Northern Edition

Select Edition

Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
New Zealand New Zealand
France France

Wallabies blindsided by front row crisis in loss to Springboks

By AAP
Angus Bell of the Wallabies heads to the locker room at the half time break during The Rugby Championship match between Australia Wallabies and South Africa Springboks at Optus Stadium on August 17, 2024 in Perth, Australia. (Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images)

Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt says even he was caught off guard after his team suffered an unexpected front-row injury crisis that forced them to use four captains in Saturday night’s 30-12 loss to South Africa.

ADVERTISEMENT

The Wallabies only trailed 11-9 at half-time at a rain-drenched Optus Stadium in Perth, but the Springboks scored three tries from rolling mauls in the second half to secure the bonus-point victory.

Australia lost skipper Allan Alaalatoa and fellow prop Angus Bell at half-time after the pair suffered head knocks leading into the break.

Video Spacer

Video Spacer

Veteran prop James Slipper was brought on to take over the captaincy for the second half, but his night lasted just eight minutes before being concussed.

That meant the captaincy was transferred to halfback Nic White, but when he was brought off a short time later, the skipper duties fell to forward Harry Wilson.

Compounding the Wallabies’ woes was the fact that hooker Josh Nasser was also forced off early in the second half.

“It’s very hard to keep up with things when they happen that quickly,” Schmidt said.

“Allan and Angus Bell came off at half-time, but then you know you’re skinny, you can’t afford to lose another prop.

ADVERTISEMENT

“And then Slips got an HIA right at the start of the second half.

“And Josh Nasser, about the 55-minute mark, he kept cramping.

“We were hoping he could actually keep playing, but in the end, that just wasn’t going to be possible.

“I’ve been involved coaching over 100 Test matches, and I’ve never seen that before (with that many front-row injuries in such a short space of time).”

Schmidt, who coached Ireland from 2013-2019, said having to rotate the captaincy so many times during the match was hard to deal with.

ADVERTISEMENT

“No disrespect to Harry, but it’s a little bit destabilising when you work your way through and you get to your fourth captain,” Schmidt said.

“Harry wouldn’t have had the expectation that he was going to be leading the side when we started the match.”

The Rugby Championship loss in Perth followed on from the Wallabies’ 33-7 defeat to South Africa in Brisbane.

But Schmidt praised his team’s fighting effort at a wet Optus Stadium, believing they showed grit and determination in the face of adversity.

The Wallabies will now front up for two tough Tests against Argentina in Argentina, starting on September 1.

Prop Taniela Tupou, who recently flew to Tonga for his father’s funeral, will return in time for the trip to Argentina.

Nick Frost (concussion) and Jeremy Williams (concussion) will also be available for selection, but inside centre Hunter Paisami is in some doubt with a leg injury.

Schmidt said Will Skelton wasn’t realistically in the selection frame given the powerful lock is tied up in pre-season training with his Top 14 side La Rochelle.

“I continue to have conversations with Will,” Schmidt said.

“But it is complicated to get someone like Will back out of the Top 14 lead-in … they’re in pre-season training.”

Enter now to stand a chance of winning tickets to all three British & Irish Lions Tests vs Australia
You can also enter our ticket giveaway to win tickets to watch them take on Argentina in Dublin for the first time ever!

ADVERTISEMENT

LIVE

{{item.title}}

Trending on RugbyPass

Comments

16 Comments
S
SteveD 24 days ago

Title should have maybe been "Boks blindsided by Wallie front row crisis in not being able to win by 50 points"?

W
Wayneo 24 days ago

I call BS on the head injuries.

Definite tactic by Joe to depower the Springbok scrum.

If any of them are on the plane to Argentina, then it just proves that it was a tactic to deal with the Springbok's scrum power.

H
Hellhound 24 days ago

It really seems that way, but I strongly doubt it. Joe Schmidt will never use such tactics. It's disappointing with uncontested scrums, but the last thing the Wallabies will want to do is look weak at home. Despite the bad weather and many mistakes on both teams, the Wallabies had a good first half. This Boks team wasn't a weak B side team. It had 14 WC winners in, and future regular starters. The Boks future. You could see the difference that Joe is making. The score doesn't tell the whole story of what actually happened on the field. The Wallabies can feel proud. It's just that when the bench came on, that's when they got destroyed. Until then, they did very well and I'm happy to see that there is at long last an upward curve. By next year this time, they will be competitive again.

A
Ardy 24 days ago

Bollocks! That is the Boks MO, was the trainers running on handing out water as it pissed down to give the big guys a rest also a tactic?

Load More Comments

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Sign up for free
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest Features

Comments on RugbyPass

N
NS 2 hours ago
All Blacks dared to put 'record on the line' in 'biggest game in 2025'

We need big bodies to match European and South African Team. NZ got them in heaps. The end of the year Northern Hemisphere tour is coming and it is the perfect time to realign and makes changes.

