Nightmare could become even worse
JAMIE PANDARAM NOT since 1969 has a Wallabies team lost its first five Tests of the year, an unwanted piece of history that will be repeated with defeat against the All Blacks in Wellington today.
It is not the only worrying statistic for the Wallabies in their quest to win back the Bledisloe Cup for the first time since 2002.
The All Blacks have beaten them by 28 points or more in three of the past five encounters, they have not lost to Australia on home soil in 15 years and are undefeated against the Wallabies in 13 out of the past 14 Tests. Wallabies captain Stephen Moore, the hooker, will be most frustrated with a few numbers from Sydney last Saturday night – five lost lineouts on their own throw, four of them clean steals.
Michael Cheika has dropped chief lineout caller Rob Simmons, but not for the wayward lineout.
Rather, Cheika was unhappy with Simmons’ impact in general play, along with backrower Ben McCalman, who has also been dropped from the squad.
“McCalman’s got a little injury but I would’ve made the changes regardless. I just felt that we needed to bring a bit more impact into our game and a bit more mobility,” Cheika said.
“(Simmons) is clear on the criteria we’ve spoken about, now it’s someone else’s opportunity. His opportunity won’t come until he gets to play a bit of footy. He’ll have the opportunity in the NRC this week, while his colleagues here are getting a run-out and they’ll show what they’ve got.”
One-Test rookie Adam Coleman comes in for Simmons, while the more reliable lineout option of Scott Fardy comes off the bench to blindside flanker for McCalman.
Australia will use their fifth different lock pairing in five Tests this year, but Cheika put that down to Kane Douglas being injured during the threematch England series.
“We’re trying to find that combination obviously. I would be lying if I said we weren’t, but that’s up to players to stand up and say ‘this is the position I want to have and I want to keep it’,” Cheika said.
Moore said while Fardy’s return to the starting side would help the lineout, it would require a pack effort.
“There is a job for everyone to do at some point in the game,” he said. WALLABIES coach Michael Cheika says he would never criticise the national team, in the wake of a barrage of frustration from supporters and ex-players in light of their poor form this year.
Former Wallabies winger Clyde Rathbone wrote an article this week on Australian Rugby’s own website saying “the truth is that the All Blacks are a much better team than the Wallabies”, while former Australian fullback Glenn Ella wrote the team should only be paid on performance and not earn a cent after last Saturday’s record 42-8 home loss to the All Blacks.
Cheika said he supported Australian Test batsman Greg Chappell who believes there is a culture of negativity in Australian sport.
“That obviously hurts us, in Australia there’s a bit of that, reporters and ex-players,” Cheika said ahead of the second Bledisloe Cup Test in Wellington today.
“But then there’s a lot of explayers that contact you, not in the newspaper, real, and say ‘We understand that’s painful’, not trying to make it softer, but they’re Australian and they’ll support Australia no matter what.
“When it gets tough, it’s very easy for people to jump on and put the boot in. We have to take it because we haven’t performed. When it gets tough, that’s the time where you show your colours. I know where my colours are.
“If (Rathbone’s) not happy about it, that’s his choice, he can write about it, he can do whatever he wants, but at the end of the day no matter what sport Australia is playing at, I’ll be supporting them.
“I was certainly supporting Greg Chappell when he got six, seven (four) ducks in a row back in the day in the West Indies when the pressure was on because he’s a great Australian player and that’s what I know I’d be doing if I was sitting on the other side but that’s his choice.”
Cheika said John Eales, whose post-siren winning penalty goal in 2000 marked the last time Australia won in Wellington, had been among former Wallabies to offer him support this week.
“They might not be the people writing in the newspaper ... but there’s a lot of people who will support you regardless.”