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'There were some positives': Wallabies find silver lining in Springbok battering
Some will say they’re clutching at straws but the Wallabies have found a silver lining to their 43-12 Rugby Championship mauling at the hands of Springboks.
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“It kind of shows how far off the mark we are,” halfback Nic White said of the pounding in Pretoria that has sent coach Eddie Jones back to the drawing board.
“It’s still a bitter pill to swallow … we’re not where we want to be – a long way off actually.
“There was no sugar-coating, we were straight into it after the game in areas that we weren’t up to scratch. We need to find answers.
“Things didn’t go to plan. A bit of a baptism of fire out there. They’re a bloody good side, showed why they’re world champs and current World Cup holders.”
The honeymoon is well and truly over for Jones, the coach with the Midas touch who many billed as the saviour when Rugby Australia parachuted the 63-year-old in to replace the sacked Dave Rennie in January.
From failing to find touch from penalties to kicking out on the full in general play, turning over cheap possession and having two players yellow carded, White conceded the entire Wallabies performance was a horror show.
“But there were some positives out there,” White said.
“I know it’s hard to hear that right now but we’ve been together as a squad of 35 for, like, five sessions before that.
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“There were some things that we were well short of and we know that now.
“I’m not making excuses but we’re still finding a bit of clarity in the way we want to play.
“We were going up against the world champs there, a team that’s been together under the same staff, the same group of players for like eight years.
“They have real clarity in the way they want to play the game and it’s bloody hard to stop.”
Jones has four more Tests to settle on his squad for the World Cup and fans will learn on Thursday if he makes wholesale changes for Saturday’s clash with the Michael Cheika-coached Argentina in Sydney.
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Winger Suliasi Vunivalu is in the firing line after a particularly poor starting debut in Pretoria.
Mark Nawaqanitawase would be an obvious replacement after enjoying an outstanding spring tour of Europe last November, while Andrew Kellaway is expected to be available for selection after recovering from injury.
Young gun Carter Gordon sparked the Wallabies after replacing playmaker Quade Cooper, who started strongly before being starved of ball against the rampant Springboks.
Jones is also sure to consider starting the lively Tate McDermott instead of White.
One player certain not to tackle the Pumas is Taniela Tupou, with Jones sending the powerhouse prop back to the Australia A team to play Tonga in Nuku’alofa on Friday night.
Tupou desperately needs game time after rupturing an achilles tendon on the spring tour.
Comments on RugbyPass
Yeah nah he comes across as a funny bloke, but that stopped abruptly after the Nutcracker Prince debacle✋
1 Go to commentsAt this point I can’t watch him without thinking he’s a dirty slimebag. He should have been banned for the same amount of time that Quinn was out. It took Tupaea near on a fricking year to get fit enough to play again and his leg will never be the same. The other crap thing is that he was at ABs level and now he has to claw his way back there when he could have had several games under his belt.
4 Go to commentsThe Black Ferns 7’s have been without Captain Sarah Hirini now since Dec 23 in Dubai where she suffered a bad ACL injury - hopefully she is on the road to recovery for Madrid and Paris. Now also have Tyler King and Shiray kaka on the Injured List but the Team still found a way to win in Singapore and claim the overall Title.
1 Go to commentsUtter grub, hope he gets his leg broken. Shocking he is still playing after intentionally breaking quinn tupaeas knee
4 Go to commentsGreat to see NZ 7s teams finally coming into form and playing at the level that is expected of them.
2 Go to commentsChief Cheapshot on the market again.
4 Go to commentsCrusaders went all in to buy Hotham and Kemara staight from Hamilton Boys. Then they picked up Reihana and Hohepa; all have been dropped for superstar Havili, who is a very good fullback, that’s it. Ennor and Goodhue were schoolboy stars too but went backwards at the Crusaders. Maybe they have finally decided to give another poach Levi Aumua the ball?
13 Go to commentsJoe S has some talent to pick from. The Reds loosies look the best in Super? Aus might just give Razor a headache this year. Int. experience v Cantab greenhorn:) Should be fun.
13 Go to commentsEnd to end play, “THE FANS” this game was entertainment of the best. The conditions added to the spectacle.
1 Go to commentsSorry to say, but sadly the sadas were just ordinary and havilli at 10 as an abs selection just won’t cut it. He’s better suited in the centre’s and is a victim of past charge down kicks, he’s too slow under pressure. There’s better talent further north and I don’t mean dmac however I believe razor will sort him out. A feature of his presents on the park is the fact that the guys will follow him.
13 Go to commentsMarler was brilliant throughout both in the scrum and open play. His slap made virtually no contact with Ramos who milked it for a penalty when he could have been a decent sportsman and laughed it off, it was non-violent and shouldn't have been penalised. Smith failed repeatedly to kick when necessary and put up a couple of bombs into the TLS 22 that just handed back possession at key moments to the other side.
3 Go to commentsCros was outstanding and rightly awarded France TVs player of the match award. Mallia was brilliant as usual (the y is below the 6 on a UK keyboard and he deserves better than that). Level also seems to have been scored harshly as he walked the ball into touch under pressure from a Lynagh kick from well outside his own half which should never have led to a 50-22. Agree with BullShark that Dupont, while class at times, seemed to go missing for patches in the second half with props, hookers and wings frequently filling in at 9 as he couldn't get off the deck and up to the next ruck on time. A 7 by his standards at best, his kicking was also too long, too often. Kinghorn's overall contribution was worth well more than a five.
4 Go to commentsThe Harlequins team must be in minus figures. Did the reporter actually watch the game?
4 Go to commentsHow on earth did Walker escape a red card? Not dangerous? Dupont has his face in a mask earlier this season. Shocking decision. What is the point of TMOs? We had the Fassi ‘non-penalty try’ yesterday and now this.
2 Go to commentsCould have been a different result but yet again French tv able to affect the result by not showing the very clear high shot on harlequin centre if this would have been on a French player would have been on screen at least five times
3 Go to commentsAmazing. The losing team’s ratings are higher than the winning team’s. Mallia definitely didn’t deserve a y. What game were you watching? Should have got a w or an x. ADP hardly featured in that second half. At one point I wondered when he’d been subbed. Seems to me as if he gets an automatic 9 just for getting onto the team sheet.
4 Go to commentsI’m sorry. That second half was far from enthralling. It was painful to watch.
2 Go to commentsVery generous! If you’d missed the game, reading this you’d conclude that it was the Quins front row that cost them the game. Marler getting a blanket 6 for his demented contribution to the game. Puzzling.
3 Go to commentsCan’t see Toulouse beating Leinster at this rate.
7 Go to commentsADP was having a very average game until winning that penalty for Toulouse, sticking his big head in the way. “The head of God”?
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