Australia vs South Africa
NIB Stadium, Perth
8pm Saturday 9 September
The Wallabies head west this week, in contrast to the ARU, and meet the Springboks in a fascinating match up that will hopefully answer a few questions we have. Such as...
Is the renaissance for real?
The stunning form reversal against the All Blacks a fortnight ago was just the tonic this Wallabies team needed, albeit not enough to actually get the win. Despite Michael Cheika’s protests, the Wallabies did get some fortunate calls from the referee, and a handful of opportunistic tries, but you need to take the good luck when it’s on your side. Too many time this team has been on the wrong side of all the luck, so it was nice to get the rub of the green for a change. They say you make your own luck, though, and that was certainly the case, as there was a visible lift in intensity and concentration from the Australians. Both the Wallabies and the Lions have now proved that the Kiwis are indeed human, and that if you pressure them with line speed and physicality, they are as prone to errors as anyone else. The question now, though, is whether this is the new standard for the Wallabies, or if it is another false dawn like so many that have come before. The Springboks are coming off a couple of good wins against the Argentinians, and will be hoping they have buried the poor form that dominated their 2016 season. Wallaby fans will be looking for a repeat of the hard running, strong tackling display we saw against New Zealand. Slipping into old habits will only confirm the notion that this is a team that never learns. It is such a huge test for Michael Cheika and his staff, and a less than inspired performance will have us asking questions about the coach’s ability to get his team adequately prepared for the Test arena.
Have we settled on a team?
Well, yes and no. The three changes in the pack were largely expected, and this combination looks stronger than the previous line up. In fact, it looks like a pack worth sticking with through the Rugby Championship. While Hannigan and Hooper will always have their detractors, the Wallabies are at the point now where we need to see what this team can do with a bit of consistency in selection. With only one change in the backline, forced through injury, we finally seem to have a clear view of Cheika's vision for this team. Of course, you are only ever one loss away from overhaul, but hopefully the key word for the rest of the year is stability.
What’s with the restarts?
Why oh why can’t we catch a kick-off? The Wallabies’ restarts were abysmal against the Kiwis, and this is not a new phenomenon. We’ve become accustomed to teams pressuring our catchers into bad body position and hard hands. It’s difficult to remember an occasion, though, when we’ve been punished so badly for failing to secure the ball after we’ve scored. When we hear Michael Lynagh bemoan the lack of skill in this Australian outfit, this is example number one. If Mick Byrne hasn’t spent the best part of two weeks teaching the locks how to position themselves and take these balls, then we will be in for another long night. Forget Foley hitting the post three times, this lost us that game. We must fix it quickly.
Will the west turn up?
It has been a horrible week to be a rugby fan in Perth, coming on the back of a horrible year. There is genuine anger that their team has been taken away, meaning there is every chance there will be empty stands at nib Stadium on Saturday night. Influential figures have implored fans to turn up in their Force blue, and this has to be the reaction of fans if they want to show the ARU how passionate they are. A boycott would achieve little, and would potentially inflict more damage on the actual Wallaby team, and their own chances of seeing more Test football, than the real targets. Talk of a breakaway competition is fanciful, but not completely out of the realms of possibility given Andrew Forrest’s clout. Surely, though, there are too many obstacles to get a new competition off the ground so quickly, and the focus should be on trying to help the players find new homes, not clouding their thinking with unrealistic options. For now, a sea of blue supporting the national team is the message we need from the west.
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Words: Cameron Stokes
