Rugby Championship 2017: Wallabies pressure made the All Blacks look vulnerable

It was a wet and windy Wellington day in 1996 when the All Blacks inflicted one of the worst defeats in Australian rugby history.

It was the game we turned our backs on the haka, and everything went downhill from there.

But one of the great things about sport is that sometimes you get a second chance, and a few weeks later we put on a performance in Brisbane that, not unlike Dunedin last week, was worthy of a win, only for the game to be stolen in the dying minutes.

So with all the negativity and disappointment that surrounded the Wallabies' loss to the Kiwis in Sydney, that "oh so close" moment against the All Blacks last week provided a small glimmer of light and hope for supporters.

So close: Michael Hooper looks to the scoreboard with disbelief after the final whistle.Credit: AAP

If the Wallabies could have hung on for two more minutes, it would have been one of the greatest turnarounds produced by any team in world sport this year.

They were $15 outsiders and given a 28.5 points start by some bookies.

Some people might think such an "admirable" loss isn't so bad, but that result would have hurt the players more than what they experienced in Sydney when they trailed 54-6 after just 49 minutes.

Sydney was a write-off. Yes, our lads scored four tries, but the game was gone.

In the clear: Israel Folau scores the Wallabies' first try in Dunedin.Credit: AAP

The pain of going close is worse than the pain of a hiding.

Some New Zealand supporters have suggested the Wallabies couldn't beat the All Blacks on their worst day, and that they had a pretty ordinary night in Dunedin. But that sells the Aussies short.

The reason the New Zealanders had an off night wasn't because they failed to turn up mentally – it was pressure. Pressure from the Wallabies. Because when you are under pressure, you make poor decisions.

We saw glimpses of that sort of pressure in the World Cup final in 2015, but we haven't seen it sustained since the pool match against England in that same tournament.

What pleased me most about the performance in Dunedin was the Wallabies changed their approach. If they had come out and played the same game plan as they did in Sydney, they would have got the same result.

Running the ball for the sake of running the ball is not running rugby – it's madness.

The Aussies employed a kicking game, which meant the opposition were slightly out of their comfort zone in defence compared to what they have been used to when playing Australia. Surely the success of this more rounded game plan must be a light-bulb moment for the coaching staff, proving that there is another way to play – maybe a winning way?

But before I get too carried away, it was by no means a polished performance. There are still areas that need attention and, at the end of the day, they still lost.

The scrum got worked over, the restarts were poor, they still let in five tries, and Bernard Foley had an off night with the boot. (Kickers win you games, they don't lose you games.) Sometimes you just have those days.

But the words of Will Genia after the match should be remembered: this is now the standard the Wallabies need to achieve every time they run out.

So before they take on the Springboks in Perth next Saturday night, it's just small aspects of their game that need more attention. They need to be smarter with their kicking in general play to manage the team around the park against what will be a massive forward pack. Because there is no greater sight for your front row than seeing the ball trickle over the sideline way down the field.

They need to use their strength – Israel Folau – in the air. There was an attempt in New Zealand to put pressure on their fullback with a cross-field kick, but it requires a more direct strike that isolates the opposite man to allow for the magic we saw Folau produce against Scotland.

The scrum was sliding backwards at times. Now this is getting above my pay grade, but there were moments when the scrum did hold parity against the ABs. It comes down to being able to reproduce those efforts for 80 minutes and not lose concentration. A change in personnel was effective, and perhaps Tatafu Polota-Nau in the front row might be a starting point.

But the glaring concern is the Wallabies' defence. They still let in five tries. It was better than the previous week – it could hardly have been worse – but still needs work.

Again, it's small things. They talk about "systems", yet the most important thing when you don't have the ball is communication. A lack of it leads to missed tackles, like the final play that allowed the All Blacks to get out of jail.