Belief is one of the key words of Wallaby coach Les Kiss, and it is regularly mentioned that he believes in the players and the players believe in themselves.
Basically, this is a great thing for a team that has been in the dumps for so long and so far from the top of the World Rugby rankings for almost a decade, but it is not enough on its own.
Performance is most important: player performance, team performance, performance in their systems.
Professional sport is a business, it requires results, but also making difficult decisions to achieve them
Against England, much of the team looked lethargic; too many players had pedestrian performances and too many rookies failed to add impact.
In a game where green rubs, ball bounces and certain refereeing decisions went against them, effort, accuracy and selection issues were too much for this Wallabies side.
These are the three conclusions: first, difficult selections must be made, because Kiss has always said that competition is important for the group.
Second, the losing battle for territory proved fatal for the Wallabies once again, an aspect of the game that the wider team was clearly frustrated with.
Finally, at Twickenham, the Wallabies played their worst football since the game against France in Brisbane in July; if they don’t respond, then bigger things are in store.
Selection calls
Kiss regularly mentioned the importance of group competition; now is the time to put his money where his mouth is.
In the last three games, the Wallabies have kicked 40-plus points, and while the result can’t be laid at the feet of any one player, too many stars have averaged back-to-back performances.
Fraser McReight, who won the John Eales Medal just two weeks ago, was in very average form.
Zero steals in three matches from the guy All black people coach Dave Rennie called the game’s best turnover dealer.
He tackles at 93% but with zero dominant hits, carried an average of nine times per game for 3m per carry, and optically, failed to impose himself on contests.
Another worse star is Lukhan Salakaia-Lotto.
The huge 201 cm and 136 kg hard head is not doing his part for the team.
Just under seven runs per game in the last three games; he played 80 minutes in one of those, and averages 1.6m per carry, which is simply not good enough from the massive Queensland Red.
Joe Schmidt now looks like a selection genius for leaving LSL out, but the truth is that LSL have always played with an admitted chip on their shoulder, and now that he appears to be ‘the best’ in Will Skelton’s absence, he seems to be cruising in second gear.
Ex England Wing Chris Ashton has publicly questioned Joseph-Aukuso Suaali’s value as a Wallaby.
“And they’re signing rugby league players all the time. This Suaalii is gambling, (I dread to think how much he’s going to be paid; he doesn’t look like … an international rugby union player to me,” Ashton said, speaking on the BBC Rugby Union Weekly podcast after the England and Australia match.
Although his view is exaggerated, he is still correct in the fact that Suaalii did not perform.
Suaaili has 29 runs for 123 meters from the last three matches, averaging just 4.2m per carry, with just eight defenders beaten for those 29 runs, and one breakaway.
He also has zero tackles and zero assists.
Those aren’t the numbers of a world-class winger; just compare them to Jorgensen.
Jorgo has one try, one try assist and is averaging 11.5 meters per carry, for six defenders lost and 10 tackles.
Suaalii is not the only one to blame for these numbers; not being given the ball in the area, or at all, is not solely his fault.
However, the best wings go in search of work, and it’s time for Kiss to remind the whole team that only form gets you in or out of the team.
Losing the battle for territory
In the underbelly of Twickenham, a dejected Allan Alaalatoa and a poor McReight were put to speak to the traveling media pack.
The only thing that stood out was that both said, in one way or another, that the team was playing too much rugby in their half.
This is not a new problem; The Wallabies have done this consistently under Schmidt and now they have failed to apply a good kicking and pressing game under Kiss.
“We have to learn from the choices we make ourselves, put us in better areas of the field so we can come out and continue our game from there,” Alaalatoa said.
“We were persistent, but we were in our own half.”
McReight puts it a little differently, but he too seems frustrated by the side’s inability to get the big boys into the right part of the field.
“Coming out, we weren’t great; we spent a lot of time defending, we didn’t have a lot of time attacking in their half, which if you don’t do that, you put a lot of pressure on yourself,” McReight said.
If a guy who’s just gone through two tons in a tackle can get up from a scrum and have the sense to say his backs are playing too much rugby in their own half, then the backs are playing too much rugby in their own half.
This is one of the strangest quirks of the Wallabies game, and probably stems from Super Rugby Pacific’s amateur-level kicking tactics.
Too much running rugby in SRP means the playmakers cannot adapt at Test level.
Wallabies flyhalf Declan Meredith kicked the ball twice at Twickenham and completed 11 passes in 60 minutes; those numbers mean it’s impossible for you to drive the game.
Against the All Blacks, the Wallaby No.10s averaged six kicks and 23 passes per game, a stark contrast.
That’s all while the possession game was more even, averaging 46%, unlike the England game where it was 47%.
The Wallabies scored most of their tries under Kiss’ attacking structure in six phases or less; that should be the plan.
Make it a firm rule: running from 22m you get one phase to break the line, from 22m-40m you get two phases; from 40m-40m you get three phases, and from the opponent’s 40m you get six phases.
Even when the Wallabies are in the opposition’s half, kicking must be their main option to recalibrate the defence. England did that to the Wallabies on several occasions when they were fierce in attack.
Nothing creates instant pressure with little effort like a well-placed shot.
Against Scotland, the side who averaged the fewest line breaks of any before the All Blacks Test Nations Championship on the side, line breaks will not come easily.
Therefore, whether it’s a chip, a grubber, a cross-field kick or a high lift, the Wallabies must use the kick as a legitimate tactic built into their attacking system.
They have the wings, they have the pace, they have the ability to put that shot on a dime; now is the time to use it.
It’s a real shame that Suaali wasn’t given a single shot from the cross.
A reaction is required
Now, whether it’s through the calm and ruthless application of process and plan or through fire and brimstone, the Wallabies must have a reaction at Murrayfield against Scotland.
Massive losses week in and week out won’t help the Wallabies fan base that has sold out stadiums across Australia and gets up at 1am to support the men in gold.
Wallabies must show some dog; they need to show some genuine hurt on the pitch and unleash it on the Scots.
Australia-born Scotland captain Sione Tuipulotu is the emotional guide for the Scots when they take on the Aussies, and he will be a firepower on Sunday.
The Wallabies cannot allow Sione to leave Murrayfield behind too soon, or his combination with Finn Russell inside him and center partner Huw Jones outside him could prove fatal for the Wallabies.
Time to see some injury channeled into performance; the austrian public can only take so much pain at 1 am on monday before the working week even starts.
