Wallaby Wipeout: Bob Dwyer Analysis
Sunday, 01 August 2010 21:50
Written by Bob Dwyer
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There is something seriously wrong with the Wallabies. Either the players are not good enough, or the coaches are not good enough – or, maybe, a bit of both.
It’s not enough to claim the “work in progress” line, because that claim suggests “progress”, and there is none of that precious commodity on display. Certainly there is no consistent progress, nothing to suggest to us loyal band of followers that there is even a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel.We were totally outplayed yesterday in all aspects of the game.
Our kick-off receipts were almost laughable; we secured one from eight, by my count, and all of these, by rights, should have been ‘our ball’! We were beaten at the scrum, the lineout and the tackle contest. We were driven back in the tackle, yet consistently conceded ground to All Black ball-carriers. They were the better in both attack and defence and had a better kicking, and kick-chase, game than ours. Their technique in general - but specifically in ” line of run” and “catch-pass” – was very good; ours was poor. To really put the icing on the cake, they altogether “out-enthused” us. We had little enthusiasm for the game at all, until the last 15, or so, minutes, well after the game had been lost.
I have said this before, but it’s important, so I’ll say it again. Frequently, when addressing groups of coaches, I will ask the question, “Do you think that quickly recycled ball will help our attack”. The answer is, not surprisingly, a resounding “Yes! Of course!” “Why then,” I continue, “do you deliberately slow down your own ball? Bridging, for example, is used to slow down the delivery of the recycled ball. Further, our scrum-halves are constantly ignoring the free ball , sitting at the back of our ruck, whilst they perform a myriad of other, totally unimportant tasks.” This drives me, and many other experienced rugby followers, to distraction and, yesterday, here it was again. The same old drivel, served up to us, week after week. George Gregan became the master of the “idle ball”. Luke Burgess became infected with the same disease – but, lately, seems to have overcome it. Will Genia was not, we all thought, another victim, but we were wrong. This disease lurks somewhere in the Wallaby camp, and he’s also caught a good dose of it also. It’s been three games now and it’s taken a firm hold on him.
New Zealand played well. Their scrum and lineout were both efficient and delivered quality ball. Their restarts were well planned and well executed. They attacked straight and with pace and excellent footwork. Their catch and pass game was accurate, and they maintained their alignment and spacing admirably.
None of this is difficult, mind you, but to look at most teams, including the Wallabies, you would think that it must be ‘quantum physics’. They also had pace and power throughout a performance which exuded urgency. They were urgent, and accurate, in support of the ball-carrier to continue the attack, and they were urgent to reclaim the ball at the tackle contest. They were almost frantic in their efforts, frequently illegal, to deny the Wallabies the immediate use of any turnover ball – from a dropped pass or a steal.
None of this from our Wallabies, however. Not for the first time, we were lethargic – right from the kick-off. The first sniff of any semblance of urgency came in the last 15 minutes, when the game was well and truly lost. Some people remarked that we played better, in this period, with fourteen men! This is true. Far too late, we played with urgency - with desire, with passion and with pace. Speed in the recycle of the tackle ball brought us late points – just as the same strategy had bought points for the Springboks a couple of weeks earlier. Perhaps our strategists missed that game.
There was one other factor in New Zealand’s favour which, however, is not so easily remedied. They looked much quicker than us. It has been stated many times that “there is no substitute for pace”. More recently, I have heard it slightly differently, that “you can’t hide from pace”. Certainly there was no hiding place for the Wallabies last night.
There were other factors in the game which require mention. The first is the red card for winger, Drew Mitchell, for two deliberate offences. I support the referee totally. For me, “if you don’t want to play the game in accordance with the laws, then you should not be allowed to continue”. There was, however, a lack of consistency, which is unacceptable. In the first half, under the shadow of the New Zealand posts, an All Black player deliberately batted the ball away when a Wallaby player sought to play on immediately. There was no penalty whatsoever on this occasion. Many people remarked also on the absence of a yellow card for a dangerous tackle, late in the game, which was reported by the referee’s assistant on the touch. This was difficult to understand.
Whilst on the subject of referees, I thought that Craig Joubert had another poor game. I, like many others, expect that referees will apply the laws of the game – the ones written in the law book, that is – but it is clear that, for some years, this has not been the case. In fact, not long back, the IRB issued an instruction reminding their referees of the laws of the game governing play at and after the tackle. The application of these laws – sometimes incorrectly referred to as “the new interpretation” – has made a huge difference to the spectacle of the game. Now the New Zealand team have come up with yet another ploy - a totally illegal one of course – to deny ‘quick ball’ to their opposition. For some weeks now, there has been a succession of All Black players who, supposedly accidentally, finish beyond the ball, between the ball and the opposition scrum-half. In last night’s game, the frequency of this offence reached new heights.
A couple of weeks back, another referee gave a succession of “final warnings” to Richie McCaw for this and similar offences. Last night’s referee all but ignored the offence and neglected his responsibility. Perhaps we will have to wait for the IRB to issue yet another “clarification”. Paddy O’Brien to make comment on cynical, illegal play from his beloved All Blacks! I don’t think so!
Is it too much to ask that New Zealand be forced to play in accordance with the laws of our game; the same ones that is, that all others are expected to comply with?
http://www.heavensgame.com/bob-dwyer-analysis/wallaby-wipeout-bob-dwyer-analysis
