The similarities between the Wallabies and the 2012-13 Chiefs
With three wins on the trot and heavily-tipped to win a fourth over Argentina this weekend, the Wallabies are flying high under the tutelage of sophomore head coach Dave Rennie.
It’s a far cry from where the Australians were after being swept by the All Blacks in the Bledisloe Cup last month, but successive wins over the world champion Springboks and a further victory over Los Pumas in Townsville last weekend has restored plenty of pride in the green and gold jersey.
Those results leave the Wallabies in second place on the Rugby Championship standings, and a second straight win over the Argentines on the Gold Coast this weekend will leave Australia in good stead heading into their end-of-year tour of Japan and Europe.
Speaking on their most recent 27-8 win at Queensland Country Bank Stadium, former All Blacks hooker James Parsons drew parallels between the current Wallabies side and the championship-winning Chiefs teams of 2012 and 2013.
Rennie was in charge of the Hamilton-based franchise back then as he guided them to their first two Super Rugby titles at the first time of asking as head coach.
Speaking on the Aotearoa Rugby Pod, Parsons said there were similarities between Rennie’s Chiefs team and Rennie’s Wallabies side, the latter of which he said is currently playing with a noticeable sense of confidence.
“I think it was a confident side that found their mojo or found a game plan that works for them and, again, a real low turnover count, high possession, high territory, risk-free footy,” the former two-test international said.
“They’re winning collisions, that’s allowing them to make better decisions in attack and, defensively, tackling at 90 percent.
“If there’s a body, they’re going around the legs, looking to access that breakdown pressure and get some turnovers in and around there.
“Probably didn’t have as much impact as they’d like around those breakdown turnovers, but always tough against the Argy boys.”
Parsons added one of the most pleasing aspect about Australia’s victory over Los Pumas was the work rate of their wings Marika Koroibete and Andrew Kellaway.
He said the influence of those two players was crucial in the lead-up to Reece Hodge’s first half try in a piece of play that he said evoked memories of Rennie’s championship-winning Chiefs team.
If the All Blacks are to do the double over the Springboks, they will need to produce a vastly improved effort on the Gold Coast this weekend. #AllBlacks #Springboks #TRC2021 #RugbyChampionship #RSAvNZL https://t.co/kbZItloUmn
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“I think the best exponent of it is the work off the ball by Koroibete and Kellaway,” the former Blues captain said.
“If you look at Reece Hodge’s first try, where he just busts through, it’s the extra body of Koroibete, the blindside wing, that comes all the way around and pops up on his outside.
“If you remember [Len] Ikitau’s second try last week that we spoke about in depth with Kerevi’s down line and then Koroibete getting through and giving the offload to Ikitau to get that try, the work that they’re doing off the ball to take themselves from their blind wing spot to pop up on the open to be that extra attacker, that attracts defensive attention.
“It’s exactly the same [as Hodge’s try]. Koroibete popped outside Reece Hodge, two Argentinian players went onto him, and it made a passive tackle for the inside Argentinian defender on Hodge. Hodge is a big body, he’s just like a Jordie Barrett, it’s all too easy for him.
“It’s those sorts of plays – I think Kellaway scored one late in the game doing the same with an inside ball from James O’Connor – it reminds me a hell of a lot, to be honest, of the 2012-13 Chiefs.
“Their wingers were really hard-working in the kick-chase, really hard-working off the ball to provide maybe a bit of a threat in and around the ruck off nine, or popping up as an extra attacker on the openside.
“That’s the hardest thing, defensively. You’re looking up and you’re saying, ‘I’m on Reece, I’m on Reece,’ and then, out of nowhere, Koroibete pops up and it makes you second guess and hesitate, and because he’s such a threat, they pushed off to him.
“That’s what I mean by the Aussies are making great decisions because they’re buying time for themselves by winning those collisions, Hodge has the ball in two hands, and it’s an easy show-and-go [to score].”
The Wallabies will be without Koroibete for this weekend’s rematch against Argentina at Cbus Super Stadium, as the star flyer has returned home to Melbourne to spend time with family before embarking on the northern hemisphere tour later this month.
In his place has come Jordan Petaia, who will join Hodge and Kellaway in the outside backs in Australia’s final Rugby Championship game of the year.
The Springboks could triple-down on their kicking strategy on Saturday night… Or they could go in a different direction altogether. #RSAvNZL #AllBlacks #Springbokshttps://t.co/2aJEn6hy1m
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) October 1, 2021
In Koroibete’s absence, Rennie has called on Petaia to provide similar work rate levels to help ensure the Wallabies keep their best winning run since 2017 alive.
“We have the luxury of looking at footage from a variety of angles, but his work ethic is phenomenal,” Rennie said of Koroibete.
“The amount of very high-speed metres he runs every time he’s chasing kicks or kicks offs, his ability to get back, get to the other side of the field, that’s what we’ve talked to Jordy about.
“He [Petaia] has got a great skill set, but he’s got to work a lot harder off the ball. He’s got aspirations of being a 15, so it’s been a focus and he certainly trained that way this week.”
Comments on RugbyPass
The shoulder is a “joint” with multiple bones. You don’t “fracture” a shoulder, you fracture any one or more of the bones that make up a shoulder.
2 Go to commentsOh dear, bones too suspect to continue?
2 Go to commentsBold headline considering the Canes and Blues are 1 and 2 and the Brumbies were soundly beaten by the Chiefs and Blues. Biggest surprise is Rebels 4 Crusaders 12 - no one saw that coming. If Aus are improving that’s great 👍
1 Go to commentsAnna, You are right, we need to have patience whilst the others catch up to England and France. Also it is the PWR that has been the game changer for England. the RFU put money into that initially at the expense of the Red Roses. I was sceptical at first but it has paid off in spades.
1 Go to commentsI 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.
8 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.
56 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.
8 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 comments