Wallabies niggle away –
ABs too smart and fast for green and olds
Let’s hope it’s not too long before the Bledisloe Cup returns to being a contest.
For the second week in succession New Zealand have put Australia to the sword, winning 29-9 at Wellington’s Westpac Stadium last night to retain the famous symbol of trans-Tasman test rugby supremacy.
The All Blacks were too smart, too athletic and too strong for these woeful Wallabies, whose lack of attacking prowess and inability to compete physically puts a stain on a proud history. Not than many in the 35,372-strong crowd were inclined to spare a thought for the state of the game in Australia.
They were to busy celebrating another night when the All Blacks produced a performance their opponents never looked capable of matching.
Things ran perfectly to script, really, as New Zealand tried to play and Australia did what they could to stop them. If that meant pushing or shoving or holding guys back off the ball, then they were happy to oblige.
Everyone expected the Wallabies to be more robust than they were a week ago and to impose themselves to a greater degree than during that 42-8 defeat. But niggling the All Blacks actually seemed a bit beneath a team of Australia’s stature.
Particularly when they were struggling to win any of their own set piece ball. Scrum and lineout prowess often separates the men from the mice and Australia’s lineouts throws were being regularly picked off by New Zealand, who also held sway in the scrums.
Referee Romain Poite did his best to bail out the Wallaby scrum a couple of times, but it couldn’t obscure the fact that they were being pushed around.
The All Blacks did their best to pick up where they’d left off in Sydney, by producing quick ball for first five-eighth Beauden Barrett and then waiting for him to run himself or release the rest of the backs.
They were 7-0 up after as many minutes, when Israel Dagg collected the first of his two first-half tries. Halfback Aaron Smith had taken off, before the ball was shifted right where – with his first touch at this level – Anton LienertBrown put Dagg away to score.
Penalties were traded and then the right wing was in again. Barrett played provider, sweeping in from the blindside of a clever backline move to put Dagg in space. He did well to beat the cover defenders and score.
Not a lot happened between then and when the teams went to halftime with New Zealand 15-9 up. The All Blacks kept threatening to cut loose, but Australia’s spoiling tactics – plus some of Poite’s interventions – meant proceedings were very stop-start.
Barrett missed a couple of kicks at goal, while Wallabies reserve back Reece Hodge – on for the concussed Adam Ashley-Cooper –
Referee Romain Poite did his best to bail out the Wallaby scrum a couple of times.
booted a massive goal from inside his own half. Three-pointers, though, appeared to be Australia’s best means of scoring, as their attack again offered little.
When New Zealand finally got the semblance of a chance, seven minutes after the resumption, they took it in both hands. Barrett did well to put left wing Julian Savea in space and his pace and expert dive did the rest. Barrett’s conversion made it 22-9.
Australia’s response was to see if Hodge could kick another one from near halfway. He couldn’t, but the fact he was asked said everything about how the two teams approach the task of playing test rugby.
That’s not to say the All Blacks don’t have periods where they grind.
But they grind with purpose, as the 62nd-minute try to flanker Sam Cane showed.