Wallabies 2020

[Tomikin]

Wingers in abundance.... I really like the look of Wright, mostly because I see his confidence.. There's some swagger there in how he plays.

I also rate Ramm highly, his just the quite achiever as such, does everything super well and a bit under the rader, but then you see his states and its 120 run metres 5 defenders beat and 9 out 10 tackles made.. or something ridiculous

 

[barbarian]

I've been thinking more about the Wallabies this year. In particular how they line up when compared to the same point in the last 'cycle' - 2016.

We come back from the RWC with our heads high, losing to an all-time AB team in the final. We go into the series against England with a relatively settled team - 9 of our starting 15 in the final held their spot, and of our 23 in the World Cup Final, 15 of them suited up in the first game against England (and it would have been 17 had Genia and Horne been fit).

We field four debutants in game one, in Kerevi, DHP, Arnold and Nick Frisby. Adam Coleman is the other debutant to feature in the series.

What followed was a 3-0 series loss, where we were beaten physically and tactically. We then go into the Bledisloe and get blown off the park in Bledisloe 1 (after a further four RWC finalists return in AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper), Giteau, Douglas and McCalman) and suffer comfortable losses in games two and three. It was devastating, and I honestly don't think the Cheika Wallabies ever really recovered.

Compare that to this year. We lose in the RWC QF, and from that game to the first Bledisloe there are 12 survivors but only Hooper and Marika hold their place in the starting XV.

Through the series we introduce 10 debutants: Harry Wilson, Filipo Daugunu, Hunter Paisami, Noah Lolesio, Irae Simone, Fraser McReight, Tate McDermott, Lachie Swinton, Angus Bell and Tom Wright.

And yet we end the series 2-1, with two strong performances, one mediocre effort and one shocker. The ABs of 2020 aren't England of 2016, or the ABs of 2016, but it's a comparison worth thinking about.

We've blooded some players that could be all-timers (specifically Wilson and Petaia), but what is most encouraging to me is the way we played, and what it foreshadows in the coming years.

The Cheika Wallabies of 2016 featured the same game plan that teams would mercilessly exploit over the coming four years, especially England and New Zealand. We were tactically outmaneuvered in both 2016 series, and we lost despite fielding a team that was settled, experienced and talented.

But in 2020 I genuinely think it was different. In Wellington and Brisbane we played a superior tactical game to the All Blacks - utilising box kicks, set piece and different patterns in attack and defence. We were dealt a much worse hand than 2016, but played it far better.

In short, I think we have much to be excited about.

 

[wamberal]

A couple of other points. Rennie comes across as a much more grounded individual than Chubby. Plus we do seem to be mining a rich vein of youngsters, not just the ones in the frame currently, but the level below them. If only we can hang onto the best of them for long enough.

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

Great analysis Barbs, agree with every word of it. I would say that we were a tiny bit unlucky in that England series too. I don't think 3-0 anywhere near reflected the play on the pitch.

 

[Viking]

Great analysis Barbs, agree with every word of it. I would say that we were a tiny bit unlucky in that England series too. I don't think 3-0 anywhere near reflected the play on the pitch.

I disagree. I would agree from a player performance perspective but tactically we were far inferior.

Plus you can't really argue a 3-0 series loss, that's pretty damn comprehensive.

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

I disagree. I would agree from a player performance perspective but tactically we were far inferior.

Plus you can't really argue a 3-0 series loss, that's pretty damn comprehensive.

No doubt Cheik was out coached. That said, a couple of those tests turned on a small number of incidents and the momentum was with the Poms thereafter. Anyway, it's in the past and was unfortunate portent of some shit times to come.

 

[A mutterer]

I've been thinking more about the Wallabies this year. In particular how they line up when compared to the same point in the last 'cycle' - 2016.

We come back from the RWC with our heads high, losing to an all-time AB team in the final. We go into the series against England with a relatively settled team - 9 of our starting 15 in the final held their spot, and of our 23 in the World Cup Final, 15 of them suited up in the first game against England (and it would have been 17 had Genia and Horne been fit).

We field four debutants in game one, in Kerevi, DHP, Arnold and Nick Frisby. Adam Coleman is the other debutant to feature in the series.

What followed was a 3-0 series loss, where we were beaten physically and tactically. We then go into the Bledisloe and get blown off the park in Bledisloe 1 (after a further four RWC finalists return in AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper), Giteau, Douglas and McCalman) and suffer comfortable losses in games two and three. It was devastating, and I honestly don't think the Cheika Wallabies ever really recovered.

Compare that to this year. We lose in the RWC QF, and from that game to the first Bledisloe there are 12 survivors but only Hooper and Marika hold their place in the starting XV.

Through the series we introduce 10 debutants: Harry Wilson, Filipo Daugunu, Hunter Paisami, Noah Lolesio, Irae Simone, Fraser McReight, Tate McDermott, Lachie Swinton, Angus Bell and Tom Wright.

And yet we end the series 2-1, with two strong performances, one mediocre effort and one shocker. The ABs of 2020 aren't England of 2016, or the ABs of 2016, but it's a comparison worth thinking about.

We've blooded some players that could be all-timers (specifically Wilson and Petaia), but what is most encouraging to me is the way we played, and what it foreshadows in the coming years.

The Cheika Wallabies of 2016 featured the same game plan that teams would mercilessly exploit over the coming four years, especially England and New Zealand. We were tactically outmaneuvered in both 2016 series, and we lost despite fielding a team that was settled, experienced and talented.

