Mediocrity or bust in France

[Flamethrower]

Gutsache Growden is still at it. It’s great to see him support his National Team.

Mediocrity or bust in France

Greg Growden | September 5, 2007
http://www.rugbyheaven.com.au/news/n...783236430.html


Should the Wallabies survive a Welsh ambush in Cardiff, the best they can hope for is third place, writes Greg Growden.

The Wallabies have, with varying success, attempted to play down reports of rats in the ranks, division between the players and coaching staff, and that they are suffering from a siege mentality.

To overcome that complex, the Wallabies have attempted to bond by involving themselves in a boot camp off the Queensland coast. This comprised midnight swims across lakes and pushing utes up hills. Practising basic football skills was avoided.

Instead, target practice to shoot the messenger was organised, then suddenly training sessions went behind closed doors. Even jaunts to Portugal, well away from prying eyes, were organised as part of one of the more unusual Australian World Cup preparations.

However, the fate of the Wallabies' pursuit of a third world title will not revolve around all these theatrics. It will depend heavily on what occurs during one of Australia's pool matches held at a venue far away from the heart and soul of the tournament.

In yet another example of how the Rugby World Cup organisers struggle to get it right, probably the most important match before the finals is not being held in France. Instead, everyone has to head to Cardiff on September 15 for the crucial Wales-Australia encounter at Millennium Stadium.

Due to sneaky political deals (which sadly international rugby is based upon) for France to get the right to host the 2007 World Cup, they had to secure the support of Scotland and Wales. Quid pro quo. That's why there are three pool matches and a quarter-final in Cardiff, and two pool fixtures in Edinburgh. Thankfully, the semi-finals and final are all in France.

Unsurprisingly, the Wallabies are underwhelmed by the fact that they must leave their home base in the south of France and head to Cardiff for several days. It is a gross inconvenience and could unsettle the Wallabies. They are walking into ambush territory.

While Wales hover below the main rugby powers, they do have a way of upsetting unsuspecting opponents. One team they have recently taken delight in destabilising is the Wallabies.

Playing heavily on the minds of the Wallabies will be the memories of their 2005 match against Wales at Millennium Stadium. Many vivid scenes linger, including then Welsh assistant coach Scott Johnson, now with the Wallabies, pacing up and down the sideline, revving up the local crowd and screaming at his forward pack to annihilate the Wallabies pack. Johnson also chatted away at the referee, and it worked.

The Welsh pack eventually twisted, bent and humiliated the Australian scrum, enabling them to enjoy a 24-22 triumph.

Johnson has since left the valleys and moved into the Wallabies fold, where he is backs coach. But his Welsh links remain strong, and it is no wonder that he is among many worried about that Cardiff jaunt.

Eddie Jones departed shortly after that Cardiff defeat, and was replaced by a new Wallabies coaching regime who are relentless in telling anyone who wants to listen that there has been much improvement in the Australian team, especially in their forward work.

A lot of it is hot air. But reality could easily smack the Wallabies coaching contingent in the face if Australia again struggle during the tournament to show they have the forward might to stand alongside the other major powers in international rugby.

Wales are not convinced by the Wallabies' boasts, and still believe they can belittle their pack. They are looking at this pool game as the one which could see them finish top of Pool B instead of Australia.

Australia want to finish No.1 in their pool - as it would give them the leg-up of possibly playing England, rather than South Africa, in the quarter-finals. Finishing second in their pool could see the Wallabies exit the World Cup far earlier than many originally anticipated.

Due to the crucial nature of finishing top of the group, Australia will field their best line-up in their first two pool matches against Japan in Lyon on September 8 and the following weekend in Cardiff.

The plan is then to rest key players, in particular five-eighth and chief playmaker Stephen Larkham. But that would all change if Wales defeat them, and suddenly Australia find themselves fighting for survival in their next two pool matches against Fiji in Montpellier on September 23 and Canada in Bordeaux six days later.

This would force them to keep playing their best line-up, and then injuries could easily take their toll. Unfortunately, the back-up in numerous positions is flimsy, prompting the Wallabies selectors to pick some who are on their last legs, and others who are going into the tournament either carrying or covering up problematic ailments.

The most important player who cannot suffer from any injury is Larkham. So much hinges on him remaining fit. And that's a major uncertainty considering that he gets targeted so closely by oppositions, in particular South Africa, whom the Wallabies are likely to encounter somewhere in the finals.

