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What the Wallabies can take away from Ireland series

With the World Cup just one year away, Australia’s series with Ireland was a vital series for Michael Cheika to take stock and have a look at the players that he may have at his disposal come next year.

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Ireland have had a superb year and are currently ranked number two in the world. The combined score over the three tests was a 55-55 draw showing how close it was and giving Cheika a lot of positives to take out of the series. In saying that, there are also a couple of areas that need to be improved and looked at for the Wallabies to be serious contenders at the big dance.

Here are a few things that Cheika would have learnt:

1 – This one is more of a reminder, but what a player David Pocock is. Having taken a sabbatical away from rugby he slipped back in seamlessly and was the man of the series. His work at the breakdown was immense, consistently disrupting the Irish ball and making a nuisance of himself. He is an indispensable player that simply has to be in the team for Australia to be really competitive.

2
Taniela Tupou is the future. Sekope Kepu’s days may well be numbered. Every time Tupou came on he made an impact in both the scrum and the loose. A dynamic and powerful ball runner, he is always looking for work and takes some stopping. His raw strength and power make him a weapon at scrum time and one that Ireland struggled to deal with even with their star-studded front row of Furlong, McGrath and Healy.

The one thing that may be in Kepu’s favour, other than his experience, is the fact that Tupou is so dynamic off the bench offering something and Kepu simply doesn’t offer the same threat.

3
Will Genia is almost as important to the team as Pocock. When he was injured in the second test his absence was noticeable. His control of the game is superb and his pass is a lot better than the current back up Nick Phipps.

This will be an area of concern for Cheika. Tournament rugby is notoriously tough with games coming thick and fast and there being such a big difference in first and second choice scrumhalf will need to be addressed.

4
– Lukhan Tui and Pete Samu offer a good foil to Hooper and Pocock. Whilst Hooper and Pocock’s game is disruptive and with ball in hand they tend to link the play more, Tui and Samu are power back rowers. This is something Australia has needed for a while.

With George Smith there was Toutai Kefu and Wycliff Palu providing the power. David Lyons had that about his game but there has been a dearth of that in the squad. If Tui’s run on debut was anything to go by and he continues to develop then they may have just found that balance.

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5 – The hooker position is still really up for grabs. Brandon Paenga-Amosa started the three tests but Tolu Latu did himself no harm with his performances. The problem both have is their set piece. Their lineout work can be erratic and with Adam Coleman packing down they have a great lineout option, so no excuses.

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Both players like ball in hand and Latu’s defence is fierce but they need to make sure that their bread and butter is sorted. Whilst
both are good players, neither can currently be considered world class and this could be an area other teams target.

6 – Cheika seems to have found his preferred back line. The starting backs were only changed due to injury to Genia, with Kurtley Beale at 12 and Samu Kerevi at 13 his centre pairing of choice. Kerevi doesn’t seem to be able to transfer is Super Rugby form to the International stage on a regular basis.

He has all the tools to be a great 13 and foil to Beale but he needs to perform on a regular basis.

7 – Another position with a glaring lack of depth is 10. Bernard Foley is the incumbent but below him there isn’t a whole lot. Quade Cooper seems to be persona non-grata now. Reece Hodge shapes as the backup but 10 it isn’t his preferred position. Foley himself runs hot and cold, with strike players such as Israel Folau and Marika Koroibete out wide giving them time and space would be devastating for opposition, something that doesn’t happen often enough.

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8 – As mentioned, a lot of young talent has been given valuable game time against a top team.

This can only bode well for the future and with the Rugby Championship on the horizon, it will give the coaching team more time to
coach and evaluate these players as they start to form the skeleton of their World Cup squad.

In other news:

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Oh no, not him again? 2 hours ago
England internationals disagree on final play execution vs All Blacks

Okay, so we blew it big time on Saturday. So rather than repeating what most people have all ready said, what do I want to see from Borthwick going forward?


Let's keep Marcus Smith on the pitch if he's fit and playing well. I was really pleased with his goal kicking. It used to be his weakness. I feel sympathy for George Ford who hadn't kicked all match and then had a kick to win the game. You hear pundits and commentators commend kickers who have come off the bench and pulled that off. Its not easy. If Steve B continues to substitute players with no clear reason then he is going to get criticised.


On paper I thought England would beat NZ if they played to their potential and didn't show NZ too much respect. Okay, the off the ball tackles certainly stopped England scoring tries, but I would have liked to see more smashing over gainlines and less kicking for position. Yes, I also know it's the Springbok endorsed world cup double winning formula but the Kiwi defence isn't the Bok defence, is it. If you have the power to put Smith on the front foot then why muzzle him? I guess what I'm saying is back, yourself. Why give the momentum to a team like NZ? Why feed the beast? Don't give the ball to NZ. Well d'uh.


Our scrum is a long term weakness. If you are going to play Itoje then he needs an ogre next door and a decent front row. Where is our third world class lock? Where are are realible front row bench replacements? The England scrum has been flakey for a while now. It blows hot and cold. Our front five bench is not world class.


On the positive side I love our starting backrow right now. I'd like to see them stick together through to the next world cup.


Anyway, there is always another Saturday.

7 Go to comments
C
CO 2 hours ago
Scott Robertson responds to criticism over All Blacks' handling errors

Robertson is more a manager of coaches than a coach so it comes down to intent of outcomes at a high level. I like his intent, I like the fact his Allblacks are really driving the outcomes however as he's pointed out the high error rates are not test level and their control of the game is driving both wins and losses. England didn't have to play a lot of rugby, they made far fewer mistakes and were extremely unlucky not to win.


In fact the English team were very early in their season and should've been comfortably beaten by an Allblacks team that had played multiple tests together.


Razor has himself recognised that to be the best they'll have to sort out the crisis levels of mistakes that have really increased since the first two tests against England.


Early tackles were a classic example of hyper enthusiasm to not give an inch, that passion that Razor has achieved is going to be formidable once the unforced errors are eliminated.


That's his secret, he's already rebuilt the passion and that's the most important aspect, its inevitable that he'll now eradicate the unforced errors. When that happens a fellow tier one nation is going to get thrashed. I don't think it will be until 2025 though.


The Allblacks will lose both tests against Ireland and France if they play high error rates rugby like they did against England.


To get the unforced errors under control he's going to be needing to handover the number eight role to Sititi and reset expectations of what loose forwards do. Establish a clear distinction with a large, swarthy lineout jumper at six that is a feared runner and dominant tackler and a turnover specialist at seven that is abrasive in contact. He'll then need to build depth behind the three starters and ruthlessly select for that group to be peaking in 2027 in hit Australian conditions on firm, dry grounds.


It's going to help him that Savea is shifting to the worst super rugby franchise where he's going to struggle behind a beaten pack every week.


The under performing loose forward trio is the key driver of the high error rates and unacceptable turn overs due to awol link work. Sititi is looking like he's superman compared to his openside and eight.


At this late stage in the season they shouldn't be operating with just the one outstanding loose forward out of four selected for the English test. That's an abject failure but I think Robertson's sacrificing link quality on purpose to build passion amongst the junior Allblacks as they see the reverential treatment the old warhorses are receiving for their long term hard graft.


It's unfortunately losing test matches and making what should be comfortable wins into nail biters but it's early in the world cup cycle so perhaps it's a sacrifice worth making.


However if this was F1 then Sam Cane would be Riccardo and Ardie would be heading into Perez territory so the loose forwards desperately need revitalisation through a rebuild over the next season to complement the formidable tight five.

28 Go to comments
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TRENDING Marcus Smith on that substitution and his England plea Marcus Smith on that substitution and his England plea
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