Wallabies Bounce Back, No Spring in These Boks!

Well, after all the posturing during the week, the emperor has been revealed to have no clothes. 49-0 the final score, after the Wallabies rushed out to a 30-0 lead at half time. The biggest winning margin ever against South Africa for the Wallabies, and the first time ever the Wallabies have held the Springboks scoreless.

The game was a totally one sided affair, and not the greatest example of international rugby that could have been served up. To give credit, the Wallabies took on the Springboks and beat them fair and square, as well as everywhere on the field. Wallaby fans would have been pleased with the outing, but may have some nagging doubts in the back of their minds.

The South Africans were terrible. With all the talk about the scrum during the week we could have expected to have seen more. With 15 to go in the first half the Australian scrum started to gain parity, and even work over the much more beefy South African opposition. Could it be that Os du Randt has had his day? Has the time come for the once mighty Ox to be put out to pasture for the last time? They looked fat and tired half way through the first half, having failed to dominate at scrum time. The slide continued with the South African front conceding many penalties in the second half, turning scrum time into a joke.

Perhaps worst of all was that the traditional hard as nails attitude of South African teams was missing from this performance. They were never in the game, and seemed bereft of ideas to challenge the Australians in any facet of the game, never really threatening to score. There was no continuity of possession, the side making mistakes that any coach of a high school first fifteen side would rightly not expect to see from his players. Knock on after knock on after offside play ruined any chance the team had to build any promising attacking moves.

This South African side looked like it had not been coached at all. Jake White can probably hear the sharpening of knives right now. We can expect the South African Rugby machine to react in the usual manner to the worst performance against Australia ever by getting the knives out for the coach firstly, and then secondly the players (probably the new players, dashing any chance of developing them for the World Cup next year). Back to the drawing board, and only a week to prepare for an All Black team that comfortably disposed of the Wallabies last week. Not the best position to be in.

Conversely the Wallabies can take the win and there were a few good points for that came out of it. The scrum weathered the assault the South Africans promised to make, however it never really looked like they delivered on their promises. In any event though, the new front row held and delivered a few blows of their own which will bolster their spirit after being knocked by the All Blacks formidable power.

Mat Giteau played well, bagging two tries and Larkham again displayed his considerable skills directing play and even bagging a drop goal early on to open the Wallaby account. Smith was as ever present as always and displayed his skills that have made him the number one contender against Ritchie McCaw as the best flanker in the game. He combined well with Scott Fava and the team will be stronger for having locked on to a good combination. They played so well that the commentators were confined to criticizing Fava for his ridiculous mutton chops, and had nothing else to comment on!

Overall while the Wallabies can take the win and the bonus point, there is not much more they can take from this game. They weren’t tested by a Springbok team that could be one of the worst in history. This was a record loss for South Africa and the Wallabies would do well to consider that the All Blacks had their measure comfortably last week. They will be hoping to see the South Africans rise to meet the traditional foe next week and leave the All Blacks bruised, if not beaten, for the Brisbane Bledisloe cup match in two weeks time. All things being equal however, the All Blacks should comfortably dispose of the South Africans having beaten the Wallabies with a performance that they can clearly improve on the more the All Blacks play together, and the combinations can settle.