Jim Tucker: Why current Wallabies crop are worst side in 45 years
AUSTRALIA’S slide down the world rugby rankings is even worse than first thought, with Jim Tucker revealing it’s the lowest point since the early 1970s.
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DIVING to seventh as their worst world ranking since 2003 is not the full slap in the face for the Wallabies because the deeper truth is it’s the lowest point since the early 1970s.
World Rugby’s official rankings were only introduced 15 years ago so you need the office Kiwi’s trusty abacus to pinpoint it as 1971-73 when the Wallabies would have been No.7 or No.8 when winning just three Tests in 15.
The new health of world rugby is that any nation from No.2 to No.7 is interchangeable but don’t anyone let the Wallabies off with that excuse.
Squandered talent is worse than none.
These Wallabies can play. When Israel Folau sidesteps over from 40m for an eye-popping solo try or Will Genia is finishing a clever backline raid, they are as good as any Test side.
Redeploying Folau as a winger to roam all over the backline and flat in midfield was a winner against Argentina.
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Some of the dross in between was numbing. Consistency. None.
Bungled attacking lineouts have become a curse and how did Argentinian flanker Pablo Matera beat two first-up tackles to set up an 80m try?
On full-time, Pumas lock Tomas Lavanini sprinted 20m across field to thump the ball out of Israel Folau’s hands with a monster tackle to win his country the Test last Saturday night.
Urgency. Energy. There was too little of Lavanini in the Wallabies.
There is too much tennis to coach Michael Cheika’s game style ... we score, you score, too many short serve-volley points and not enough pressuring, grinding baseline rallies.
And it doesn’t get easier ... six Tests on the road will be like trying to win six Davis Cup ties on clay.
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Originally published as Jim Tucker: Why current Wallabies crop are worst side in 45 years