New Zealand v Australia
5:35pm AEST Saturday 26 August 2017
Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin
Well, that didn’t exactly go to plan, did it? Or maybe, it went exactly how we all expected. 40-6 at half time, 54-6 after 50 minutes, before the mighty All Blacks started playing touch football and the Wallabies managed to restore some semblance of respectability to a score line that looked like it was going to break all kinds of records. The Sydney humiliation will go down as one of the darkest days in Australian rugby history, despite the efforts of members of the Wallabies’ inner sanctum to downplay the gulf in performance between the two teams. Make no mistake, the Wallabies didn’t force their way back into that match, the Kiwis switched off, dropping the ball both metaphorically and literally. It is this switch off that now poses the greatest danger to the Australians this weekend, a sure-fire motivational tool for Steve Hansen to focus his troops.
So where did it all go wrong? Much of the focus this week has been on the Wallabies complicated defensive structure, which requires players to move through different positions on the field between attack and defence. The new combination in midfield was all at sea against the rampaging New Zealanders, often caught in staggered lines with inadequate spacing. The result? Kiwi tries coming thick and fast. The Wallabies’ attack showed some promise, and there will be a level of confidence that if the defensive dyke can be plugged, that we have the points in us to mount a challenge. The question remains, though, is there anything we can do stop the juggernaut?
The sad reality is, at the moment, the answer is no. Three changes to the starting line-up for Saturday’s game has not placated the angry fans, who see no evidence in the selections that anything will change in the space of a week. Samu Kerevi has paid the price for the midfield’s defensive woes, replaced by the more dependable Tevita Kuridrani, while Dane Haylett-Petty comes back for Curtis Rona, who takes a bench position. The upshot is, we will still be shuffling Bernard Foley, Kurtley Beale, Israel Folau and co into all sorts of strange defensive combinations, to cover for some perceived weakness that we think we can hide somewhere else. No wonder fans are confused.
In the pack, some expected changes have not been made, and one unexpected change has. Rob Simmons returns at the expense of Rory Arnold in a move which has surprised many given Simmons’ recent lack of form and success at the selection table. Arnold has earnt a late reprieve, however, as Adam Coleman, the only forward whose reputation seems to be growing, has withdrawn with injury in a massive blow to the Australians. Most pundits expected Tatafu Polota-Nau and Lopeti Timani to return for Stephen Moore and Sean McMahon respectively, but both incumbents have held their positions despite failing to make an impact in Sydney. In short, the response to the embarrassment last week has been, in the main, to stick with the team, stick with the structure, and hope something different happens. An interesting approach from a coach under mounting pressure to show some sort of improvement form his team.
Over the ditch, the Kiwis must be grinning at what a rabble we have become, although surely even they would prefer a competitive Bledisloe Cup over of the current mismatch. It’s difficult to know what to hope for this weekend. It seems defeatist to say that a narrow victory would be welcome, but such is the current state of this Wallabies team, it would appear to be true. We simply can’t compete with this team at the moment. The best we can hope for is respectability, and perhaps covering the line at 28.5 points. If it is at all possible, this game has become even more important than last week. The fans are switching off, and the only way to get them back is to start improving, and it needs to start this Saturday night.
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Words: Cameron Stokes
