AB props. Advantage AB. Rodda/Skelton would be a tasty locking combination - would love to see how they get on. Advantage Wallabies. Backrow a risk of getting out hustled and outmuscled by ABs. Will be interesting to see if the Blues feast on the Reds this weekend the way they did the Brumbies we are in big trouble at the breakdown. Great energy, running and defence but goalkicking/general kicking/passing quality in the halves bothers me enormously. SA may have won the World Cup for a lot of the tournament without a recognised goalkicker but Pollard in the final made a difference IMO. Injuries and retirements leave AB stocks a bit lighter but still stronger. 12 and 13 ABs shade it (Barret > Paisami, Ione = Ikitau, arguably) Interesting clash of styles on the wings - Corey Toole running around Caleb Clark and Caleb running over the top of Toole. Reece vs Koro probably the reverse. Pretty even IMO. 15s Kelleway = Love See advantage to ABs man for man, but we are not obviously getting slaughtered anywhere which makes a nice change. Think talent wise we are pretty even and if our cohesion and teamwork is better than the ABs then its just about doable.
11 Go to commentsCompletely agree. More friday night games would be a hit. RFU to make sure every club has a floodlit pitch. Club opens again Saturday to welcome touch / tag. Minis and youths on Sunday
6 Go to comments1.97m and 105Kg? Proportionately, probably skinnier than me at 1.82 and 82kilos. He won’t survive against the big guys at that weight.
55 Go to commentsThe value he brought to the crusaders as an assistant was equal to what he got out of being there. He reflected not only on the team culture but also the credit he attributed to the rugby community. Such experience shouldn’t be overlooked.
7 Go to commentsGood luck Aussie
11 Go to commentssmith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
61 Go to commentsBar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
11 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
61 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
7 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
61 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
55 Go to comments