'See them not making the quarters': Early RWC exit predicted for Wallabies
The Wallabies have proved to the rugby world that they’re capable of challenging the best, but winning is ultimately all that matters – and success has alluded them in recent international thrillers.
After beginning their five match spring tour with a valiant one-point win over Scotland at Murrayfield, the men in gold have failed to win their last three Tests.
Indiscipline a lack of consistency, in terms of player performance across the entire 80 minutes and with selections week-to-week, have cost the Wallabies.
The Wallabies pushed World No. 2 France for about 75 minutes before a late try sent the Stade de France crowd into a frenzy, and saw Les Bleus keep their impressive unbeaten run alive.
While there were plenty of positives to take out of that tough loss against one of the World Cup favourites, the Wallabies showed just how long a week can be in international rugby.
Australia made mass changes to their starting XV and ultimately paid the price, with inexperienced combinations failing to fire against Italy – who beat the Wallabies for the first time ever.
While they fell just short of an upset win over the world’s best team Ireland in Dublin last weekend, the Wallabies are now just 80 minutes away from a four match losing streak to end their season.
Speaking on the Aotearoa Rugby Pod, former All Blacks hooker James Parsons said Australia may not qualify for the quarterfinals at next year’s World Cup.
“I think I can (make the quarters) with the performance I saw against the French,” Parsons said.
“I think on their day you can but I can also see them not making the quarters in pool play because they have a couple of slip ups.
“They’ve got a bit of fine tuning to do in their preparation. As we know Bryn, it’s what happens before gameday that sets you up for success and I just think something’s not right in that period of time to bring the best out of them.
“There is no lack of ticker. They are trying almost too hard at times and that puts them under pressure.”
Australia are just a matter of days away from their final Test match of the year, which is against familiar foes Wales in Cardiff.
While the Wallabies have traditionally found a way to win Tests against Wales, this match has major ramifications for next year – it might just be their most important game of the year.
Rugby fans will be forgiven for experiencing some déjà vu at next year’s World Cup with Australia, Wales and Fiji set to go head-to-head in pool play, just as they did three years ago.
The Wallabies may have shown plenty of potential and promise throughout the Autumn Internationals, but the most important stat in sport is the scoreboard after all.
Still, six-time Super Rugby winner Bryn Hall believes Australia have shown that they’re capable of potentially challenging for the Webb Ellis Cup.
“I think the biggest thing is trying to adapt, trying to adapt to the discipline areas and I think that sits well for Australia and probably the whole of World Rugby,” Hall said earlier in the podcast.
“I know the results haven’t gone their way but they have been competitive, and to be honest they should have won maybe three of those Test matches due to one-point losses. You can take confidence in that.
“I think they’ve shown enough that I think they can still be in a place to be able to win the Rugby World Cup because of the style that they do play.
“When they do get it right, they can beat any team on their day.”
The Wallabies’ Achilles heel as of late has been injuries, with a number of star players having been ruled out of test matches including Taniela Tupou and Michael Hooper.
While Australia have been able to hand a number of up-and-coming players their first Test caps, it’s clearly impacted the teams competitiveness on the field.
“Obviously something has to change because they can’t be without this many key personnel. We’ve spoken about the consistency of selection, it’s probably failed for them in the sense that they haven’t had the relationship with each other,” Parsons added.
“There’s elements of their game that they need to be a little bit more ruthless (in). At some stages they hold the ball for too long and don’t kick, and then other times they don’t score off the first phase and then kick.
“I think their balance of attack has always been an issue, especially if they’re not winning those collisions.
“There needs to be, clearly a review but there does need to be some changes and I’d say they’d weakly structured.”
Comments on RugbyPass
The shoulder is a “joint” with multiple bones. You don’t “fracture” a shoulder, you fracture any one or more of the bones that make up a shoulder.
2 Go to commentsOh dear, bones too suspect to continue?
2 Go to commentsBold headline considering the Canes and Blues are 1 and 2 and the Brumbies were soundly beaten by the Chiefs and Blues. Biggest surprise is Rebels 4 Crusaders 12 - no one saw that coming. If Aus are improving that’s great 👍
1 Go to commentsAnna, You are right, we need to have patience whilst the others catch up to England and France. Also it is the PWR that has been the game changer for England. the RFU put money into that initially at the expense of the Red Roses. I was sceptical at first but it has paid off in spades.
