The first 40 was all Australia, the next 20 all New Zealand, and the last 20 came out about even, which was enough to give the game to the Wallabies along with the Tri Nations trophy.
In the end for me what was so encouraging about this game was the style in which we won it. The greasy conditions meant it was a bit of a slogfest, and we bashed the All Black forwards into submission for most of the game. The words ‘mongrel’ and ‘physicality’ have never really been associated with this Wallaby side, unless they are preceded by the words ‘the Wallabies lack…’. After last night you would have to change that assessment.
The work at the ruck was a highlight. We never gave the All Blacks a second of downtime, and constantly charged in like men possessed. Steve Moore and Dan Vickerman were standouts in this regard. This intensity was matched in defence with the Wallabies picking up where they left off from South Africa, piling on countless dominant tackles.
Because of these two factors I am now far more confident we can take it to the big packs we are likely to face in New Zealand, specifically our potential semi-final opponent England. Surely the eight blokes who ran out last night are our first choice forward pack. Samo and Vickerman played like men who had something to prove, and were two of our best. I haven’t seen a Wallaby forward destroy an opposition defensive line like Samo did for years. He needs to be our number 8 for the cup.
I also think an unsung hero of the night in the forwards was Ben Alexander. He got through a mountain of work, and added a few little touches you wouldn’t expect of a prop — a charge-down here, a wide covering tackle there. His consistency and fitness have been incredible: he’s played every minute of the Wallabies’ season so far!
But I suppose praising individual forwards out would be a bit unfair. It was a great pack effort, and even the subs made noticeable contributions when they came on. That said, the lineout was a bit of a shambles at times and the scrum looked under the pump. Both of these aspects have been solid all tournament so hopefully this was just a one-off occurance. Hopefully.
As for the backs, they did their job pretty well in the conditions. McCabe and Faingaa barely saw the ball but defended with aplomb. AAC relished the 14 jersey and had his best game all season. Beale and Diggers were dangerous, while Genia was my man of the match. His option-taking was simply flawless and he single-handedly set up the match-winning try, as well as scoring one himself earlier. QC steered the ship pretty well, and he outplayed Carter who had a really off night. He really gets under the Kiwis’ skin, and I love that (it even provoked Richie McCaw to viciously headbutt his knee while Quade was getting up off the ground).
But at the end of the day I don’t think Graham Henry will lose too much sleep over this result. I would suggest the injuries to Kieran Read and Adam Thomson will be occupying more of his mind at the moment. Don’t get me wrong, the ABs will be dirty at the result and it hasn’t helped their RWC campaign. But it will hardly rock the rugby world to its foundations. In the end the Blacks were just edged out by a hungry Wallaby side in front of a packed house at Fortress Suncorp. If this game was at Eden Park it would be a very different story.
Nonetheless it gives the Wallabies (and their fans) confidence that we have what it takes to lift Bill in a few months time. We can bash you in the forwards (thanks to Vicks, Squeak, Radike and co.) or run through you in the backs (thanks to Sanchez, QC, KB and co.). It is all starting to come together nicely, and with some valuable silverware in the cabinet you’d forgive Robbie for cracking a wry smile. Just one. There is a long way to go yet.