Firstly, a few pointers for Razor. BB and DMAc are not 1st Fives. As long as these two start all blacks will never win big games. Pick only one in the reserve for big games as cover for FB. Richie Moanga is ok and better than BB and DMAc at 1st five. If Richie is available BB and Dmac should never be picked.

Secondly, Rico has to go. Rico is the reason why all blacks did not win the world cup. It was lost in the quarter final when he sledged departing Irish player. Perhaps if he had performed a haka and bring him to tears rather than derail him in his last day, Rugby Gods will be smiling at AB. It is karma. Like Gregans "wait 4 more years" Sledge and Australia lost the final to England

On the other hand, you see the South African players will never ever do such acts and go down that low. They are very respectful and good people and they will keep winning. Rugby Gods will make South Africa win and they will keep winning unless Scott makes these changes

Thirdly, Don't let Sam Cane go. All Blacks have to keep him for big games. All Blacks Maul Defense is good because of him. Just keep him at test level and no other Rugby or very minimal club Rugby. Young loosies should hang around with Cane and learn about humility and respect

A message to BB, Dmac, Rico, Ardie Savea and TJ. Please make yourselves unavailable for 2 years. Ardie you are good but not a Back Row. You are too light.

That out of the way, now let’s select the team.

Front row sorted out by Jason Ryan. Won’t talk about it.

Locking sorted out with Tupou, Scott, Darry, Pat Tuipulotu and Josh Lord

Loosies. Do away with Ardie for a while. Go with Siti, Sotutu, Cane, Ethan, Jacobson, Papalii and Finau

Young stars like Satiti and Finau have to be grounded and train hard in the gym and bulk up for the next world cup. Sotutu has to work harder off the ball.

Half Backs: TJ out.  Cam Roigard [has to learn to scream and communicate game time], Ratima and Noah Hotham

Back Line:            1st Five: Harry Plummer [Inside center Cover]

                                2nd five: JB [Fullback and first five cover]

                                Outside Centre: Billy Proctor

                                Wings: Clarke and Will Jordon [Fullback Cover]

                                Fullback: Ruben Love [1st Five Cover], Zarn Sullivan

Wings: Shaun Stevson [Fullback Cover], Talaea and Narawa

Centre: Quinn Tupaea, Umaga Jenson Brothers - need big boys, ALB

Messaage to BB, DMac, Ardiae, Rico and  TJ. If you want All Backs to evolve and be world leaders again, please make yourselves unavailable for 2 years. Please just do it for your country. You will come back stronger in 2 years.

New Zealand team reminds me of NSW State of Origin. They always had the best players in their positions but never selected them in their position until Madge came and now NSW will be untouchable.

12 Go to comments
J
JW 2 hours ago
'Schmidt will not be forgiven or forgotten if Wallabies suffer Bled-bath'

After a promising beginning at the restarts led by young lock Jeremy Williams

Haha and your man Frost got out jumped by a prop at the restart! As Rassie referred to Ethan Blackadder as "PSdT like" after their game I think I'll take the player support prize here thank you Nick!


Yep, all Gordon had to do was pass immediately and the whole situation becomes a positive about the good carry forward on exists.


Classic vide that! Love the Irerish crowd boeing two clear backward passes, a great example of what was to come over the next decade from the Emerald Isle! Awesome old comms quality hand to the ear "what was that?"!! That last sequence reminds of of how well the All Blacks attacked this weekend. It might be as far back as this game was played the last time we saw the AB build that sort of pressure on their own back without relying on any sort of opportunity from the opposition.

Argentina head honcho Felipe Contempomi cut his teeth as an attack coach in Stuart Lancaster’s innovative system at Leinster

Ahhh! That explains the great depth and sideways rugby they are playing!! Hve to disagree on your diagnosis you have to attack it, I think thats why Stuar and Contepomi want you to do. Best idea is Schmidt do what he did with the All Blacks, which seems to what they're trying, if not still without at least a few steps up. In saying that though, again this Springbok attack, I felt the All Blacks should hve kept pressure that first or second receiver after the first two steps up they take. They seemed ripe for the pick by contrast to Los Pumas.


If you look at Reece's side of the field, that would be a great oppostunity for NZ to perform blitzes on, Barrett, Rieko, and a thundering Reece doing his Feyi-Waboso impersonation would be the best blitz backline in the world. Clarke on the other wing too if playing. I think Dlyan Pietsch has the attitude and tackling technique to try and pull it off?


In fairness, I feel what you are seeing as passivity on defence as actually coming from a lack of intensity in general from Australia. I was thinking about that during this game. It might be New Zealands great battle with the Springboks that has enabled them to develop it as a weapon, but I can't ever remember it as being one of the Wallabies. Those clashes always seem to been about pure tempo. The ABs flicked a switch in game two versus Argentina and kept their physicality up through both South African games. Perhaps that is the "Australian Way" piece that Schmidt is missing? 'Tempo' is a much hard switch to find, especially in the dark.

206 Go to comments
TRENDING
TRENDING The All Blacks' backline is to blame for Robertson's unflattering record The All Blacks' backline is to blame
Search