If Larkham is sidelined, it could be goodbye Wallabies. Matt Giteau is an acceptable alternative, but he has not played enough at five-eighth recently to be considered a World Cup-winning playmaker.

Because of that uncertainty, the most likely outcome is for Australia to win their pool, get through the quarters then be overhauled by the All Blacks in the semi-final.

All Australia could then hope for is that they do better than they did in Rotorua in 1987 and this time win the third-fourth play-off in Paris on October 19.


THE SQUAD

Forwards: David Lyons, Wycliff Palu, Stephen Hoiles, Hugh McMeniman, Phil Waugh, George Smith, Rocky Elsom, Nathan Sharpe, Dan Vickerman, Mark Chisholm, Al Baxter, Matt Dunning, Greg Holmes, Guy Shepherdson, Stephen Moore, Sean Hardman, Adam Freier. Backs: Chris Latham, Julian Huxley, Adam Ashley-Cooper, Lote Tuqiri, Mark Gerrard, Drew Mitchell, Stirling Mortlock, Matt Giteau, Scott Staniforth, Stephen Larkham, Berrick Barnes, George Gregan, Sam Cordingley.

[Darren]

yawn....

[travelling_gerry]

Here ya go Grumbles....another cup of STFU

[JediKnight]

what a load of boring batsh*t.......get behind the team or get out of the way & let someone who's passionate about rugby & the Wallabies write about them........STFU

[AndyS]

Ah well, if it is any consolation, a couple of historical items:

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All Blacks deliver shellacking
July 27 2003
By Greg Growden
Sydney

The All Blacks smashed records, put a tight grip on the Bledisloe Cup and showed why they are raging favourites for the World Cup when they brushed aside the Wallabies with ridiculous ease in last night's lopsided Tri- Nations Test.

While New Zealand now has to win the return Bledisloe Cup match in Auckland on August 16 to secure the silverware for the first time since 1997, the Wallabies once more showed, this time before an 82,000 crowd, they are a team in serious decline.

Losing their third straight Test for the first time since 1995, the Wallabies were out-paced, out-classed, out-muscled and out-manoeuvred by one of the best All Blacks teams seen on this side of the Tasman for some years, finishing with seven tries to three.

Adding to the Wallaby despair, NZ finished with its highest score over Australia 50-21, but one small consolation is that it was not the All Blacks biggest winning margin over the Wallabies - that remaining the 43-6 triumph in Wellington in 1996. But it was also the highest number of points conceded by Australia in a Test on home soil.

No wonder a shell-shocked Eddie Jones, who now has a record of 12 wins and a draw in 23 Tests, last night described it as the worst loss he had suffered in his two years as Wallaby coach.

"I don't think they get much worse than this. I hope not anyway," Jones said. "The scoreboard properly indicated where both teams are at the moment."

Wallaby captain George Gregan, meanwhile, described the shellacking as the by-product of being "in a bit of a rut."

The rut is cavernous. It was not entirely a case of Australia playing abysmally, but more that the Wallabies had no idea how to keep at bay the most exhilarating, rollicking and exciting attacking units.

The marauding men in black came from every angleand every direction, with runner after runner easily finding sizeable gaps in an Australian defensive line, which simply could not rally quickly enough to stop the next wave of attackers. Tackles were missed, but so many tries came from the All Blacks being the most clinical of attacking units.

And then, in the final minutes, the All Blacks rubbed their noses right in it, by smashing the Wallaby scrum.

The most successful All Black was winger Joe Rokocoko, who, in his opening international season, has been a try-scoring phenomenon. Rokocoko toyed with the Wallabies, finishing with three runaway tries, which tool his tally to 10 in only five internationals. Last night's hat-trick by Rokocoko follows two tries against Wales, three against France and a pair against South Africa.

But he was not the only All Black to repeatedly break through, with their other winger Doug Howlett, centre Aaron Mauger and full-back Mils Muliaina also enjoying moments when they made their Australian opponents look silly.

They knew exactly where to target, focusing on spots where lumbering Australian forwards were standing in the defensive line, while they took so many opportunities from broken field play.

After that spectacular performance, the All Blacks have every reason to believe the World Cup is heading their way for the first time since 1987.

On the other hand, Australia looks a long way from even being a threat in the October-November tournament.

There were many defining moments - none more than Wendell Sailor's sinbinning in the 23rd minute, which was a major blow tothe Australians, as during that 10-minute period the All Blacks scored twice.

An over-enthusiastic Sailor lost the plot when he charged Mils Miliaina while the All Black full-back was in the air trying to take the high ball near his own quarter line.

