Torn Hammy
Johnnie Wallace (23)
It was the hit on Rocky Elsom by Keiran Read in the first half that made me realise the Wallabies forwards were in big trouble. Elsom, despite his wretched season and advancing years is still one of the hard men of international rugby, but Read thumped him with a tackle of immense speed, skill and fearlessness. Minutes earlier Jerome Kaino had caught a rampaging Digby Ioane and demonstrating great strength walked him 5 metres away from the tryline. Meanwhile Richie McCaw was playing with the deranged look and unstoppable momentum of a crazed zombie.
My point is that when the Kiwi forwards are in that frame of mind you are never going to win the physical battle against them. They have a physical arrogance and confidence that is similar to the doped athlete over his clean opponent. All our forwards except David Pocock were monstered and the pictures of Dan Vickerman, Radike Samo and Pat McCabe coming from the field were testament to the ferocity of the AB's attack and defense. In the second half Pocock was assisted by three team mates after he ran into Kaino but what we saw was all four of them pushed back by the strong Kiwi flanker. Running into these guys all day is courageous but stupid, like a yr 6 kid taking on the yr 12 bully.
The measure of this arrogance and confidence was only matched with an equally apparent panic when Genia, Ioane, Cooper, Horne O'Connor and AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) weaved their magic runs. This mighty ABs team were seriously taken out of their comfort zone by these prodigiously gifted and talented young Wallaby backs. That each of them only had two runs in the semi-final and the fact that we only scored one try in the last 3 RWC matches to me clearly highlights a misguided and conservative group of coaches. Also when Pat McCabe was tackled by a prop, isolated and penalised giving away 3 points when he had a 3 man overlap that included the best winger in the world, Deans' policy of two dullard non passing centres was exposed as a great folly and a clear explanation as to why the ball rarely got to our talented outside backs.
This team won't go anywhere until the coaching staff realise that while they look at the forwards and slowly shake their heads, the backs and the Australian rugby fans are looking at the coaching staff and slowly shaking theirs.
My point is that when the Kiwi forwards are in that frame of mind you are never going to win the physical battle against them. They have a physical arrogance and confidence that is similar to the doped athlete over his clean opponent. All our forwards except David Pocock were monstered and the pictures of Dan Vickerman, Radike Samo and Pat McCabe coming from the field were testament to the ferocity of the AB's attack and defense. In the second half Pocock was assisted by three team mates after he ran into Kaino but what we saw was all four of them pushed back by the strong Kiwi flanker. Running into these guys all day is courageous but stupid, like a yr 6 kid taking on the yr 12 bully.
The measure of this arrogance and confidence was only matched with an equally apparent panic when Genia, Ioane, Cooper, Horne O'Connor and AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) weaved their magic runs. This mighty ABs team were seriously taken out of their comfort zone by these prodigiously gifted and talented young Wallaby backs. That each of them only had two runs in the semi-final and the fact that we only scored one try in the last 3 RWC matches to me clearly highlights a misguided and conservative group of coaches. Also when Pat McCabe was tackled by a prop, isolated and penalised giving away 3 points when he had a 3 man overlap that included the best winger in the world, Deans' policy of two dullard non passing centres was exposed as a great folly and a clear explanation as to why the ball rarely got to our talented outside backs.
This team won't go anywhere until the coaching staff realise that while they look at the forwards and slowly shake their heads, the backs and the Australian rugby fans are looking at the coaching staff and slowly shaking theirs.
