You couldn’t ask much more of the Wallabies in their 50-23 victory in the first of three Tests against France in Brisbane last night. Not even a cruel, year-ending knee injury to captain Stephen Moore in the opening minute could thwart the Wallabies’ intention to make a statement. They did exactly that with a running rugby masterclass resulting in a seven tries-to-two shellacking.
The Wallabies coach, Ewen McKenzie, would have ticked off a long list of positives: five wins on the bounce, excellent work by the new halves pairing of Nic White and Bernard Foley, sharp passing across the backline, gain-line carries and off-loads by tight forwards, aggressive loosie work at the breakdown ensuring quick ball, a reliable line-out, punishing defence in the midfield by Matt Toomua and Tevita Kuridrani, a promising Test debut by lock Sam Carter, and a surprisingly effective cameo by half-back Nick Phipps off the bench. McKenzie’s only gripe would have been the scrum, with reserve props Pek Cowan and Paddy Ryan conceding a penalty try late in the game.
Phipps, in particular, would have greatly impressed McKenzie. There’s a widely held view that Will Genia’s demotion is a temporary measure by McKenzie to spark the once great half-back into form. The script, according to some commentators, is that Genia, stung by his dramatic fall from grace, will find his mojo and duly return to the match day 23 at Phipps’s expense. Well, the Waratahs half-back torpedoed that theory with a superb performance coming off the bench in the 62nd minute. He looked every inch the super sub by immediately lifting the tempo of the match with lightning-quick passes off the deck to runners flat on the gain line. Phipps had the French out on their feet with an exhilarating 10-minute spell resulting in tries to Kurtley Beale and Pat McCabe. If McKenzie hasn’t reached the view already, he must now surely view Phipps as a must-have specialist impact player – someone to come in at the backend of games to floor the accelerator and see if the opposition can cope. Casting Phipps as that game-breaker means Genia’s only way back into the side is to supplant White as the starting half-back. It’ll be a tough road back for Genia from here.
It’s a measure of the Wallabies progress under McKenzie (who last night lifted his winning percentage above 50% for the first time as national coach with seven wins, and six losses) that they didn’t miss Genia. In fact, on that point it’s worth noting this is a Wallabies side that didn’t have in its starting XV Quade Cooper, James Horwill, Kurtley Beale, Scott Higginbotham, Christian Lealiifano, Ben Mowen, Ben Robinson, Ben Alexander, Kane Douglas and Dave Dennis. To have all those Test players listed as outs just 12 months ago would have been seen by many as catastrophic. Now, the team barely skips a beat and rolls France by 50. All things considered, the Wallabies’ performance would rate eight out of 10. Obviously, Moore’s unfortunate injury dampens celebrations. The affable hooker’s rotten luck is scarcely believable.
As worthy as the Wallabies are of praise, there’s a very significant qualification in the context of looming must-win Bledisloe Cup encounters against the All Blacks, the results of which will ultimately shape public opinion about the 2014 Wallabies: the French, it has to be said, were awful except for a meaningless flurry in the final minutes.
One astute French journalist summed up the situation perfectly at the post-match press conference when he asked McKenzie to “please explain why the French did not play tonight”. McKenzie’s eyes flickered as he was rendered momentarily speechless. He clearly didn’t have an answer and politely danced around the question. It’ll be bugging him though. Looking across the ditch at the workout England put New Zealand through a few hours before the Suncorp Test, McKenzie must be harbouring reservations about the French series as adequate preparation for reclaiming the Bledisloe Cup. Having said that, this is France we’re talking about – a team of extremely volatile performance levels, as evidenced in the 2011 World Cup when they lost to Tonga in pool play before going on to take the All Blacks to the brink in the final. The Wallabies, dare it be said, would take more value from a loss against a motivated French side than romping home with a chest-thumping series whitewash.