1 Go to commentsI think Matt Proctor became a 1 test AB in the same fixture. Cameron is quality and has been great this season, can’t believe’s he only 27. Realistically how would he not be selected for ABs squad this year. Only Dmac is ahead of him as a specialist 10. With Jordan out, it will come down to where and when Beauden Barrett slots back in, and where they want to play Ruben Love. Cameron seems an absolute lock in for the wider squad though. Added benefit of TJ-Cameron-Jordie combination at 9, 10, 11 too.
1 Go to commentsFarcical, to what end would someone want to pay to keep this thing going.
1 Go to commentsHavili, our best 12 by a mile, will be in the squad, if he stays fit. JB is the most overrated AB in the last 50 years.
61 Go to commentsWe had during the week twilight footy, twilight cricket, tw golf plus there was the athletics club. Then the weekend was rugby 15s plus the net ball, really busy club scene back then but so much has changed and rugby has suffered. And it was all about changing lifestyles.
6 Go to commentsIn the 70s and 80s my club ran 5 Senior sides plus a Vets. Now it is 2 sides with an occasional 3rd team. Players have difficulty getting to training now, not sure why and the commitment is not there. It seems to me more a problem of people applying themselves and not expecting to turn up and play whenever they want to.
6 Go to commentsROG’s contract is until 2027. The conversation about a successor to Galthie after RWC 2027 may be starting now. We can infer that Galthie’s reign stops then. He is throwing the Irish Coaching Job angle in because he is Irish. The next Irish coach MUST be Leo Cullen. As well as being the best coach available, coaching the vast majority of Irish Internationals week in week out, he has shown incredible skill at recruiting the best coaching staff for the job in hand. That was a failing in France. Cullen is a shrewd guy and if there is a need for foreign coaches underneath him he won’t hesitate. Rightly so. Ireland does need to start to bring Irish coaches through. Not just at the professional level but we need to train coaches to man new pathways for developing kids from schools/clubs up through the divisions.
8 Go to commentsNo Islam says it must rule where it stands Thus it is to be deleted from this planet Earth
18 Go to commentsThis team probably does not beat the ABs sadly Not sure if BPA will be available given his signing for Force but has to enter consideration. Very strong possibility of getting schooled by the AB props. Advantage AB. Rodda/Skelton would be a tasty locking combination - would love to see how they get on. Advantage Wallabies. Backrow a risk of getting out hustled and outmuscled by ABs. Will be interesting to see if the Blues feast on the Reds this weekend the way they did the Brumbies we are in big trouble at the breakdown. Great energy, running and defence but goalkicking/general kicking/passing quality in the halves bothers me enormously. SA may have won the World Cup for a lot of the tournament without a recognised goalkicker but Pollard in the final made a difference IMO. Injuries and retirements leave AB stocks a bit lighter but still stronger. 12 and 13 ABs shade it (Barret > Paisami, Ione = Ikitau, arguably) Interesting clash of styles on the wings - Corey Toole running around Caleb Clark and Caleb running over the top of Toole. Reece vs Koro probably the reverse. Pretty even IMO. 15s Kelleway = Love See advantage to ABs man for man, but we are not obviously getting slaughtered anywhere which makes a nice change. Think talent wise we are pretty even and if our cohesion and teamwork is better than the ABs then its just about doable.
11 Go to commentsCompletely agree. More friday night games would be a hit. RFU to make sure every club has a floodlit pitch. Club opens again Saturday to welcome touch / tag. Minis and youths on Sunday
6 Go to comments1.97m and 105Kg? Proportionately, probably skinnier than me at 1.82 and 82kilos. He won’t survive against the big guys at that weight.
56 Go to commentsThe value he brought to the crusaders as an assistant was equal to what he got out of being there. He reflected not only on the team culture but also the credit he attributed to the rugby community. Such experience shouldn’t be overlooked.
8 Go to commentsGood luck Aussie
11 Go to commentssmith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
61 Go to commentsBar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
11 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to comments