I couldn’t help giving a wry smile reading Ben Pobjie’s article this week.
It rightly identified that many rugby people are both disillusioned with and critical of the Wallabies – I am one of them and make no apologies for it.
Somewhat ironically, Ben wrote his article in the same 48 hours the Brumbies, our most successful franchise, was saved from administration.
Their crowd attendance and revenue sources were dismal. There was no money. So, if the Brumbies winning well wasn’t enough, why should the Wallabies winning badly cut it?
When Roar Rugby people, mainly ardent followers of the game with decades of involvement with it are split on the quality of the product, just imagine what the general public thinks. More importantly, what little kids who are choosing a sport to play are saying.
The Australian performance last week against perhaps the worst Welsh side ever to tour our shores was diabolical.
It is not a stretch to say that the Wallabies probably only won because of set-piece dominance, and it was hardly surprising when the tourists were down to their third and fourth-choice props.
Admittedly, this Welsh side was not the same one that came last in the Six Nations. It was much worse.
For context, Wales’ starting halves had three caps between them coming into the series. Their 10 plays 12 for his club. Both came from Cardiff who were beaten 61 v 14 by Leinster this year.
The entire starting Welsh front row had less caps than Taniela Tupou. Two of them came from Ospreys who also had 61 points put on them in April, this time by the Bulls.
Yes, you can only beat what is in front of you. Yes, Joe Schmidt has had very little time. Yes, combinations must be developed.
Wallabies Jeremy Williams in the line out. (Photo by Jason McCawley/Getty Images)
Nobody is asking for ‘perfection’ or for ‘flawlessness’ and to seriously suggest otherwise is both trite and negligently dismissive. Hopefully just tongue in cheek.
But it is not too much to ask for application and for a line to be drawn in the sand by this Wallaby team.
The fact is that outside of a handful of men in gold, against the Welsh there was a lack of execution of basic skills and fundamentals. Passing, catching, body height. Even talking.
The players are not 14-year-olds competing for a place in a 3rd XV where everyone gets a run. Mums don’t have a word to the coach about ‘going easy’ after a series of bad games.
There are no signs in the gravel car park reading ‘Relax this isn’t a Test Match’.
The time for platitudes and sympathy for these players is over. Accountability and a hard edge must be found now.
Not only is the game on life support in this country, but there is an imperative to entertain and the biggest beasts of the game lie in wait over the next 12 months.
Yes Ben, thank goodness we weren’t playing the All Blacks or Springboks.
In fact, it was bloody lucky we weren’t playing ‘minnows’ such as Italy, Argentina or Scotland because we may well have been in trouble at home in front of a half-decent crowd full of people dipping their toes in again.
The All Blacks, Springboks and Lions are apex predators, levels above the poorest Welsh side to tour Australia.
Wedged in between all that is a Grand Slam Tour where I can guarantee you that 82,000 people at Twickenham won’t be holding Noah Lolesio’s hand.
Nobody will be saying ‘poor Noah’ in Fleet Street if he puts in another insipid, passive performance.
Eddie Jones was wrong about a lot of things but he was bang on when he said to James Slipper “We’ve got no hardness about us. Like, you know, game hardness is different than any sort of hardness – when you just stick in the f—ing game and do it.”
Jones is gone just like Rennie before him. There is a new coach, with a hard edge and more experience than you can poke a cattle prod at.
Schmidt tactfully said “I love the result. Plenty to do around the performance.”
Let’s hope they respond to whatever he has planned.