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'We need to be better': How the Wallabies plan on beating the All Blacks to keep Bledisloe Cup hopes alive
The Wallabies won’t retreat into their shells after yet another Eden Park beating left Dave Rennie’s men needing to pull off rare back-to-back wins over the All Blacks to regain the Bledisloe Cup.
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While they paid the ultimate price for 40 missed tackles in Sunday’s 27-7 defeat in Auckland, too many loose carries also hurt the Wallabies, who created enough chances to frighten the All Blacks.
After a crisp display in the series-opening 16-16 draw in Wellington, the Wallabies lacked the necessary attacking poise to punish the All Blacks as the last pass too often failed to find the mark.
“We need to be better,” said Wallabies coach Dave Rennie.
The loss of midfield playmaker Matt Toomua to a recurring groin injury before halftime didn’t help, leaving five-eighth James O’Connor to pull all the attacking strings on his own.
But Toomua’s departure did allow Jordan Petaia to make his test return and the young gun was among Australia’s best during his 45-minute cameo.
With the extent of Toomua’s injury still unknown, Rennie may be forced into a change for Bledisloe III in Brisbane on October 31.
Hunter Paisama switched from outside to inside centre to accommodate Petaia, but whether Rennie retains the powering pairing or potentially replaces Toomua with another ball player will be the big call.
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“Hunter’s going great. A young man who wasn’t even sure if he was going to play Super Rugby at the start of the year and started in the first two tests,” Rennie said.
“I thought he made a good fist of moving into 12. We do have some pretty good options who didn’t play today as well.
“Irae Simone being one fellow who has spent a bit of time over here in New Zealand and is a big part of the Brumbies set-up.
“So we do have some options but I thought Hunter was strong.”
Either way, the Wallabies’ 20th straight loss to the All Blacks at Eden Park has left them needing to record successive trans-Tasman victories for the first time in 19 years to regain the Bledisloe.
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Flanker Ned Hanigan, one of Australia’s best on Sunday, said that, despite the handling errors in Auckland, tempering their attack and being conservative wouldn’t do the defiant Wallabies any favours.
“The skill and the offload is something that creates a lot of momentum and that the boys practice at training,” Hanigan said.
“I think it’s different if you’re going into a game and you’ve never practised an offload and you throw one and it doesn’t come off.
“Yeah, we definitely will be saying we’re not pulling back on offloading.
“Nothing else matters except winning that Cup and we’ve got two at home to do it. There’s no doubt in my mind we can do it.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Thanks 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.
9 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.
22 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.
9 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.
14 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 commentsWhat a player! Not long until he’s in the England side, surely?
5 Go to commentsHe seems to have the same aura as Marcus Smith - by which I mean he’s consistently judged as if he’s several years younger than he actually is. Mngomezulu has played 24 times for the Stormers. When Pollard was his age he had played 24 times for South Africa! He has more time to develop, but he has also had time to do some developing already, and he hasn’t demonstrated nearly as much talent in that time as one would expect. If he is a generational talent, then it must be a pretty poor generation.
6 Go to comments