Learning 'how not to lose' will put the Wallabies in a much better place under Dave Rennie
Throughout 2016 and 2017, the All Blacks set out on a demolition path, piling up record winning margins over Australia under Michael Cheika and South Africa under Allister Coetzee in The Rugby Championship.
Were the All Blacks that good, or were the Wallabies and Springboks just that bad? Hansen’s side was no doubt an elite side, but just how big a factor in the lopsided results was the ineptness of the opposition?
That answer was slowly revealed over the second half of the World Cup cycle.
Once Coetzee was removed, the Springboks’ recovery was swift under Erasmus, calling in overseas-based players and building the best defence in the world on the way to a World Cup victory in Japan.
In the first year under Erasmus, the Springboks were competitive in both games against the All Blacks and ended a 10-year winless drought in New Zealand. The next year they secured another commendable result on New Zealand soil, a 16-all draw.
As much as wider off-field issues plague Rugby Australia, based on the on-field performances of the Wallabies, there is no doubt much of the pain experienced over the last few years was self-inflicted by the way they played.
Under new coach Dave Rennie, the Wallabies can quickly become competitive again in the Southern Hemisphere realm where the two superpowers of the game lie.
Rennie doesn’t need complexity to do this – a simplified game plan will immediately make the Wallabies more competitive. Starting with learning ‘how not to lose’ will put the Wallabies in a much better place.
Employing no-frills exit strategies will eliminate many of the costly and critical errors the Wallabies coughed up under Cheika.
The Wallabies simply didn’t understand or adhere to sound situational rugby principles required at the test match level.
The first thing a test side needs to do is figure out how they are going to get out of the highest-pressure zone – their own 22, as swiftly as possible. Then, this strategy needs to be repeated with a 99.9% success rate.
Cheika’s exit plans were fraught with risk and poorly designed. They used multiple phases inside their own 22, increasing the risk of handling errors through poor carries.
They often worked to the middle of the field, reducing the distance that can be made downfield with a wide angle to touch, and left kickers completely unprotected and at risk of being charged.
All the ‘worst case’ scenarios you try to avoid ended up occurring at least once.
From Kurtley Beale getting intercepted on his own goal line in Cape Town in 2018 within the opening minute, to Dane Haylett-Petty getting charged at Twickenham in 2018 handing England a try from the ensuing five metre scrum, there were countless failures to exit that conceded points throughout Cheika’s reign.
Often these times were early in the match, putting the side behind or deeper in a hole from which they would have to play catch-up from.
The All Blacks cashed in on turnover after turnover against the Wallabies to power much of the try-scoring through transition scoring.
Although this has always been a strength of All Blacks rugby, recognising that and respecting that is crucial to avoid feeding the machine.
NZ were averaging a record 5.18 tries a game over the last World Cup cycle against Australia (2016-19), up from the 2.92 achieved during the previous cycle (2012-15).
That’s anywhere between 10 and 14 points per game as extra sauce for New Zealand.
Rassie Erasmus knew he had to turn this tap off. He tightened up the Springboks game plan quick smart to avoid creating tricky transition situations for his side to try and defend.
The All Blacks did score tries in this fashion throughout 2019 against his side, but it wasn’t due to basic, unforced errors from the Springboks.
The Wallabies continuously tried to roll out elaborate attacking plays, which they did not have the cattle to pull off, resulting in dropped balls and easy points.
Trailing by 12-6 with half an hour left in the first 2018 Bledisloe test in Sydney, the Wallabies ran a wide play from their own 40-metre line, dropped the ball, and saw Beauden Barrett hack the ball ahead and score to stretch the lead to 19-6.
In 2016, the Sydney test, already on tenterhooks, is lost in the space of 10 minutes when Jerome Kaino charges down an attempted crossfield kick by Foley from a set-piece and scores. Waisake Naholo scores shortly after from a fast break when a Pocock turnover isn’t secured.
In 2017 you’ll find a sloppy pass from a lineout play from Michael Hooper bounce into the arms of Ryan Crotty who frees Rieko Ioane via an offload, blowing out the score from 12-6 to 19-6.
All in all, the Wallabies’ first-phase attack scored more points for the opposition than for themselves under attack coach Stephen Larkham from 2016-18.
The overall attacking shape and play improved in the condensed season under Shaun Berne last year, whilst bringing in Scott Wisemantel from the England camp holds promise with Rennie himself well adept with the latest innovations.
Rennie’s Chiefs and Glasgow Warriors sides were known for running it out of their 22. When the Wallabies get Rennie’s style of play clicking it will be fascinating to watch. But they must walk before they run and build the necessary chemistry and skill to execute.
If they can’t, they will quickly find out why the All Blacks’ decimated the Wallabies under Cheika.
Comments on RugbyPass
The level of desperation in this article is just embarrassing.
215 Go to commentsSome silly trolling in the comments.
8 Go to commentsEverywhere you turn some irish journo is advocating Ireland as the greatest, reasoning that the wc is a 4 year cycle event so, they say wc doesn’t matter it’s the rugby in between that should account for the accolade. If there was no wc then some substance could be gained, however in my opinion the moment that defined Ireland’s fate against the abs was 37 phases of repeated head bashing against a brick wall. If a change in strategy or a tinker with the game plan was executed then things could've been vastly different. And to point a finger the let down was in the hands of the number 10.
