The Wallabies are 2nd in the IRB rankings, as they were a year ago, but I suspect that the high rating depended somewhat on the deterioration of some sides ranked below them. The team must not be too bad to maintain its place in the pecking order but I will mention a few problems nevertheless. I won’t talk about the coaching, as that is a subject in itself.
As for the players: the success of a team depends on who shows up to play on the day, especially in the forwards. Consistency in that team attribute will ever be more important than names, but I will discuss how I think we are going from a player point of view anyway.
Backs
The backs performed well when they ran with good front foot ball, which has not always been the case. Their passing was slick, the fixing or drawing of opponents by players like JOC was often textbook, and their moves were consistently dangerous. However, miracle passes were overdone and too much of the kicking from hand was poor, as was, frequently, the decision to kick in the first place.
Dealing with bad ball is always difficult, but the backs should have done better. Sure, we don’t have scrummies these days like the crapmeisters Catchpole and Hipwell who had bad ball for a lot of their careers, nor flyhalves like Lynagh – but using Barnes more often, even at first receiver if he started at 12, would have defused back foot situations better. His choices under pressure in bad real estate would have been more suitable also.
Fullback
Ignoring players with a poor injury record and those who “can play there”, Oz is very skinny in this position. Beale is the only experienced specialist now because AAC and JOC have to be considered for other spots.
Wingers
Ioane is world class, whatever that means, and Mitchell, when fit, is close to that. Turner is a good reserve, but we need new players like Morahan and Davies stepping up to test level. If they don’t, JOC could be locked in on the wing, and maybe AAC as well if there are injuries.
Centres
Watching old recordings of Wallabies matches makes one realise how much we miss a big line breaking centre like Mortlock. People on this forum criticised him for his lack of guile but others appreciated the consequences of the power.
McCabe performed well when asked to play at inside centre this year, and one wonders how we could have won the RWC Q/Final without him, but we need players with a wider range of talents – and more choices generally, in both centre positions.
Unless Horne demonstrates consistent fitness, Barnes and AAC should be the centre pairing going forward, but we need the likes of Kingston and Tapuai to step up in the next year or two to provide alternatives to them and to reserve centre, A. Fainga’a. We also need JOC playing at 12 at the Rebels week in, week out, to prove a point to Deans, or more likely, his successor. The question of where he will play if everybody is fit can’t be answered until that happens.
Flyhalf
Cooper had a reality check in the harsh environment of the RWC, but he should not be discarded yet as the 10 in high level test football. Barnes did enough when he got the chance, to be the reserve though one hopes his kicking from hand for the Tahs will be better in 2012 to prove the point. On the Spring Tour JOC confirmed he could be 3rd string but not yet 1st or 2nd. Three candidates, and four with Beale if there is a series of injuries, is not a shabby situation by Wallaby standards, but we need other specialists to put their hands up, particularly game managers, rather than robbing other positions..
Scrumhalf
We are thin here, damn thin. Though he was not highly regarded by many on the forum, Burgess was a considerable player and will be missed if Genia is injured. Our 3rd string this year was not proven, even in Super Rugby and the coach hardly ever bothered to use him.
We have to build depth, which is not easy to do without an ARC to assess young players in. Learning the trade on the job in Super Rugby is not ideal but many Wallabies in different positions have done so. Accordingly, we will look to the likes of White and J.Turner to contend with Phipps for the 2nd string spot by the end of 2012.
Utility players, Lucas and Kingi, should prove themselves as scrumhalf specialists in Super rugby before they sit on a Wallaby bench.
Kickers
By Wallaby goal kicking standards of recent years JOC and his ostensible backup, Barnes, are decent, but the Wallabies lack a player who can kick in general play with his left foot (better than Mitchell). Barnes, a right footer, has a good kick with his “wrong” foot but in the medium term we need to find somebody who is a natural left footer and can keep his place in the team otherwise also.
Forwards
A lack of consistency in physicality, correctly applied, was cyclical in matches – again – and it flowed through to the team performance. Not showing up to play was all the more disappointing when they had done so a game or two before, or did it later.
Lineout execution including throwing and calling, and seemingly even the off field planning for it, was sub-standard. Under pressure some fellows couldn’t even take a well thrown ball. Execution of restarts, a black hole in Wallabies rugby for many years, failed the team too often, yet sometimes it was spot on.
