The Junior Wallabies’ 69-12 loss to the New Zealand under-20s on the Sunshine Coast in July – a week after they lost to Argentina – is more troubling than the Wallabies’ loss to Italy.
The reaction to the Italy loss has been angry and context-free: with words such as “shambles” and “debacle” thrown around far too easily.
That’s arguably more disrespectful to Italy than the 12 changes the Wallabies made as they limp through a five-Test tour that should never have been signed off on.
While the Junior Wallabies – featuring four players who had already played Super Rugby – struggled in the Oceania tournament, Italy beat England, Scotland and Wales in the Six Nations under-20s tournament this year.
Key senior squad players Ange Capuozzo, Paolo Gabisi and Stephen Varney – all aged 23 or under – play for Toulouse, Montpellier and Gloucester, respectively.
In other words, good things are happening in Italian rugby as world rugby continues to flatten out. The so-called elite nations will have to get used to losing to teams hitherto considered beneath them.
From a helicopter view, the Wallabies’ current status – bumping around between No.6 and No.9 in the world rankings – is precisely where you’d expect them to be given the performances of the teams that feed into the Test side.
Wallabies players after their one-point defeat to Italy.Credit:Getty Images
Take the Wallabies’ penalty count – which has been killing them all year – as another example. If you look at the Top 10 penalised players in Super Rugby this year (13 actually, with a number of players in ‘tied’ positions), nine of them are Australians, six of them are Wallabies and four of those Wallabies played against Italy last weekend.
In fact, of the Top 10 penalised quartet who played against Italy, a trio of them (Fraser McReight, Darcy Swain and Tom Robertson) conceded six penalties, 37.5 per cent of the Wallabies’ team total.
Sometimes it can be hard to draw a direct line between Super Rugby and the Wallabies, but you could do exactly that during the loss in Florence.
It’s not just the Wallabies who are having to come to terms with a rearranged world rugby order – look at the world champions.
Wallabies coach Dave Rennie is under pressure.Credit:Getty Images
South Africa have a win rate of 50 per cent this year, and over the past two weeks South Africa ‘A’ – supposedly the next batch of Springboks – have been well beaten by an under-strength Munster and Bristol during a two-game tour of Ireland and the UK.
That’s the new reality we live in, and it’s likely only a matter of time before Japan and Fiji start beating the ‘elite’ teams (although the Fijians have been monumentally disappointing so far this year).
None of these big shifts make Wallabies coach Dave Rennie safe, particularly with Ireland waiting for the Wallabies in Dublin this weekend. The starting pack Ireland have named is the best in the world – they beat the All Blacks with a power game, a ground game and a skill game in July.
So, the Wallabies could lose again and the heat would remain on Rennie. He’s also smart enough to know that when former Wallabies start coming out against a New Zealand coach of the Wallabies, it’s a problem for job security – particularly if those Wallabies have an association with the game’s last golden age, around the turn of millennium.
Then again, Junior Wallabies coach Nathan Grey came from that period. You’d struggle to find a harder player than the former midfielder, or one so obviously determined to earn success for the team whose jersey he was wearing, whether it was the Wallabies or the Waratahs.
But that didn’t prevent the 69-12 shellacking at the hands of the Baby Blacks in July. Why? Because when it comes to poor results in Australian rugby, rarely can the blame be placed on the shoulders of one person.
