The shortened Rugby Championship drew to a close last weekend, with both results going against the grain so to speak.
Whilst it would have dampened the spirits of many an All Black and Springbok fan, I believe the game of rugby would be richer for it. Especially being a World Cup year, with the showpiece event less than a couple of months away.
The weekend’s action kicked off in Sydney, where the ever improving Australians hosted their more decorated trans-Tasman rivals – a team they hadn’t beaten since 2011. It was effectively a Cup Final given both teams were the only two unbeaten teams in the lead up to the game. And in knock-out rugby, the Wallabies do tend to have the edge over the men in Black.
In a game that belted into life after an error strewn first quarter, it was the Wallabies who managed to make the most of the opportunities presented to them. The All Blacks stayed within touching distance throughout the game, but could not repeat the rescue act they pulled off in Johannesburg a fortnight ago. An inspired substitution saw Nic White introduced with fifteen minutes to go, with the game poised at 20-19 to the Wallabies. In the dying moments of the game, White soled a dummy foxing the Kiwi defense line, deep in All Black territory before slipping over for a try which he converted himself. This gave his side an eight point cushion and the Wallabies were not going to let slip such a rare opportunity to get one over their arch rivals and in the process pocketing their first Rugby Championship (following the expansion to four teams).
For the men in Gold, there were many noteworthy performances. The experiment of playing both specialist open sides in David Pocock and Michael Hooper seemed to pay off as they were the dominant side at the breakdown on the day. Adam Ashley-Cooper was also excellent with his game awareness proving to be vital during key points of the game. Ashley Cooper capped off a great evening with a try of his own by the right corner flag, chasing down a punt, placed to precision by Matt Toomua. What surprised most purists watching is the huge progress the Wallabies have made in the scrums, where it has to be said they got the better of their more renowned opponents. Scott Sio and Sekope Kepu put in a very solid performance. When you provide a steady platform as the tight forwards did, the likes of Israel Folau, Drew Mitchell, Kuridrani, and the veteran Matt Giteau are always going to ask questions of the defense. Another aspect they got spot on were the substitutions. I have always believed that the monstrous Will Skelton is more effective when coming on off the bench as an impact player, being given the license to ram into tiring defenders. The introduction of both Toomua and White took the Wallabies up a few gears which proved to be decisive in the end. This win will be a huge boost for Michael Cheika’s charges. The Rugby Championship trophy aside, it will renew belief within the Green and Gold camp that they have it in them to beat the best in the business when playing to their true potential. They will surely be entertaining very realistic hopes of doing the double, and wrestling the Bledisloe back after what has been a long barren spell.
As for the All Blacks, I was very disappointed with their performance. It was probably the worst I’ve seen them play since winning the World Cup. When Dan Carter saw one of his intended touch finders off a penalty go dead, that pretty much for me summed up the evening for New Zealand, as well as the form of the aforementioned. Carter may have notched up a record fifteen thousand international points for his country during the game. But to be blatantly honest, I do not believe he merits selection anymore at this level. Not in the world’s number one side anyway. And I do not think he sits alone in that bracket. Conrad Smith is another who in my estimation is past his ‘best by’ date. Going into the World Cup, I feel that New Zealand are carrying too many players on reputation. I’m also not convinced that Jerome Kaino is the best number six in the country, or whether Sonny Bill Williams has the all-round game to be a starting 12, come the business end of the tournament. There is also murmurs from the gallery regarding King Richie’s impact. Perhaps the think tank would seriously need to consider having a specialist ‘seven’ coming on at least in the last quarter. Sam Cane and Matt Todd have been waiting in the wings for quite a while. These are serious points for consideration for the management. The only real positive from the game was the impressive debut of Hurricane, Nehe Milner-Skudder who touched down twice and showed up some very fancy footwork with ball in hand. It will be interesting to see what team is picked for the Bledisloe decider in Auckland this Saturday. I would expect to see Ma’a Nonu in midfield alongside Fekitoa, with Piatau and possibly Milner-Skudder on the wings. Will there be a backlash by McCaw’s men in their fortress that is Eden Park? Recent history may suggest so.
In Durban, it was much expected to be one way traffic, with South Africa clear favourites to get past the misfiring Pumas. However, from the first minute to the last, the men in Blue and White hoops were clearly the better side. It took them just two minutes to score their first try when winger Juan Imhoff sliced through the defense to score his first. From there on, the South Americans just seemed get better as the game went on. They went into the half time break leading 27-13, and always found a way to keep some breathing space between themselves and their hosts. It was a near perfect night for Augustin Creevy and his team, as everything they touched seemed to turn to gold. Experienced Centre Marcelo Bosch landed a huge long range penalty and even dropped a goal to keep the Springboks on the back foot. They crossed the Bok try line four times in all, though the fourth was in extremely controversial circumstances. During a medical break Jean de Villiers was addressing his teammates as the clock was stopped. Referee Romain Poite then called time back on, immediately upon which Juan Martin Hernandez took a short tap and sent Imhoff over for his hat trick. But did that really change the outcome of the game? I think not. Argentina are a different side when they have Hernandez conducting proceedings at Fly Half. They were the better side on the day, and will now look to have some consistency going leading up to the World Cup.
For South Africa, they finish with the wooden spoon, with three defeats on the bounce. Their scums were dismantled in Durban which is an area of grave concern. Moving out Jesse Kriel to accommodate the returning Skipper de Villiers seems to have upset their rhythm as well. All in all it was a poor outing with the disgruntled Durban crowed sharing their frustration. Heyneke Meyer needs to figure out who his best side is, and stick with it.