For most of the 10 minutes, it appeared as if the Wallaby midfield defence would save Sailor from embarrassment. But just before Sailor was about to return, the Wallaby outer defence disintegrated and was unable to rally quickly enough to stop surge after surge of enthusiastic New Zealand attackers. After being ahead 8-5, Australia was suddenly 20-8 in arrears, and that was it for the Wallabies.

Jones was not enthused by Sailor's blunder. "He made a poor error of judgement and you can't afford to do things like that," Jones said.

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The Wallabies' lack of stars will hurt at the World Cup
By Greg Growden
August 19, 2003

The big question. How many Australian players would make the All Blacks team? Maybe George Smith. The next big question. How many Australian players would make a world XV? Zero. And therein lies the problem.

In the grim aftermath of the Bledisloe Cup, the Wallaby team management yesterday continued on about how their World Cup defence was "moving in the right direction". But the reality is that not enough players are performing well enough for Australia to be considered a World Cup power, especially as it has only one win from its past five Tests.

Former Wallaby coach Bob Dwyer got it right some years ago when he explained that the best gauge of how good an international team actually is revolved around how many of the squad would make a world XV. At the 1991 World Cup, there were at least six or seven, headed by David Campese. Ditto the 1999 World Cup, with such class performers as John Eales and Tim Horan. But now there are no standouts. (That sounds familiar - I'm sure that has been regurgitated quite recently)

Adding to the uncertainty is that Australia is not instinctive enough, especially in attack.

The problem starts from the scrum-base, where George Gregan is struggling, and there's uncertainty over when the ball leaves the area. A crucial moment was when All Black No. 8 Jerry Collins merrily picked the ball up from the other side of the ruck right in front of the Wallaby skipper to instigate the second New Zealand try.

That was an enormous psychological blow, as were the four All Black tackles in the 69th minute, where in succession Smith, Matthew Burke, Gregan and Chris Latham were pummelled.

It is not all doom and gloom. To be in in with a chance until the final seconds was a big plus, especially after Australia had been gutted in the Sydney Bledisloe Cup match. The spirit, at least, is there. And Eden Park did provide several selection answers.

Until Saturday night, NSW prop Al Baxter wasn't exactly rated top of the scrummaging class by the Wallaby team management, but that view would now have changed.

If Baxter doesn't hold on to the Test tighthead spot ahead of Patricio Noriega during the World Cup pool stage, then there is something amiss with the Australian selection process.

The same goes if Nathan Sharpe remains on the bench as the second-row back-up. He was another to make an impact in the second half, coming close to scoring twice when used off the bench.

As pleasing is that five-eighth Stephen Larkham is again prepared to go for a run, while the use of two openside flankers in George Smith and Phil Waugh is going reasonably well. But the man in between Smith and Waugh, No. 8 Toutai Kefu, is not firing on all cylinders, and that could easily be because he is suffering from a multitude of ailments. A lengthy break before the World Cup is what Kefu really needs.

One must again ponder whether the Test selectors gave NSW centre Morgan Turinui enough of an opportunity to prove himself. Turinui was involved in the early domestic Tests, received nothing at outside centre, and then was farewelled. He deserved better, as his bulk and vast attacking skills could have been an asset at Eden Park.

As expected, the NZ media were in hysterics over the victory. The Sunday Star Times headlined its front page: "Bring on the world." Another headline read: "It doesn't get better than stuffing Ockers."

As far as their media was concerned, it was a case of Australia struggling from bad communication, outclassed forwards, backs who lacked cohesion and an erratic captain.

But the euphoria didn't cross to the All Black team management of coach John Mitchell, assistant coach Robbie Deans and captain Reuben Thorne. They walked into the press conference their usual mournful self. Who would have thought they had just won the Bledisloe Cup? Instead, it was if they had all been handed parking tickets. How would they react if someone told them they'd won Lotto? Probably head-butt them.

Someone should tell them that Australia is the one with the real problems.

[frontrow]

Well researched andy, typical growden tripe, which someone pointed out to him the other week and his only defence was that the wallabies beat the kiwis due to an intercept to make the final, otherwise his prediction would have been true...F*** off....We made the semis, we won, we lost the final after 100mins of the best footy i have seen in ages, and he still can't get off his high horse 4 years on....F***WIT

[Sagerian]

http://www.petitiononline.com/bonegreg/petition.html

[frontrow]

Been there, done that....Should've said that(above post) though...