Errant All Blacks sneak home
1 Nov 2008
The All Blacks recovered from a dismal first-half display to beat Australia 19-14 in Hong Kong. .
The fixture was effectively a dead rubber with the All Blacks securing the Bledisloe Cup title in Brisbane, but much was expected of this historic event staged in Hong Kong. Unfortunately, the game never lived up to its billing as a free-running spectacle.
This was partly due to the lukewarm effort of the players, but the shocking field conditions contributed unfavourably. Many a player lost his footing as the grass was ripped up in the first quarter. The rugby authorities may feel this is a great concept in terms of bringing the game to Asia (the Australasian unions will have benefited financially too), but come on, surely fundamentals like the playing field need to meet certain requirements for a top Test to be staged.
The Tri-Nations champions were tagged as favourites in the forward battle, but it was the Aussies that fronted in the tight exchanges. The Aussie scrum provided a great platform for attack as did the lineout, and although he conceded a few penalties George Smith ensured the All Blacks struggled to receive clean ball at the tackle point.
The Wallabies were the tactical victors in the first half, taking the right options and exercising a patience typical of Robbie Deans’s old Super 14 team, the Crusaders. Matt Giteau was in fine form and the clear winner in the battle of the flyhalves. His half-break and clever offload that led to the first Drew Mitchell try set the tone after eight minutes, as from this point the All Blacks were on the back foot.
New Zealand lacked leadership at halfback with Stephen Donald and Jimmy Cowan guilty of poor-option taking. It’s true their forwards weren’t fronting, but one can’t help but feel that Dan Carter would have taken charge. The hit-and-hope clearances, the aimless probes across the Aussie tryline when they finally received front-foot ball – it was a shaky display by Donald who never commanded much respect from the well-drilled Wallabies defence.
It was Carter who kept the All Blacks in the game with his incredible goal-kicking, as he nailed three difficult attempts in the first half to ensure the New Zealanders stayed in touch at 14-9. Apart from Carter, the All Blacks collective seemed to have one eye on Europe. Their minds and hearts were never fully in this contest, especially in the first half.
The All Blacks failed to get going initially due to a string of errors, but the Aussies lapsed early in the second half to allow their rivals to draw level. The ball was shifted smartly to Sitiveni Sivivatu’s wing, and the No 11 obliged with the finish.
Predictably, Donald was subbed after 49 minutes allowing Carter to resume the flyhalf responsibilities. Carter missed two opportunities to edge the New Zealanders ahead when he followed up a missed conversion with a wide penalty attempt. Nevertheless, the momentum had swung in the All Blacks’ favour.
Their scrums improved as did their structure, and with Carter marshalling the troops the Wallabies were now the outfit under siege. Ma’a Nonu made a big impact from centre as did substitute scrumhalf Piri Weepu. The All Blacks fluffed a few opportunities, but they maintained the pressure through a well-structured attack. A speculative pass by Sivivatu in the 62nd minute found Richie McCaw, who rounded off a great build-up.
Carter failed to add the extras, but Australia couldn’t make further inroads in the final quarter. This was due to some dogged All Blacks defence.
The Aussies can take heart from their first-half effort, but Deans must know this minor success was only due to the All Blacks’ rudderless approach. New Zealand should still win the Grand Slam when they head to Europe, but it’s clear they have plenty to work on, and the first change Graham Henry should be making is moving Carter back to 10.
Wallabies – Tries: Drew Mitchell (2). Conversions: Matt Giteau (2).
All Blacks – Tries: Sitiveni Sivivatu, Richie McCaw. Penalties: Dan Carter (3).
By Jon Cardinelli
310 Comments
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1 Nov 2008, 14:19 pm
#295 hey zues:
Yep. I had a Philippine girlfriend for 2 years. Crazy stuff
1 Nov 2008, 14:57 pm
# hey zues:
I am in Hong Kong, live in Shaghai, and have visited Taibei. That is not a typo. Taibei is how it is said in Shaghai!
