RUGBY TRI-NATIONS REVIEW:NEW ZEALAND'S sweep of the Tri-Nations affirmed their status as the game'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 said.
“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.”
Injuries to key players played havoc with Robbie Deans’ selections, but also proved an unlikely blessing for the Wallabies, as their replacements stepped up and in some cases blossomed. 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 outhalf position his and is a threat with 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 to outside centre 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 drought on the highveld, has proved a revelation despite committing the odd farcical error.
“I think they’re playing exciting football and the passes are sticking now,” 1999 World Cup-winning Australia coach Rod Macqueen said. “That’s a result of the understanding between them and the development. I think in the last two games they really are looking a much more composed team.”
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.”
Slack also joined a chorus of disapproval over Australia’s goal-kicking, with Matt Giteau’s woeful three-out-of-seven on Saturday magnified by opposite number Piri Weepu’s perfection. “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. 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’ 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.”
Scorers: Australia(14) 22 (Tries: O'Connor, Ashley-Cooper. Pens: Giteau 3, Beale); New Zealand(6) 23 (Tries: McCaw, Read. Cons: Weepu 2. Pens: Weepu 3).
AUSTRALIA:Beale, O'Connor, Ashley-Cooper, Giteau, Turner, Cooper, Genia, Robinson, Moore, Ma'afu, Chisholm, Sharpe, Elsom, Pocock, McCalman. Replacements: Edmonds, Slipper, Mumm, Brown, Burgess, Barnes, Faingaa.
NEW ZEALAND: Muliaina, Jane, Smith, Nonu, Dagg, Cruden, Weepu, Woodcock, Mealamu, Franks, Thorn, Donnelly, Vito, McCaw, Read. Replacements: Flynn, Afoa, Boric, Kaino, Cowan, Slade, Ranger.
Referee: M Lawrence(South Africa).