36 Go to commentsI have heard it asked if RA is essentially one of the part owners and I suppose therefor should be on the other side of these two parties. If they purchased the rebels and guaranteed them, and are responsible enough they incur Rebels penalties, where is this line drawn? Seems rough to have to pay a penalty for something were your involvement sees you on the side of the conned party, the creditors. If the Rebels directors themselves have given the club their money, 6mil worth right, why aren’t they also listed as sitting with RA and the Tax office? And the legal threat was either way, new Rebels or defunct, I can’t see how RA assume the threat was less likely enough to warrant comment about it in this article. Surely RA ignore that and only worry about whether they can defend it or not, which they have reported as being comfortable with. So in effect wouldn’t it be more accurate to say there is no further legal threat (or worry) in denying the deal. Unless the directors have reneged on that. > Returns of a Japanese team or even Argentinean side, the Jaguares, were said to be on the cards, as were the ideas of standing up brand new teams in Hawaii or even Los Angeles – crazy ideas that seemingly forgot the time zone issues often cited as a turn-off for viewers when the competition contained teams from South Africa. Those timezones are great for SR and are what will probably be needed to unlock its future (cant see it remaining without _atleast _help from Aus), day games here are night games on the West Coast of america, were potential viewers triple, win win. With one of the best and easiest ways to unlock that being to play games or a host a team there. Less good the further across Aus you get though. Jaguares wouldn’t be the same Jaguares, but I still would think it’s better having them than keeping the Rebels. The other options aren’t really realistic 25’ options, no. From reading this authors last article I think if the new board can get the investment they seem to be confident in, you keeping them simply for the amount of money they’ll be investing in the game. Then ditch them later if they’re not good enough without such a high budget. Use them to get Jaguares reintergration stronger, with more key players on board, and have success drive success.
11 Go to commentsYeah, and ours is waaay bigger than yours. Just as you's get a semi…oh hold on that never happens
36 Go to commentsLove watching
1 Go to commentsThe Melbourne Rebels lineout is a complete disaster so not surprisingly a kiwi coach of the Wallabies hires the worst lineout coach in the country and a foreigner to boot. No surprises whatsoever here…….
3 Go to commentsThank your for wasting 2 minutes of my life Daniel. There is a useful message in there somewhere but your delivery sucks.
7 Go to commentsBen Smith, you are cry baby
215 Go to commentsSux that homophobia is still a thing though. I wonder how many players who could have become legends never kept playing rugby because they felt unwelcome.
7 Go to commentsCrazy he’s only 28, feel like he’s been around forever - don’t mind the move, safe pair of hands and creates depth in a thin position for ABs. Hopefully aides Kemara’s growth also without thrusting too much responsibility on him
1 Go to commentsMen should show strength and be mean, but they should be able to show emotion to those close yo them in certain times, birth of your child, death of family, proud moment. This article is stupid
7 Go to commentsWhat a weak article…absolute drivel and clickbait, well done. Will stick to rugby365 thanks
7 Go to commentsHonest, discipline, humility… Priceless.
2 Go to commentsSo many excuses. No mention of the SA number 2 being taken out illegally in the 2nd minute. That act of foul play had a massive impact on the SA game. Face it, NZ play pretty dirty very regularly, and it’s only since 2016 they’ve been held to higher officiating standards via stricter officiating and TMO reviews. They deserved to have a man down. Sorry. Fix the yellow and red cards and NZ will win more RWCs. Plus, there WAS a knock on invalidating the one try, so it was NOT a try. Period. Here’s a Kleenex…
215 Go to commentsOverheard conversation between NZ and SA rugby fans everywhere: We’re the greatest! No! we’re the greatest! We’re the greatest! No we’re the greatest! Ireland are arrogant! True but they beat you! We’re the greatest! No! we’re the greatest! Etc. etc, etc.
36 Go to commentsTypical crap Aussie weather
11 Go to comments“If they’d have beaten England, I still feel we would have been talking ‘is this the best team ever,’ ‘is this the best team that’s ever played in the Six Nations'” he said. “I still think they’re not quite that good. I actually don’t think they’re that good.” So Trimble is saying he doesn’t think this is the best 6N team of all time. He is silent on if it is the best Irish team of all time. Can’t disagree with him. Just another misrepresentative clickbait headline from the guys at RP.
36 Go to commentsWow, do we really still have to listen to all the excuses and “unfairness” of it all. Even blaming the bounce of an egg shaped ball for the loss. But the article is about context, so what about the Springboks having to play the other 5 teams in the top 6 and still beating a comparatively rested AB team on a very empty tank.
215 Go to comments“Teams would generally have three coaches below their head honcho; attack coach, defence coach, forwards coach” do they? I’m not sure what the NZ set up is tbh, but the other 4 sides top 5 sides all have very different structures to the one outlined in the article! As well as attack, defence, and forwards coaches, SA, Ireland, and France also have specialist scrum coaches. England have a specialist scrum coach too, but arguably don’t have a forwards coach, with that role taken on by Borthwick. SA also have a backs coach in addition to defence and attack, and Ireland and England have fitness coaches, with England also having two skills coaches.
3 Go to comments