Thursday Nov 14, 2024
Thursday Nov 14, 2024
Tuesday, 1 October 2013 00:09 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
The Wallabies side is very much a team that is work in progress. On Saturday, they were simply outclassed by a rampaging Boks side, that was eager to win. The Boks were in with a plan and they did execute it to perfection.
The Wallabies have now exhausted their list of excuses and now must dig deep to find out hidden reserves that will see them through this rough patch. It is easy to chop and change players but the time has come for the Wallabies to stay with the core group and build up on some team spirit.
As one of the payers commented after the game, there is going to be more pain than gain in the next couple of weeks. The Wallabies have been hit with a plethora of injuries and losing key players to other codes. This is not an excuse but reality.
In the corporate world once faces this scenario on and off. Key players of your team at times move to competitors or simply move to a different line of activity altogether. Panic is not the solution as one looks to rebuild a team.
In the rebuilding process, one must be prepared to face the shortcomings on the new breed and it takes loads of patience and a positive attitude. It is indeed a frustrating time for the coaching staff as well as the players themselves.
Fourie du Preez started a game for the Springboks after some time and the classy scrum-half was a prominent figure throughout the game. His vision, distribution and experience are key parts of his overall game and he definitely had the better of Nick White.
The kicking game of Nick was far too predictable and it just gave possession away that the Wallabies had won with difficulty. The Boks were keen on winning with a bonus point and made an all out attack on the Wallabies defence. However with the introduction of Genia the Wallabies were on the front foot again.
Springboks lock Flip van der Merwe can be considered as lucky to have escaped with just a yellow card for leading with an elbow as he looked to make a tackle. Many argue that it should have been a red card. It appeared intentional as opposed to a similar incident involving Du PLesis the week before.
There were two outstanding moments of brilliance during the game. Zane Kirchner’s try was a wonderful sweeping move that broke the back of the Wallabies defence after yet another aimless kick by the Wallabies. In terms of execution I thought that Quade Cooper’s cross kick that found debutant Chris Feauai-Sautia who then evaded a couple of tackle before touching down for a score was sublime.
Thus next week the Boks and the All Blacks have set the stage for a title showdown between arguably the world’s two best sides at the moment. The fact that the Wallabies denied the Boks a bonus point might prove to be a telling point.
The All Blacks were once gain made to work hard for their victory. Take nothing away from the Pumas as they played well as a unit maybe were overenthusiastic at crucial points in the game. The fact that they now have to play the Wallabies must be something that they are looking forward to. If they can finish the tournament on a high it will be great and for the Wallabies they will be desperate to avoid finishing at the bottom of the table, a position that will have to occupy in the rebuilding process.
(The writer can be reached via [email protected].)
