OWN WORST ENEMY
Wallabies guilty of errors
RUGBY UNION: A dubious yellow card to Taniela Tupou has been labelled as a mistake, yet the Wallabies are the ones guilty of stamping coach Michael Cheika’s passport: “Never a winner in South Africa”.
There were some positives in the 35-17 loss to the Springboks in Johannesburg yesterday but also the same old butchering of tries.
Centre Samu Kerevi (onehanded forward pass) and winger Dane Haylett-Petty (kick-chase fumble on the tryline) were the culprits this time when the World Cup year had to start with far more of a bang.
Cheika’s record of three losses and a draw on South African soil includes too many of the same themes from a Test which should never have been lost in Pretoria in 2016, a draw from in front in 2017, and the dopey intercept try conceded after 23 seconds last year.
You never win from behind in South Africa which was the real killer punch to the two “no tries” from 61 per cent of possession in the 10-14 first half.
No buffer meant the Tupou incident finished the Wallabies when he cleaned out Springboks flanker Rynhardt Elstadt like a charging water buffalo.
Even in a game of such physical collisions, prop Tupou’s velocity was something else when he got low and hit Elstadt in the chest with a shoulder and arms ready to wrap.
Being after the whistle condemned him with Kiwi referee Paul Williams calling “shoulder, hit him in the chest, away you go” before captain Michael Hooper queried: “How’s it dangerous?”
The Springboks’ 14-0 surge against 14 men turned the game and Cheika later rued the moment.
“I make it as the wrong call. The other guy (Elstadt) should have been sent to the sin bin,” Cheika said. “The fourth official said he focused on the green (Boks) player who came in with a shoulder charge. Taniela then came in after that to get him, with his arms wrapped at the right height. I’m not sure if big contact is a penalty these days but that’s a wrong decision.”
The Wallabies must now regroup to beat Argentina on Saturday night at Suncorp Stadium.
“I believe we showed a lot of good signs with new things we’ve been working on (even though) I know that people may not see that in the result,” Cheika said.
“We’ve got a great opportunity to build on what we did at our home ground in Brisbane this weekend and perhaps (we’ll) not give away the simple opportunities and convert more of our own.”
Will Genia will be brought in as halfback and a second playmaker will be fitted somewhere so flyhalf Bernard Foley isn’t the solo target he was for rushing Boks hitmen.
That move at halfback is a rotation call because Nic White was excellent with a 60m box kick, sharp passing and organising in his first Test in four years.