Watch: Wallabies season review 2017
The Wallabies’ record defeat against Scotland on the weekend capped off another disappointing season from the Australians. There were glimmers of hope of a new beginning as the Wallabies progressively improved throughout the Bledisloe Cup, but other than that it was a season filled with wins against tier two nations and struggling against the more competitive teams.
No one had much expectation of the Wallabies in 2017 after an average 2016 campaign and the Australian Super Rugby sides having one of their worst seasons to date. They kicked off their season with an expected win against Fiji in AAMI Park in Melbourne. Israel Folau showed he was going to be another key player in 2017 as he scored two tries in the 37 – 14 win.
Next up they took on the Scots who are always a tough match and this was no exception as the Wallabies fell short in a hard fought 19 – 24 loss in Sydney. They then took on Italy in Brisbane which was another expected win however it was only 28 – 27 with five minutes to play until two quick Wallaby tries pushed them out to a more respectable 40 – 27 score line.
The opening of the Rugby Championship gave everyone an idea of how far apart the Wallabies and All Blacks were, as the All Blacks went into half time leading 40 – 6. The Wallabies flicked a switch in the second half and crawled back into the game but the abundance of tries the All Blacks scored in the first half proved too much as the final whistle blew at 54 – 35.
A week later they headed to Dunedin, fired up to redeem themselves from the previous poor performance. Spectators were shocked as they read the score as 29 – 28 with one minute to play. But once again Beauden Barrett found a way to crush Australia’s heart as he crossed the line in the final minute of the game to steal the victory.
It was a thrilling encounter when they took on the Springboks in Perth but it ended in a 23-all draw, leaving both sides disappointed.
Australia claimed their first win of the Rugby Championship when they took on Argentina and came out on top 45 – 20. It was a traditional tight contest in the first half, but the Wallabies made the most of their opportunities in the second half against a tired Argentina side and finished an impressive performance.
Both teams were out to settle the scores after a previous draw but unbelievably the two sides drew again 27-all in Bloemfontein. These matches were definitely a disappointment for the Wallabies as they wanted to be able to close out the game in these tight contests, which they had struggled to do in 2017.
Another victory over Argentina away from home was their final game of The Rugby Championship, which put them in second place one point ahead of the Springboks. Two wins, two draws and two losses summed up a fairly mediocre campaign, but there were signs of potential and the introduction of young players like Lukhan Tui and Jordan Uelese showed this was a developing side that was building depth for the future.
Following the Rugby Championship was Australia’s biggest highlight of 2017, and probably their most meaningful win in recent years. The Wallabies broke the drought against their rivals from across the Tasman in the third Bledisloe Cup test thanks to man of the match Reece Hodge. A late penalty from Hodge cemented a 23 – 18 win.
The Wallabies then took on a Barbarians side in Sydney which was stacked with fellow Australians, giving Cheika a good look at the players at his disposal before the end of year tour. The Wallabies ended up winning the exhibition match 31 – 28 and was our first look at many players in gold such as Duncan Paia’aua, Bill Meakes, Liam Wright and more.
On their way to the UK the Wallabies stopped in Japan where they beat the Cherry Blossoms in a predictable 63 – 30 win. The Wallabies started their tour of the UK strongly by continuing their winning run against Wales with a 29 – 21 victory.
The end of their tour didn’t end as smoothly, as they lost 30 – 6 to England despite some extremely questionable refereeing decisions. Things didn’t get any better for them the following week as they were demolished 53 – 24 by Scotland. It didn’t help that they were playing with a man down for half the game but Michael Cheika made it clear that they can’t blame that for their collapse.
Overall, it was a frustrating year for Australia as they struggled to build momentum. The victory over the All Blacks was a big moment for them, but when they get demolished two weeks in a row just a month later they can’t be holding onto that.
A standout for the Wallabies once again was Israel Folau who was nominated for World Rugby Player of the Year. The main positive from this season was we got to see Cheika continue to introduce new and exciting players which are certainly going to be necessary if the Wallabies want to be a serious contender at the 2019 Rugby World Cup.
