New Zealand’s sweep of the Tri-Nations affirmed their status as rugby’s top dogs but Australia’s rapid improvement in the tournament suggests an All Blacks’ World Cup victory may not be a foregone conclusion.
The Wallabies’ gut-wrenching 23-22 loss in the final Tri-Nations match in Sydney on Saturday condemned them to a record streak of 10 defeats to the All Blacks.
It also left them with an unflattering 2-4 record for the tournament and lingering doubts about their ability to land a killer blow against their bitter arch-rivals with the World Cup in New Zealand just a year away.
However, despite the disappointing conclusion in Sydney, surrendering a late 13-point lead after dictating much of the play, the Wallabies emerged from the tournament with a greater resolve and the number two ranking pilfered from South Africa.
“Two out of six is obviously disappointing, but I think to play the game that we did … does show that we’ve come a long way and it shows that if we just keep working and keep building we’ll get there,” scrumhalf Will Genia told reporters on Sunday.
“It was our game to be won. It’s all good saying it now after the game’s over but we’ve just got to make sure that we keep going. If we’re good enough to get to a 22-9 lead then we’re good enough to keep playing and score another 22 points.”
Playing havoc with coach Robbie Deans’s selections, a number of injuries to key players have actually proved an unlikely blessing for the Wallabies, with their replacements stepping up and in some cases blossoming.
Quade Cooper, who was given his start on the season-ending northern hemisphere tour last year after an ankle injury to Berrick Barnes, has made the flyhalf position his own and looms as a threat with both hand and foot in tandem with Genia.
The losses of Digby Ioane, Rob Horne and Peter Hynes hurt Australia’s backline, but also allowed youngster James O’Connor to show his versatility out wide, while Adam Ashley-Cooper’s shift outside centre Matt Giteau has shored up the defence.
Kurtley Beale, whose last-gasp, long-range penalty felled the Springboks in Bloemfontein last week to break a 47-year winning drought on the highveld, has also proved a revelation despite the fullback committing the odd farcical error.
More composed
“I think they’re playing exciting football and the passes are sticking now. That’s a result of the understanding between them and the development,” 1999 World Cup-winning Australia coach Rod Macqueen told Reuters.
“I think in the last two games they really are looking a much more composed team … I think that they can all go back and think that we’ve discovered some good players there and with good players to come back, all is well.”
Australia had assembled a side whose running and passing was the equal of the All Blacks if not better, but remained prone to “switching off” after scoring tries, Wallabies Hall of Famer Andrew Slack said.
“The ability to score a try is clearly very important, they’ve got that in spades, it’s just the other areas. Once they’ve scored those tries they need to sharpen up a bit.”
“I think it’s more a mental side of things. We don’t want patches in the game where we’re mentally flat. They’re going to be times when the momentum moves away from you … You’ve just got to cope and dig in your heels as the All Blacks do.”
Slack also joined a chorus of disapproval over Australia’s goal kicking, with Giteau’s woeful three-out-of-seven on Saturday magnified by opposite number Piri Weepu’s perfection at the other end.
“It is a major issue. If you look in the history of World Cups, so many of them are won by a kick of one degree or another.”
“You can’t have your off nights when they matter. You can have your off nights when you’re 30 points up … Either turn Matt Giteau into a better goal kicker, a more consistent one, or find someone else.”
Australia will be buoyed by the encouraging signs but their chances of catching up to the seasoned All Blacks in time for the World Cup remain in doubt so long as the young Wallabies remain prone to shooting themselves in the foot with victory in reach.
“That’s exactly what it is — finding a way to win,” Genia said, echoing coach Deans’s losing mantra.
“[The All Blacks] have got so much experience and a wealth of quality talent and with that combination it’s always going to be tough.
“They’ll always back themselves to be in the contest all the way to the end no matter what the score.” – Reuters