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'We should have won': Wallabies coach Dave Rennie opens up on frustrating season ahead of final test of 2020
Winning ugly will do as the Wallabies look to complete a rollercoaster test season on Saturday night chasing only a second victory from six outings in 2020.
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For all the promise and strides forward the Wallabies have made under New Zealand coach Dave Rennie, they have only one win, two deflating draws and two defeats to show for it.
Rennie concedes it’s been a year of lost opportunity and atoning for their last-start 15-15 stalemate with Argentina, a draw that culled their chances of winning the Tri Nations trophy, is paramount at Bankwest Stadium.
“We’ve had a couple of tests that we should have won that we didn’t, so that’s frustrating,” Rennie said.
“But the key for me is that we learn from it.
“Our culture’s really good, we’re working really hard, but everyone wants to see that reflected on the field, and that’s what we want.
“A win on the weekend will mean we’ve got more to build on but certainly we had a chance of silverware if we’d got it right a couple of weeks ago, so that’s disappointing.”
A rare win over the All Blacks in Brisbane has been the high point for the Wallabies, the record 43-5 loss to their arch-rivals the undoubted low.
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But giving up a nine-point second-half lead against the Pumas burns almost as much.
Little wonder why Rennie is more concerned about his largely youthful and greenhorn Wallabies mastering the art of winning than worrying about any so-called obligation to entertain fans in the last test of the year.
The Maori All Blacks and Moana Pasifika will make history in Hamilton on Saturday when the two teams face off against each other for the first time in history. #MaoriAllBlacks #MoanaPasifika #MABvMPA https://t.co/vsD3peWVOC
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He accused his game managers of being “naive” in not kicking for the corners when the game was there to be won in Newcastle a fortnight ago.
So he doesn’t care how they beat the Pumas this time, so long as they do.
“We dominated a large chunk of that first half and created lots of scoring opportunities but we didn’t score tries,” Rennie said.
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“What we’re trying to do is grow our understanding of how to win games and you get into games, especially with northern hemisphere sides that won’t play an enormous amount of footy, and you’ve got to find ways of winning.
“And sometimes that’s through smart kicking options that create opportunities to attack.
“So, look, we definitely want to play and we’ll certainly try to grow our game around our skill set.
“But I think we’ve got an obligation to put in a quality performance, not necessarily entertain by throwing the ball all over the place at the risk of losing the game.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Except 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 commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
33 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
2 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
33 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
49 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
33 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
33 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
33 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
33 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
1 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to commentsObscene that SA haven’t been knocking
1 Go to commentsChances of Blackadder being injured seem too high to give him serious consideration. ABs loosie combination finally looked good with 2 committed to tackling and clearing rucks in the centre and Ardie roaming. Hoskins/Ardie together would force one of them into where they don’t excel and don’t get to use their talent, or require a change in tactics. If we continue to evolve last years systems I would take Papali’i and Finau at 6 and 7 (conceding that Blackadder will be injured) and Ardie at 8.
33 Go to commentsArdie’s preferred position 7? Where do they get these writers from? I've no idea where he's playing in Japan, but the previous two seasons he wore the 7 jersey exactly twice.
17 Go to commentsNot good to hear Ulster described as “financially troubled”. Did not think it was getting to that level. I would hope the Irish system of spreading players of talent away from Leinster would kick in now. Better to have a Leinster fringe player with Ulster or Connacht, then getting only a few games a season in Dublin. 10, for example, would seem to be a case for spreading the talent. I would not be at all adverse to a SA man coming in as head coach/DR. Ludeke is worth trying. Certainly got a long and impressive coaching career at this level…..149 games in SR, then Japan, 30 years experience. And Ulster’s ledger of successful SA coaches and players is on the positive side. Is talk of Ruan Pienaar interested in coming back as a coach…..could be a good combination with Ludeke. And Pienaar and family would have no settling in to do, one would judge. He loved life in Ulster when there, by all reports.
1 Go to commentsSome thoughts to consider here, Sam. Thanks
2 Go to comments