With wind swirling around and light rain falling, Wallabies captain Michael Hooper pointed out that conditions were “not too favourable” prior to the start of the first Bledisloe Cup Test. What the Wallabies learned over the next 80 minutes at Eden Park was that the worst conditions always favour the ablest navigators.
On Saturday night, once again, the All Blacks steered their way to victory. The 33-25 scoreline was seemingly credible, yet flattered the Australians. Wallabies boosters will be buoyed by the fact the two teams scored four tries apiece, five-eighth Noah Lolesio left 12 points on the field with missed kicks and Australia made a stirring comeback in the second half.
But if the Wallabies believe that performance has put them in a position to level the series at Eden Park on Saturday, they are deluding themselves. It has become a pattern over recent years that they invariably play their best against the All Blacks when there is no pressure.
Unlike their two courageous come-from-behind wins against France last month, the Wallabies’ comeback against the All Blacks was staged at a time when the game was effectively over. After leading 16-8 at half-time, New Zealand raced out to an unassailable 33-8 lead with three tries to Richie Mo’unga, David Havili and Damian McKenzie in the space of 13 minutes.
Australia were never going to score more than 25 points in the final 15 minutes to win the game, but they did manage to score three face-saving tries to make the scoreline look more respectable.
The Wallabies cannot afford to be seduced by what appeared on the face of it to be a credible loss. They were badly beaten by a team that did not play as well as it can. Winger Sevu Reece’s spectacular – but disallowed – length-of-the-field try early in the second half was an indication of what the All Blacks are truly capable of.
In fact, the Wallabies’ comeback may backfire on Saturday, as any complacency that might have crept into the All Blacks’ psyche will have been erased.
Compared to the 16-all draw in the corresponding Test in Wellington last year, the Australians appear to have gone backwards. In the second Test last year the All Blacks thumped the Wallabies 27-7 at Eden Park and a similar fate may await the men in gold at the same ground on Saturday.
Wallabies coach Dave Rennie has seven days to devise a plan to spring one of the greatest upsets in the history of the trans-Tasman series.
On Saturday Hooper lamented that the Wallabies finished games well but were not getting starts right. Does Australia have sufficient talent to build a 23-man squad that can both start and finish strongly?
Actually, the Wallabies did not start all that badly. They probably should have led 10-9 at half-time, but Lolesio missed a conversion attempt late in the half and Hooper gave away a penalty at the restart, which led to Reece scoring.
But it was really the All Blacks’ ill-discipline which kept the Wallabies in the game before the break. The Australians cannot rely on the Kiwis being that wayward again. They are still coming to terms with Rennie’s introduction of a New Zealand-style attacking-kicking tactic in their game plan.
Twice in the first half, winger Andrew Kellaway and centre Hunter Paisami kicked poorly when they had overlaps. It was only when Lolesio grubber kicked for fullback Tom Banks’s second try in the 74th minute that the Wallabies found the space behind their opponents’ defence. By then it was too late.
Winger Marika Koroibete and No 8 Isi Naisarani will be available after being omitted from the first Test because of a late-night drinking session, giving Rennie more selection choices for the second Test.
The first thing Rennie must do if his side are to have any chance is to fix the lineout, which struggled to deliver clean, usable possession. After failing to secure decent possession on their first five throws, Australia resorted to trickery with two non-competitive lineouts that led to Kellaway’s runaway try in the 35th minute, but that is not a solution to the lineout problem over the course of 80 minutes.
- Download the Guardian app from the iOS App Store on iPhones or the Google Play store on Android phones by searching for 'The Guardian'.
- If you already have the Guardian app, make sure you’re on the most recent version.
- In the Guardian app, tap the yellow button at the bottom right, then go to Settings (the gear icon), then Notifications.
- Turn on sport notifications.
There is a strong case for second-rower Matt Philip to come into the starting line-up with Lukhan Salakaia-Loto switching to blindside flanker, giving the Wallabies more lineout options. The Wallabies are fast and fit, but they need to add another ‘F’ to their game: fury. Rennie must assemble the strongest and most aggressive forward pack possible, which means starting tight-head prop Taniela Tupou, Naisarani and maybe rookie loose-head prop Angus Bell.
In the backs, Koroibete should start on one wing, but who does he replace? Kellaway or Jordan Petaia (who had limited opportunities)? When centre Matt Toomua came on towards the end he provided the Wallabies’ midfield with the passing skills it lacked, but was a five minute cameo enough to convince Rennie to start the previously out-of-form veteran ahead of a solid performer such as Len Ikitau?
There is no doubt the Wallabies can improve. But the frightening thing is that the All Blacks can too, even in the most unfavourable conditions.
.jpg?w=600)