The Wallaby forwards were not versatile enough. For example: more Wales’ forwards were interested in fetching the ball than Wallabies were, and some Aussies were more interested in the loose stuff than the tight.
Nor were they adaptable enough. Too often they attended every ruck the same way instead of flooding it when a counter ruck was on, which is probably why they were surprised when opponents did it and won Aussie ball. Also they seemed not to know what to do when the Ireland players stood them up in the tackle to get a “use it or lose it” scrum: something Ireland had been doing for some time and Munster even longer.
There were other disappointing aspects of forward play including occasional reluctance to pick and drive, notably in the 1st Bledisloe; but to earn the ranking of 2nd things can’t be all that bad: there were some pleasing features too.
At year’s end there appeared to be significant progress in the scrummage. This has happened at the end of other years also; so let’s see if that kite flies in 2012. Dynamic off-loading of forwards in motion, as contrasted with static hot potato nonsense, started many breaks, and there was some progress in the maul and the defending of it. Also, the low tackling around the ruck, which stopped go-forward of opponents, was often thrilling.
Props
As one has written before: the prop stable looks good by our historical standards. Ma’afu started the last 3 games for the Wallabies, and though one was not a test match, he did well against Wales LHP Jenkins, twice. His good effort could convince Deans that somebody other than Alexander could start at THP regularly. If that is the case, Kepu also comes into the frame.
This would leave Robinson and Slipper to contend for the LHP spot and Alexander to provide impact from the bench. Then there are others such as LHP Holmes who started at THP with some distinction in the 2011 Super Semi and Final, and THP Palmer. In the medium to long term we have the new Super or EPS props of 2012 and recent promising schools players who could be nothing, or anything.
Hookers
Moore and TPN are arguably the best duo of hookers in any international team but one hopes that other Oz hookers threaten S. Fainga’a for his 3rd string status. One of the intriguing things about the 2012 Super season will be “who is the best of the rest?” The medium to long term hooking futures look good for Australia too.
Second row
The Wallabies need an strong enforcer Bakkies or Thorn type lock to partner Horwill, to support the THP in the scrum and to play 2 in the lineout. We shouldn’t worry if he is not a giraffe nor if his technical ability is not as good as his willingness and ability to play hard in every game. There doesn’t see to be such a new lock in the country, but Horwill should not be expected to do everything. Besides, he had his own problems in 2011, though he finished the year at the top of his game.
We should continue the quest but without an enforcer lock we could keep either Vickerman or Sharpe for another year. Simmons hasn’t made his mark yet as the bench lock; so I would trial whoever has the best Super form out of Pyle, Douglas or Timani, just to look at somebody else.
Backrow
Our loose forwards are a far cry from the recent trio of George Smith, plus Elsom and Palu, in form and fit.
Openside flanker
Pocock is the best on-ball fetcher in the world – but there aren’t many of them to be better than. Other open side flankers have more to their game and when they poach it’s in a shrewder style: stepping into the right spot only when they see a clear chance, otherwise they hold themselves available. Pocock should not change what he does at the coalface: he’s a natural at it, but in addition he has to become a top linker, as Smith was.
Medium term it will be interesting to see the likes of Gill and Hooper contending for Pocock’s spot, albeit with a different type of game.
6 and 8
Replacements for Elsom and Palu are not easy to source; so we shouldn’t be surprised if the same players are selected if they show better form and health in 2012. They are exceptional players in that condition.
But if they aren’t, we have to look at others even if they are not specialists, as they should be. At 6 or 8 McCalman played many times in 2011 to his potential, which we now know is as a bench test player. Samo has excited us many times this year but his library books are overdue.
Higginbotham has to cut down his errors at 6 in 2012. In the clear he can carve up, and even chip to effect, but too often he is messy at the end of the run. He needs to be more dexterous in the lineout also and, mindful that half the time the other team has the ball, to play with more starch in his tight work around the ruck.
At 8 the cupboard is bare of experienced players who are likely to make a difference, but if young Vaea keeps improving he could be a candidate in 2012 already. He is not going to be a lineout man as other rivals will be; so his performance in other aspects of no.8 play has to be superior.
