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'This is a better Wallabies team than I've seen for a while' - Foster talks up Australia despite 20 point defeat
The Wallabies and the All Blacks believe there’s little separating them as the trans-Tasman rivals head to Australia for the final two matches to decide the Bledisloe Cup series. The All Blacks finished the New Zealand leg with a 1-0 advantage after their 27-7 win in Auckland on Sunday after a 16-all draw in the opener in Wellington.
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While the hosts were more emphatic at Eden Park, consigning Australia to a 20th straight defeat at the ground, coach Ian Foster was taking nothing for granted before the third and fourth Tests in Sydney and Brisbane on October 31 and November 7 respectively.
“Was it a perfect performance? No, it wasn’t,” Foster said. “There’ll be some things we have to move forward because they’re a good team and now we have to go over there.
“But that’s the level we need to start at and we’ve just got to climb because it’s a tough series.
“This is a better Wallabies team than I’ve seen for a while. They want to stay in the fight, and we had to fight for 80 minutes.”
Wallabies coach Dave Rennie also believes the difference between winning and losing is a thin line.
“We felt at halftime we’d fallen off a lot of tackles and gifted a bit of ball to the All Blacks,” he said.
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“Yet we were only down 10-7, so we thought we were right in it.”
Rennie felt the game could have gone differently, even when the All Blacks scored twice in six minutes to start the second half to lead 20-7.
However, Marika Koroibete couldn’t ground the ball when held up over the line while Brandon Paenga-Amosa was penalised for a double movement when touching down soon after.
Captain Michael Hooper had no doubt the Wallabies were on the right track and that home-ground advantage would help their quest to win the symbol of trans-Tasman supremacy for the first time since 2003.
Cotter's Baa-Baas taking shape. ?https://t.co/3U33OVx45b
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) October 18, 2020
“Absolutely, there’s a lot to like about our team,” he said.
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“The way our staff are preparing us for a game, the way our boys are reacting to what staff are throwing at us, there’s a lot to like here and a lot of hunger.
“We’ll go back home now, you know … two games on home soil.”
The Australians have an injury worry over Matt Toomua, who strained a groin when making a clearing a kick.
Comments on RugbyPass
Nice that Connor Evans is happy to stay on here, that JD Schikerling is returning and Steven Kitshoff. Dobbo is careful to bring back just anybody but having a new financial lease of life, it has made the Stormers a more attractive club. On top of being good quality, having the financial backing helps a lot
1 Go to commentsEngland-qualified too, I believe.
1 Go to commentsThis might turn out to be emblematic of a real issue in Irish rugby. Ireland have one of the best -if not the best - senior sides in the world, and one of the best under 20s sides as well, but don’t seem to be giving graduating under20s players many opportunities to break through into URC starting lineups. There is a risk that a lot of the junior talent they are developing will either be wasted, or lost to other nations.
1 Go to commentsYou ask good questions, Nick. The group who have put together the proposal to play out of Tarneit and participate in the growing of the ground’s capacity are not a bunch of white knights who have been dragged in post-crisis; they were around whilst the Rebels accummulated $23m in debt. Why do we come up with ideas that might make the franchise affordable after it’s broke and not when it might have prevented the trainwreck this offseason was? As for Gordon/Kellaway v Lolesio/Wright, they are both good options. I think the former are better rugby players but the goal kicking of Noah may be decisive when Schmiddy makes his choices. I know Harry Jones has the hots for Edmed but I think it’s one of his few poor choices and he and Jorgensen aren’t close to the other pairs. By coincidence, the wife and I went into town over the weekend to watch Brian Cox and Patricia Clarkson in Long Day’s Journey into Night. Beautifully acted but it was 3.5 hours in the chair and very hard work. Like the Rebels, there were only small bursts of joy to go with a lot of bad news and a depressing story line. In the end, I was hoping it would end and I could give my sore butt a break. Again, familiar.
38 Go to commentsGood decision, very good player but not international quality. But so was Jamison Gibson Park …..
3 Go to commentsLoose forwards always look good going forward and winning. It’s the same loose forwards for the Crusaders and the Canes this year as last year. Too much of the shiny new things getting noticed here while older consistent ones getting bagged. It’s early days. Calm the farm.
6 Go to commentsThanks Nick, and on the money. We tend to be apathetic until something REALLY BAD happens, then we aren't! At least this applies to the Reb players and coach, if not the spectators. They seem to be getting very quick ball at times. Have they altered something, or is it just all of the skills coming together at the right time? It seems almost the opposite of the Reds, who started the season with quick ball, but haven't been showing that in the last 3 losing games. Is it attitude (McDermott hasn't looked “right” to me for 3 weeks), or something else?
38 Go to commentsGood summary. As said, Sevu Reece has been electrifying for the Crusaders. Great try and he has been everywhere. Amazing he is now equal with Caleb Ralph , club record of 52 tries for the Crusaders. That record beckons. Good to see Dallas McLeod getting regular starts at last. A big few weeks are ahead.
6 Go to commentsGood article/interview.As was said Christian Lio-Willie was barnstorming when he came on for the Crusaders. What happened at the end, self-explanatory.Captain fantastic Scott Barrett is due back soon as well, once they are back from Aussie. Great to see Ethan Blackadder back last week.
1 Go to commentsYou must have been watching one team, Andrew - and even then you missed the brightest star in the Chiefs pack - Naitoa Ah Kuoi, 2 turnovers, genuine line-out presence and grunt around the field, and the soft hands of a back.
6 Go to commentsHaha what a crock of sh!t these headlines are. Moorby’s best year was that first. Still doesn’t seem to have the same game about him as when he was fresh but has bounced back well this season to be playing consistent tight accurate footy
3 Go to commentsIt’s even dumber than Bernard Foley not kicking the penalty to touch in the Melbourne Bledisloe in 2022.
3 Go to commentsYes, they are traveling well but it’s early days. The Chiefs were in front with 20 to go while they snatched a last minute win v the Reds. Keep calm.
1 Go to commentsThe failure of the Irish system / rugby playing style to produce their own backs has them looking elsewhere for innovation and flair - not that Jordie has much flair. He’s a converted fullback. The Canes have plenty of other younger options.
10 Go to comments1.Watch Wallace Sititi be the wild card AB. A genuine full time no 8 2. Luke J like Sotutu has not delivered. 3. Chiefs have all the right cattle but badly miss the leadership of Webber. LJ is about as unconvincing as Sam Cane when under the pump. They had the winning of that game in the second half then fell apart.
6 Go to commentsYes the Rebels are showing signs of life because they are literally playing for their live -lihoods and thanks to their Australian attack coach. However they are still playing an essentially dull boring south african style for the rest of the time. And Geoff Parling must be the most useless lineout coach ever. Worse than Steve Hansen even. Interestingly we are starting to see more cheap shots and attempts to get away with cheating by Australian players, now they are being influenced by Joe Schmidt. It was exactly the same when Rennie started out as Wallaby coach and thru his tenure. Trying to teach Australians to play like kiwis doesn’t work, as the last 20 years has conclusively demonstrated. Especially when we are not as good at it as kiwis. Which of course is the whole idea …..
38 Go to commentsGreat signing, not sure where he’ll fit in though. As for him ‘playing alongside RG Snyman, that’s highly debatable given the likelyhood that the latter will spend most of the season on sick leave.
10 Go to commentsWowee!
10 Go to commentsEvery team that has played a game in Africa this Champions Cup season is already out of the competition - including the SA teams. Could be a concidence.
30 Go to commentsthat should offer some experiences for Jordie.
10 Go to comments