Lessons learned from last week's encounter meant the All Blacks dominated
Mike Pensitone reviews at the game and asks what Australia need to do in order to bridge the gap.
All Blacks v Wallabies 2nd Bledisloe test. (57-22)
“Through the hands or through the air?”
The fact that the Wallabies conceded 3 tries in two tests through interceptions probably sums up the state of rugby in Australia.
Between tests you must put things right. The All Blacks did, the Wallabies didn’t.
Throughout my coaching career I’ve always put great emphasise on self -learning. Watch, evaluate, take on board, from all sports.
Some Wallabies aren’t learning. There is also a question mark against the coach. He said he was disappointed with the impact of the bench players, compared to the French series. I might suggest the All Blacks might be a step up from a French B team. Imagine getting the call when you are 30 points down at Eden Park.
Selection is a major concern. The balance of the back row is wrong. Swinton and Valentine are too alike. Aggression counts little against pure technique and is basically school yard stuff. Wilson is the man at 8 and brings some timing and footwork. Hooper deserves much praise. He is everywhere, but sadly not wide enough in attack?
To compete against the All Blacks who move the ball from all parts of the field you must match their mobility in attack with your mobility in defence. You must keep moving in defence against multi-phase rugby.
Time to talk to the AFL conditioners. Australia ran out of gas!
The default mechanism for dealing with pressure is solid technique. Time after time the All Blacks won the crucial moments. Pure technique alleviates pressure.
Rennie was full of praise for Tate McDermott and rightly so, but why replace him with a player who in space grubber kicks the ball ahead? Grubber kicking when in space and going forward is becoming a disease and needs eradicating from this Wallaby squad. Some players may have played their last game for the Wallabies.
What of the All Blacks? Depth in abundance in all positions, and the depth is quality.
They have been taught first and coached second. As a result, they are very coachable when they arrive at the alter that is Eden Park.
They understand the numbers game. When McKenzie received the short pass from Ioane he already knew Retallick was on his outside. Retallick ran like a young colt at Randwick races, and with a smile on his face.
Can they be beaten. History suggests the Wallabies will have a chance in Perth, because history often repeats itself, and dead rubbers don’t count? but only have $5 on it.
Then we have the arrival of the South Africans, who will take on the All Blacks up front for sure, but don’t lose the ball because a backline, of interest to age care, will not cope with the All-Black guile in attack.
South Africa v Argentina.
South Africa made 10 changes from the team that beat the Lions. The Argies fresh from wins over Wales.
Now a respected force in World rugby Argentina are a real threat as a previous win over the All Blacks proved.
This was a game that had to eradicate from the memory the Lions series.
The first half was a mixture of aerial chess and individual panache. Reinach, the SA scrum half ran 50 meters to score. Sanchez, the Argentinian fly half tried everything and was always thinking. He will have options when crossing the road!
21-9 at half time and the game was won for South Africa. When their scrum took control early in the second half it was over.
Replacements flooded the field in the second half and 32-12 a fitting tribute to South Africa’s depth.
Coaching thought.
“Devise team mobility games to create the buzz in players for training and playing.”
Mike