Results:
Australia 37 – 14 Fiji
Australia 19 – 24 Scotland
Australia 40 – 2 7 Italy
Australia 34 – 54 New Zealand
New Zealand 35 – 29 Australia
Australia 23 – 23 South Africa
Australia 45 – 20 Argentina
South Africa 27 – 27 Australia
Argentina 20 – 37 Australia
Australia 23 – 18 New Zealand
Australia 31 – 28 Barbarians
Japan 30 – 63 Australia
Wales 21 – 29 Australia
England 30 – 6 Australia
Scotland 53 – 24 Australia
8 wins, 5 losses, 2 draws
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Comments on RugbyPass
A wallaby front-row of Bell, Blake and Tupou…now that would be hefty
1 Go to comments“But with an exceptional pass accuracy rating “ Which apart from Roigard is not a feature of any of the other 9s in NZ. Kind of basic for a Black 9 dont.you. think? Yet we keep seeing FC and TJ being rated ahead of him? Weird if it’s seen as vital to get our backline beating in your face defences.
1 Go to commentsThanks BeeMc! Looks like many teams need extra time to settle from the quadrennial northern migration. I think generally the quality of the Rugby has held up. Fiji has been fantastic and fun to watch
13 Go to commentsLets compare apples with apples. Lyon sent weak team the week before, but nobody raised an eyebrow. Give the South African teams a few years to build their depth, then you will be moaning that the teams are too strong.
41 Go to commentsDid footballs agents also perform the scout role at some time? I’m surprised more high profile players haven’t taken up the occupation, great way to remain in the game and use all that experience without really requiring a lot of specific expertise?
1 Go to commentsSuper rugby is struggling but that has little to do with sabbaticals. 1. Too many teams from Aust and NZ - should be 3 and 4 respectively, add in 2 from Japan, 1 possibly 2 from Argentina. 2. Inconsistent and poor refereeing, admittedly not restricted to Super rugby. Only one team was reffed at the breakdown in Reds v H’Landers match. Scrum penalty awarded in Canes v Drua when No 8 had the ball in the open with little defence nearby - ideal opportunity to play advantage. Coming back to Reds match - same scrum situation but ref played advantage - Landers made 10 yards and were penalised at the breakdown when the ref should have returned to scrum penalty. 3. Marketing is weak and losing ground to AFL and NRL. Playing 2 days compared with 4. 4. Scheduling is unattractive to family attendance. Have any franchises heard of Sundays 2pm?
11 Go to commentsAbsolutely..all they need is a chance in yhe playoffs and I bet all the other teams will be nervous…THEY KNOW HOW TO WIN IM THE PLAYOFFS..
2 Go to commentsI really hope he comes back and helps out with some coaching.
1 Go to commentsI think we are all just hoping that the Olympic 7s doesn’t suffer the same sad fate as the last RWC with the officials ruining the spectacle.
1 Go to commentsPersonally, I’ve lost the will to even be bothered about the RFU, the structure, the participants. It’s all a sham. I now simply enjoy getting a group of friends together to go and watch a few games a year in different locations (including Europe, the championship, etc). I feel extremely sorry for the real fans of these clubs who are constantly ignored by the RFU and other administrators. I feel especially sorry for the fans of clubs in the Championship who have had considerable central funding stripped away and are then expected to just take whatever the RFU put to them. Its all a sham, especially if the failed clubs are allowed to return.
10 Go to commentsI’m guessing Carl Hayman would have preferred to have stayed in NZ with benefit of hindsight. Up north there is the expectation to play twice as many games with far less ‘player management’ protocols that Paul is now criticising. Less playing through concussions means longer, healthier, careers. Carter used as the eg here by Paul, his sabbatical allowed him to play until age 37. OK its not an exact science but there is far more expectations on players who sign for Top 14 or Engl Prem clubs to get value for the huge salaries. NZR get alot wrong but keeping their best players in NZ rugby is not one of them. SA clubs are virtually devoid of their top players now, no thanks. They cant threaten the big teams in the Champions Cup, the squads have little depth. Cant see Canes/Chiefs struggling. Super has been great this year, fantastic high skill matches. Drua a fantastic addition and Jaguares will add another quality team eventually. Aus teams performing strongly and no doubt will benefit with the incentive of a Lions tour and a home RWC. Let Jordie enjoy his time with Leinster, it will allow the opportunity for another player to emerge at Canes in his absence.
11 Go to commentsLove that man, his way to despise angry little men is so funny ! 😂
4 Go to comments“South African franchises would be powerhouses if we had all our overseas based players back in situ. We would have the same unbeatable aura the Toulouses, Leinsters or Saracens of this world have had over the last decade or so.” Proof that Jake white does not understand the economics of the game in SA. Players earning abroad are not going to simply come back and represent the bulls. But they might if they have a springbok contract.
24 Go to commentsA lot of fans just joined in for the fun of it! We all admire O'Gara and what he has done for La Rochelle
4 Go to commentsThe RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
10 Go to commentsWell that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
35 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
35 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
17 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
4 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to comments