1 Nov 2008, 14:58 pm
# hey zues:
Aboriginal Taiwanese
1 Nov 2008, 15:02 pm
Indonesian and Tagalong (Philippines… notice the correct spellin), are similar. I bvgelieve, but am not expart, tyhat Thai is similar to Myr but not at all close to Polynesiuan.
Indonesian chicks are like asians with polynesian bods……HOT. Most Indonesian guys aren like Thai trannies, without the operation. Mind you they don’t look much different. No carrots!
1 Nov 2008, 15:06 pm
Super 15 anyone?
1 Nov 2008, 16:02 pm
#304 AiDoc:
That is how I spelt it!
1 Nov 2008, 17:10 pm
Hi guys, Is this a rugby blog ?
2 Nov 2008, 02:13 am
#84 goyougoodthing2: A win ugly in other words but lets break it down eh!
Deans takes his boys to Honkers 5 weeks early to get them climaxtised and ready to ambush the AB’s- no doubt about that.
AB’s have a light week due to the heat, major changes in the back line but neither Donald or Carter are slouches. Lose our man Hore and theres another change. Mr Gears debut on wing, not a slouch either but in these terms untried and untested.
The game starts and the Wally’s are sharp- nearly clinical and the A B’s just seem to be going through the motions. Hore off, Keven on. Not much happening in the Carter/ Donald partnership but Henry perseveres into the second half. the AB’s begin to wind up a little and begin to hold out the Wally’s.
We are palying for a dead rubber, so really what is Henry+ co doing here?
Getting ready for the NH tour, a couple of new combo’s, blooding a couple of newbies all within the pressure of a Dingo ambush- brilliant. People dont realise how freakin good this team is- the best on the planet. They can train and trial in the midst of an international, accept the probabilities within that 80 min window that the plan is not working, tweak a couple of things and still win!!
It was funny because I’m sure the faces of the Wallabies at half time were showing the stress of being in front and knowing full well that the best was yet to come from the AB’s. At the end of the day not only did Deans plan fall apart but I believe he may have done more damage to his team both physcologically and physically by taking them there early. The phsyc side speaks for itself and now I think that only some major confidence boosting wins and performances will shake the ****** off their backs but on the physical side of things, having acclimatised to Hong Kong prior to hitting Europe in winter is not the smartest move by any means.
Albeit, the Wallys have and are improving out of sight with every outing but unless Deans can get some new smarter blood to bolster his ranks and regain an edge its going to be the same old- same old for sometime to come.
Close but no Cigar.
2 Nov 2008, 06:23 am
ANGRY ARU boss John O’Neill has threatened retaliatory strikes against northern hemisphere nations who send second-string teams to Australia for winter Tests against the Wallabies.
O’Neill said Wallabies spring tours of Europe could become a thing of the past unless Australia starts receiving a fairer deal from the likes of France and Wales, who have both sent decimated touring parties down under in the past two years.
Not only do the second-string touring line-ups hit ticket sales and deprive the Wallabies of much-needed revenue and international competition, Australia are then denied any percentage of the gate takings when they fill venues at northern hemisphere Tests.
And O’Neill is fed up at being short-changed while watching other countries cash in on the popularity of the Wallabies.
“In my personal view, our point of leverage is we don’t go north,” O’Neill said.
“What I’m saying is the integrity of international Test rugby relies on everyone playing by the rules.
“If there comes a time when the northern hemisphere don’t comply with the regulations and send their best team south, and we suffer the consequences of a downturn in gate and a downturn in popularity of the game, we might say, ‘Don’t come in June and we will come if you pay us.’ ”
The Wallabies leave for Italy after the Hong Kong Test before playing further Tests this month against England, France and Wales. New Zealand, who have suffered the same shabby treatment from northern hemisphere nations as the Wallabies in recent times, are embarking on a similar tour.
2 Nov 2008, 10:01 am
#309 Wallabie. – Superbru S14 Champion: That O’Neill is making friends all over the place this weekend… his only mate left would be the kiwis, and I doubt that’s a relationship made in heaven.
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