Following a humbling defeat by the world champions in one Test, and a knock-down by their reserve squad in another, a considerable challenge awaits Australia, spearheaded by Joe Schmidt, in the second leg of the Rugby Championship. Their primary concern is evolving their offensive approach to increase their try count. Over two duels spanning 160 minutes against the Springboks, the Wallabies were able to notch a single try. This 75th-minute consolation goal, scored against a 13-man team in Brisbane, was no balm for their wounds.
Though they were up against formidable competition in South Africa, twice-lauded World Cup winners, they have previously bested their rival three consecutive times, all between September 2021 and August 2022, despite their status as reigning world champions.
The evident disparity in the skill levels of the teams is denoted by the 63-19 points aggregate and nine-tries-to-one ratio in this series. Yet, this colossal difference still falls short of capturing just to what extent the Wallabies lagged. Without the Springboks’ rash handling errors and Australia’s own dogged defence, it is plausible that South Africa could have racked up 100+ points over both games.
Not once did Australia seem to be on the verge of surpassing their opponents in either game. Irrespective of where the game was fought – on the ground, in the air, through the centre, or along the flanks – the Wallabies made contact and were repelled time after time. Although some progress was made in Perth, encouraged largely by Erasmus’s reserve players, the Wallabies found themselves considerably outclassed.
At present, Schmidt’s bruised squad is set to embark on a strenuous journey to Argentina, where they will compete in two Tests against Los Pumas, a team that recently bested the All Blacks. The next fortnight will be spent recovering and preparing their injured staff for the battles ahead. A mere twelve days remain for them to uncover new offensive tactics and develop a strategic game plan that results in more tries.
Drawing from their improved performance between Brisbane and Perth, it’s possible that the Wallabies could make a comeback. A decreased reliance on kicking possession and a more spaced-out approach will be essential to breach the opposition’s defence with force. In Perth, despite the torrent, the Wallabies were able to develop a more dynamic approach, demonstrating that all may not yet be lost.
The principal architect of this inventive approach was Noah Lolesio, the fly-half, who shines brightest during the onset of western floods. Unquestionably, Lolesio’s best showing in his intriguing 22-Test track record was in the torrential rain of Perth, where he confidently spearheaded a 13-man Australian team to a narrow 30-28 victory over Eddie Jones’s England in 2022.
Lolesio may have faltered in Brisbane, but Schmidt’s faith in him remained unshaken for the Perth rematch, an endearing trust that was befittingly awarded. At 24-years-old, Lolesio exhibited poise and a fresh zest to divide the Springboks using crossfield kicks and the odd chip-and-chase. He also impressively landed a 50-22 and displayed robust kicking off the tee – apart from a costly half-time slice.
Had that penalty been converted, Australia would have led 12-11, inflating morale for the second half. Alas, the miss initiated a disastrous sequence of events where they lost four front-row players within 14 minutes. The scrum, which had earlier performed excellently under Angus Bell and Allan Alaalatoa, crumbled against the “Bomb Squad” of the Boks, losing its superior standing.
Should Bell, Alaalatoa, and Taniela Tupou form the Test’s leading trio in Buenos Aires and Nick Frost and Jeremy Williams resume as initial locks with Salakaia Loto and Angus Blyth, in conjunction with Fraser McReight discovering his incandescent form on the wings, the Wallabies’ engine room can be a force to be reckoned with. This is a requirement when confronting Los Pumas’ team.
Despite the significant 42-10 defeat on Saturday, Argentina displayed incredible abilities the previous week, toppling the All Blacks 38-30 to deny them a potential bonus point. Felipe Contepomi’s squad, who merited their place in the 2023 World Cup semi-finals and climbed to sixth in the global ranking, will be strong contenders. They possess powerful figures in the forwards and fast players in the rear.
However, as commendable as they are and will continue to be, Los Pumas stand as Australia’s best opportunity for a victory in this Rugby Championship. A win in either or both of the upcoming Tests would allow the Wallabies to confidently commence the inaugural Bledisloe Test in Sydney. Conversely, two losses would taint Schmidt’s current 3-2 record before he even faces the All Blacks.
In order to achieve victory in any of their four remaining Rugby Championship Tests, Australia needs to capitalise on scoring tries. In a recent match held at Eden Park, the All Blacks laid bare the weaknesses in Los Pumas’ defences. Should Noah Lolesio be able to perfect his kicking accuracy to leverage the hard-hitting wingers Marika Koroibete and Max Jorgensen, as well as full back Tom Wright, Australia could gain advantages and break through in the corners.
If they wish to challenge Argentina’s defences, the Wallabies need to address their serious discipline issues and maintain a full squad on the field. In his first appearance in Perth, Seru Uru’s two misdemeanours at the rucks proved costly, whilst his late stage yellow card for causing a maul to collapse increased Australia’s sinbin record to five consecutive games — making that 44 cards in their last 48 Tests.
Keeping their penalty count low, at just three in the initial half in Perth, assisted the Wallabies in challenging the world champions. However, surrendering eight penalties in the second half shut down any possibility of a revival. Although Australia has shown signs of improvement under Schmidt, when playing against Los Pumas they ought to show no mercy and gamble. With their season hanging by a thread, they must not bring a knife to a gun battle. – Guardian
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