A lot has been said about the Wallabies in the past. Most of it has been constructive criticism, with views on their set piece being the main topic of discussion. The majority of the critical comments has been targeted at the Australian scrum and justifiably so, with great analysis covered on the frailties of the Aussie scrum in games gone by being uploaded onto YouTube and other social networking sites.
Wallabies not wobbling this time
However, at this year’s World Cup, it seems as though the tables could be turning for the better for the Wallabies. In their opening two pool matches, they played Fiji first up in Cardiff and then last Sunday they came up against a spirited Uruguay team at Villa Park. Both these matches showed the strength in depth of the Wallabies squad, with virtually every player making an appearance between the two games. There was one area of strength that hasn’t always stood out with Australian teams of the past and that was the scrum. In both fixtures, Australia had complete dominance over their opponents in the scrum. Their forward pack displayed a cunning and aggressive manor that hasn’t been seen before from a Wallabies outfit for a long time and it allowed their crafty back line players to run riot and score some superb tries. Yes you can say that both Fiji and Uruguay aren’t the most testing of teams when it comes to scrummaging, but you can only play what’s in front of you and the Aussies have certainly done that so far.
If you want see some evidence of a true test of this Australian side and how far they have come, then look no further than the match they played earlier this year against the All Blacks at Allianz Stadium in Sydney, in the Rugby Championship. The All Blacks are known for being the one team that wouldn’t realistically have any weaknesses, and scrummaging is no different. Over the last few years, New Zealand was beginning another era of dominance over Australia and one area they were making their presence felt was in the scrum. From 2011-2014, the All Blacks won an impressive 8 out of 10 matches against the Wallabies, with two of them being drawn, displaying a real strangle hold on their great rivals through their technique and power at the scrum. This year though, the Wallabies decided that enough was enough and were ready to put an end to New Zealand’s consistency. In the pre-match build-up, New Zealand were highly fancied by all corners of the rugby public, but the Wallabies hadn’t read the script and were ready to re-write a new one. What unfolded was an incredible forward pack effort both in the lineout and in particular the scrum. From the first scrum that both teams set up, the Aussies were out to make a massive statement of intent. The All Blacks didn’t know what hit them when Australia shunted them backwards, and the Wallabies grew in confidence the longer the game went on, to secure a convincing victory 27-19.
The rugby press went mad, praising Wallabies Head Coach Michael Cheika for totally masterminding the win over the All Blacks. He made a number of great decisions before that match, picking the right squad, selecting the best fifteen to start the game to make sure they began the game well and selecting the best reserves who could make the best impact when called upon, to give them the best chance of winning. People talked about Australia’s innovation in that game, and how they were able to exploit New Zealand’s weakness and find gaps in behind their defence to build a commanding lead, but for me it was the addition of a non-playing member to the set up that have made the real difference for this side going forward.
The enrolment of former Argentinian stalwart Mario Ledesma as the Wallabies scrum coach is, in my opinion, the best decision that Cheika has made in his tenure as Australia’s Head Coach. Ledesma has worked with Cheika in the recent past, taking on the role of scrum coach for Super 15 franchise NSW Waratahs and helping them to win the Super Rugby title in 2014 alongside Cheika. What Ledesma has done in such a short space of time is testament to how Argentinians can take the scrummage to a new level. Scrummaging is almost a way of life with them, as they are known for their incredible knowledge and sheer adoration about scrummaging. The Pumas’ eat, sleep, drink and even dream about scrummaging which enhances their reputation even further as the world’s premier nation in this facet of the game. It has given Australia a new lease of life and undoubtedly, a new burst of exuberance. If Australia can use this new found confidence and excitement to its fullest, then they are an extremely dangerous prospect to come up against for any team. If Ledesma can keep his forwards on the same wave length and have them carry out all their duties as one unit, then that will lay the platform for the outside backs to do the damage through scoring tries and kicking the points when on offer.
Having dispatched both Fiji and Uruguay with relative ease, there’s no question that the bigger, sterner tests lie ahead with England and Wales still to play in the group. Listening to Wallabies skipper, Stephen Moore’s post-match comments after the Fiji game saying it’s not all about scoring bonus points, they’re just looking to take every game as it comes and win every game that they play in the tournament. The decision by Michael Cheika to bring in Ledesma could prove to be a real stroke of genius from the head coach, as it may determine how far the Wallabies can go in the tournament. If they can come through both games against England and Wales with victories and keep key players fit such as David Pocock and Israel Folau, then there’s no reason why they shouldn’t have yet another successful World Cup.
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