But in 2020 I genuinely think it was different. In Wellington and Brisbane we played a superior tactical game to the All Blacks - utilising box kicks, set piece and different patterns in attack and defence. We were dealt a much worse hand than 2016, but played it far better.

In short, I think we have much to be excited about.

yeah nah .... know what i mean?

 

[Derpus]

No doubt Cheik was out coached. That said, a couple of those tests turned on a small number of incidents and the momentum was with the Poms thereafter. Anyway, it's in the past and was unfortunate portent of some shit times to come.

With retrospect Cheik shoulda been done then and there. He never evolved from that point and literally every team we came up against had a simple blueprint to follow to beat us.

 

[barbarian]

yeah nah .. know what i mean?

Um....... not really?

 

[barbarian]

No doubt Cheik was out coached. That said, a couple of those tests turned on a small number of incidents and the momentum was with the Poms thereafter. Anyway, it's in the past and was unfortunate portent of some shit times to come.

It's a good point, and at the time I remember that was the feeling - each game hung on a couple of decisions, a couple of bounces, and it easily could have fallen 2-1 to us or even 3-0.

And yet with the benefit of hindsight the same thing kept happening again and again and again, especially against England. So in July 2016 it was unlucky, but by 2019 the sample size was big enough to say it was clearly something more than that.

In the end it was the story of the Cheika Wallabies: 'well we were in the game, and if not for decision X/mistake Y we would have won'.
.

 

[lpd]

I always felt during the Cheika years that we were the unluckiest team in the world, always losing to interceptions or charged down kicks etc. Then I realised teams knew we were going to make a load of mistakes during the match so waited for them + voila, we would give away 'lucky' tries.

 

[wamberal]

I always felt during the Cheika years that we were the unluckiest team in the world, always losing to interceptions or charged down kicks etc. Then I realised teams knew we were going to make a load of mistakes during the match so waited for them + voila, we would give away 'lucky' tries.

Frigging intercepts. Scotland. Nothing more need be said.

 

[Dctarget]

Frigging intercepts. Scotland. Nothing more need be said.

Wales. That zippy nine plucked two off us.

 

[rodha]

With retrospect Cheik shoulda been done then and there. He never evolved from that point and literally every team we came up against had a simple blueprint to follow to beat us.

I remember 2017 was the year the pressure was really mounting on Cheika to perform after the disappointing season of 2016 & I thought he was fortunate during that period to come up against a very poorly coached Springboks side under Allister Coetzee.

Thinking back there were really two matches that saved Cheika's job, he was under real criticism in mid-2017, especially after the Scotland defeat and going down 2-0 in the first two Bledisloe matches, but that 3rd Bledisloe win in Brisbane probably kept Cheika on, perhaps for the detriment of the team.

I recall he was going to be given the flick during the 2018 RC, his sacking was more or less sealed after that first half against Argentina. The Wallabies were trailing 31-0 at half-time and it would've probably been better for the Wallabies in the long-run if it had stayed that way but the team managed an epic comeback winning 45-34, after a good old Cheika spraying at half time.

Ironically, that desperate valiant comeback only ensured the Wallabies fate in 2019.

 

[dru]

I remember 2017 was the year the pressure was really mounting on Cheika to perform after the disappointing season of 2016 & I thought he was fortunate during that period to come up against a very poorly coached Springboks side under Allister Coetzee.

Thinking back there were really two matches that saved Cheika's job, he was under real criticism in mid-2017, especially after the Scotland defeat and going down 2-0 in the first two Bledisloe matches, but that 3rd Bledisloe win in Brisbane probably kept Cheika on, perhaps for the detriment of the team.

I recall he was going to be given the flick during the 2018 RC, his sacking was more or less sealed after that first half against Argentina. The Wallabies were trailing 34-0 at half-time and it would've probably been better for the Wallabies in the long-run if it had stayed that way but the team managed an epic comeback winning 45-34, after a good old Cheika spraying at half time.

That result merely sealed the Wallabies fate in 2019.

If Cheika had been removed earlier would we have Rennie? If not would who-ever have been a better prospect than we have now?

I’m done with the Cheika era - been there, done that, don’t want to go back. I’ll be concentrating on the Rennie era from this point.

 

[Joe Blow]

Cheikas time was always interesting. I wonder what he is instilling in the Pumas?
Rennie looks to be very solid, both as a motivator and on the technical side of things. The immediate future looks bright.

 

[rodha]

If Cheika had been removed earlier would we have Rennie?

If not would who-ever have been a better prospect than we have now?

I recall Castle was lining up Jake White as a caretaker coach in 2018 to take the Wallabies through to the WC? It would've been interesting to see how that situation might've played out in retrospect..

 

[wamberal]

Wales. That zippy nine plucked two off us.

I have chosen to forget that game, for the sake of my sanity.

 

[A mutterer]

It's a good point, and at the time I remember that was the feeling - each game hung on a couple of decisions, a couple of bounces, and it easily could have fallen 2-1 to us or even 3-0.

And yet with the benefit of hindsight the same thing kept happening again and again and again, especially against England. So in July 2016 it was unlucky, but by 2019 the sample size was big enough to say it was clearly something more than that.

In the end it was the story of the Cheika Wallabies: 'well we were in the game, and if not for decision X/mistake Y we would have won'.
.

clear not a chieka quote, not enough whinging about referee decisions

 

[Braveheart81]

I recall Castle was lining up Jake White as a caretaker coach in 2018 to take the Wallabies through to the WC? It would've been interesting to see how that situation might've played out in retrospect..

Pretty unlikely he'd have taken the job for a short period of time on a hiding to nothing. If that had happened we'd most likely still be stuck with Jake White as coach.