Nations Championship Post Mortem: Wallabies heartbreak in Sydney thriller
The Nations Championship has started with a bang, but it’s a heartbreaking result for the Wallabies
The Nations Championship has started with a bang, but it’s a heartbreaking result for the Wallabies, going down narrowly to a very good Ireland team in Sydney. The great Jim Tucker joined Brett on the 8/9 Rugby Post Mortem to wade through all the highs and lows.
In a front of a new ground record at Allianz Stadium in Sydney, the Wallabies were well on top heading into the break, but missed kicks, discipline on their own line when it came to the crunch will be rued all this next week, before the Wallabies head to Brisbane to face France.
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My impression was that Ireland found gains with kicks during the second half that put us in our 22 for long periods. Haven’t looked at a replay but I was feeling like we had too little ability to recover. Once there they ground us down very effectively.
The critical issue in this game was the 11/12 penalties we conceded in our own half cf the 4/10 Ireland conceded. We kept them in the game towards the end because of it. We seriously missed the passing and kicking of Lonergan and Carter - Tate brings a degree of energy and enthusiasm but often overplays his hand.
Harry Wilson did some good things but the captaincy call to get Donno to take a shot in the 71st minute was v odd. I rewatched the sequence of decision making that went on around this and BOK was clearly standing on the mark with his arm extended looking at Harry and Donno (who has the ball) for a decision about what they are doing. Donno steps up and he then points to the post. Harry walks away from them about 5m and indicates to the team they are taking the shot. But he then turns around when BOK says “They are having the shot” and heads back towards him and then the next thing you hear is “No Harry, you called the shot”. Harry appeared to change his mind and as best as I can tell from the footage of this which is very very distant appears to indicate a scrum. Someone needs to ask Harry or Joe what was going on here.
Someone also needs to ask Joe who his designated goalkicker is and if it’s Carter why he wasn’t practicing before the game. Surely Ryan Lonergan is a better goal kicker than either Carter or Donno.
Last, we lost. It can’t have all gone well and we need to be objective about where stuffed up, JAS twice turning balls over through bad passes when we were on attack (one of which ultimately led to the JGP try) poor goal line D by Josh Canham for the try by JVDF, the poor pass from Max to Dylan Pietsch, the dropped balls by Max from kicks early on, Max getting tackled into touch when he had a player inside him etc etc
We still give away too many penalties and that is killing us. We need some better analysis of who gave them away and why?
Last the whole refereeing process around the Joe Beirne obstruction on Bobby V was truly hopeless. I saw it live and instantly said to those I was with at the stadium (I was right in line with it) that it would be called back. BOK seemed to be so exorcised by Harry’s remonstrations that he enabled the conversion to be taken while Andrea Piardi had his arm around Harry and had his back turned to the kick!! This is immediately after BOK says to Harry (who is approaching him) “Harry, I told you to talk to the ARs - go back” at which point Piardi comes and escorts him back towards the goal line. Carley is also in front of the try line and to the right of the posts but at least is facing the right way.
There is then further discussion at the halfway mark before BOK finally seeks input from the TMO. But it’s really Matthew Carley who explains what’s gone on and Ben says somewhat incredulously “But are you saying to disallow the try?”
It was a very odd review process that clearly needed closer examination way earlier than it did.
Last, in relation to the above did the review of the obstruction only happen after Harry told Donno not to kick off?
Carter G appeared to leave with a limp - is there a serious leg injury we need to be concerned about?