'That was Cheika-esque': Wallabies hard loss to France 'C' team

Another close contest between Wallabies and France has resulted in a level series heading into the third and final match of the series, with the visitors sealing a 28-26 win with a penalty three minutes from full time in Melbourne.

The entertaining series has been an even one so far, but not lost on Wallaby fans is the fact that this France team is effectively a third or fourth choice side without the likes of stars Antoine Dupont, Romain Ntamack, Charles Ollivon, and Virimi Vakatawa.

After escaping in the first test after a French brain fade, losing in the second has brought disapointment over the realisation where Dave Rennie’s side is at in their development.

After a promising Rugby Championship in 2020 which saw a win and draw over the All Blacks from four contests and two draws from two with the Pumas, doubt is creeping in over where the Wallabies are headed.

Australian rugby writer Hugh Cavill called the side ‘honest toilers’ lacking enough game-breaking ability. Koroibete was identified as the only back that could make plays.

Fans lamented not being able to ‘compete with the French C side’ and the state of the Wallabies breakdown, which was under pressure all night from a French side intent on slowing the ball down.

I thought that last penalty was fair enough. France deserved to win. We're a team of honest toilers at the moment, need more game breaking ability.

— Hugh Cavill (@hughcavill) July 13, 2021

How do the boomers beat the dream team and the wallabies can’t compete with the French C side. #AUSvFRA

— Rugby Report Card (@rugby_podcast) July 13, 2021

Coming off the long run. Rubbish crowd, pushed to GEM, effectively lost to France C and D squads in 6 days. No breakdown, lost line out and scrum at key moments, still running out of our own half, deluded that fitness wins test rugby, not taking the 3, no game management.

— Rugby Report Card (@rugby_podcast) July 13, 2021

Considering this is a 2nd/3rd string French side that’s a phenomenal win. It’s scary how good France could be on home soil at RWC 2023. #AUSvFRA

— Steffan Thomas (@Steffan_Thomas1) July 13, 2021

Just imagine the carnage if Dupont and Jalibert were playing

— Linebreak Rugby 🏳️‍⚧️🚂✊ (@LinebreakRugby) July 13, 2021

If I was RA I would sack Rennie right now.

Any coach that says we have great conditioning is a man without a plan.

No improvement, no variety & stupid decisions.

This is clearly a team with no concept of what test rugby is.

#AUSvFRA

— Brumbies Boy (@brumby_fan) July 13, 2021

Wright, Banks, Paisani all pedestrians. Good kicking from Lolesio but Marika is the only one of the backs making plays.

— Gibbo (@brett_gibson) July 13, 2021

Melodramatic but some truth. What was with the run it from everywhere and do the stupid out-the-back play. That was Cheika-esque.

Campo talking himself up in a losing SF before the game then calling Koroibete Kurindrani was awful. Get that arrogant hasbeen away from the mic.

— Tim Phillips (@timbo_phillips) July 13, 2021

Focusing on the refs while the wallabies backline is a disaster and the game was lost in a scrum that the first line should have performed… Let’s fix our own backyard first

— Papa Piquillo (@EcheD) July 13, 2021

Hooper seemed to be the only bloke actually trying to compete at the ruck. Wallabies looked to be deliberately standing off. Compared to the French who were going in pretty much every second ruck and slowing things down.

— Huw Tindall (@HuwTindall) July 13, 2021

Fans weren’t happy with the ‘run it from everywhere’ approach, which one described as ‘Cheika-esque’, the former Wallaby coach whose side played recklessly up until the 2019 World Cup campaign.

One of the hallmarks of Dave Rennie’s time at the Chiefs was their willingness to run it out of their own 22, but applying that strategy in test rugby is an entirely different kettle of fish it seems.

Rennie spoke about ‘knowing when to get the balance right’ in his post-match press conference, while he gave France credit for their work at the breakdown.

“We made some key errors and there were probably only two stats we lost, one was breakdown penalties and the other was the kicking battle,” he said.

“While we wanted to play and we did some really good stuff from deep we’ve got to get the balance right of when to kick on the front foot.

“You’ve got to give France credit, they were really good over the ball, I think we got penalised nine times at the breakdown and obviously that had a massive effect on our continuity and our ability to hurt them.

“We tried to go back door and go around them at times when they were flying up and shutting us down.”