Wellington – Devastated Wallabies coach Robbie Deans launched a scathing attack on his team for giving up in the final stages of a disastrous Tri-Nations Test, claiming the players failed to show pride in the green and gold.Deans abandoned his usual diplomacy after a Wallabies loss and gave full vent to his frustration after Saturday’s dreadful performance. The Wallabies’ surrender in the final stages, when they let All Blacks Ma’a Nonu and Josevata Rokocoko in to score, was the final straw.
There were many other causes for concern – the Wallabies pack being trounced at the breakdown; the attack proving ineffective and too deeply set; the inconsistent lineout; selections proving unsuccessful; the replacements, strangely, not being utilised; and many players going missing.
When asked if there was a solution to the Wallabies’ seeming inability to play two decent Tests in a row, Deans replied: ”We’ll review everything, and clearly the last 10 minutes was unacceptable. Our group, and I’m part of it, didn’t show the same pride in the jersey as the All Blacks did. Sure, we were there in the 70th minute, but at that point of putting ourselves within cooee, we went missing.
”After the All Blacks scored, we rolled over, and that was disappointing. When the game went out of our reach, we departed the contest. I guess how damaging that is will depend on the response. It’s pretty straightforward. You’re either up for it or not, and we’re a couple of volunteers short consistently.”
Deans will shortly have to pick a training squad for the northern hemisphere grand slam tour in October-November, and is wondering whether he will have enough artillery.
”The reality is that there is not an endless supply of international players [in Australia], but this group has to step up to being international players routinely, not occasionally,” Deans said. ”And our next opposition [the All Blacks in Tokyo] would have seen some things that would have excited them.”
When Deans’s remarks about the team giving up were passed on to Wallabies inside-centre Berrick Barnes, he agreed.
”He has every right to say that. We let ourselves down and only have ourselves to blame,” Barnes said.
”We should never have let that result blow out the way it did. We have to look deeply inside ourselves and see what we are made of. There’s a big tour at the end of the year, and we have a month to build. We either fall back into old habits, or move forward.”
While the Australian forwards were widely criticised for their ineffective play, the back-line work wasn’t much better.
”We needed to go a lot tighter in attack and cut out their sliding defence,” Barnes said. ”We didn’t do that. Consequently, they were able to cover us. They also won the battle of the ball in the air. We were good at that in Brisbane, but poor here.
”We will have a lot of people coming at us now, and that’s fair enough. We deserve it following that performance. But we have got to dig deep as a group. We’ve got to be better. And maybe before this game, we took the pats on the back too much.”
Wallabies breakaway Rocky Elsom was just as disappointed.
”We didn’t adapt on the run,” he said. ”The contest at the breakdown is totally different against New Zealand. The South Africans go about it a different way, but New Zealand’s tactics were something we should have been able to handle right from the start.
”It was an unacceptable way to end the Tri-Nations campaign. We’ve got a fair bit of looking inward to do, and a lot of work to do. We couldn’t crack them, and that was a big problem for us. The breakdown was a big one.”
Suurgat Janne….. hehehe I love it!!!
Deans to come to the Lions and bring Gitts with. Thank u.
@K9-MonsterLeeu – #2 in a perfect/dream world in Leeu country ja 😉
Die kriminele se laaste wedstryd laat my aan die laaste 4 S14 tuiswedstryde van die Tjarks dink….
@Stan – 😆 Jy sukkel nê?
@K9-MonsterLeeu –
I thought he said pride in the jersey is important?
Wie, ek? Nooit!
Maar dis waar ne?
@Tripples –
While I did not see the match, it looks like both the AB’s and Wallabies are trying to play total rugby, but failing. Start winning, and that will bring the crowds back, and winninng means sensible rugby, and only when the game is in the bag can you give the ball all the air you want, but that seldom happens in test rugby,excepting when a side gels like the Bokke did last year against Aus, and showed on occassion this year.
@Morné – Yes, and where do you see more “pride” than at a pride of Lions ?
2@K9-MonsterLeeu – Would prefer to see John Mitchell.
Think he could do more with a “young” squad.
Congratulations to Edenpark U19 on their win in the Semi Final of the GLRU Senior Grand Challenge against the same opposition that trounced them last week in a league fixture.
Pride guys, pride.
@K9-MonsterLeeu – LOL. Think that is needed.
Maybe that what happens with Aussie when they have lost interest in the Tri-Nations if they are not going to win. They get a damn good hiding. Boks gave it to them in the last game they played here last year too.
Superbul I see you up there. Tell me why I cant register for the SuperBru? Tried 3 times last night and it just never went through.
Old Griqua, I see you lurking bro….come out, I won’t tackle you again, promise!
Let’s talk, about the old days, I have some names and stuff for you from De Beers and Ammasol.
@Puma –
Good on you, for putting those boys on the ‘other side’ in their place about OldGriqua.
What he has forgotten about rugby they must still learn…..
@Pietman – Thanks Piet, Yes OldGriqua is a good oke on keo and that idiot went and called him something I wont mention here. Charo also put him in his place. We should get him to blog here also poppa don’t think they know of this blog.
How you Piet? Hope well my friend.
I have not been trying to join SuperBru for the Cricket tomorrow but just cant get it right. Done everything but it keeps telling me my password is wrong. Will have to ask Super when he comes on later.
@Puma – 16
LOL. Meant I have been trying. Jeez I make so many typos..hehe.
Super see you up there again. I just cant get registered for the SuperBru. Done it all right mate but it keeps telling me my password is wrong. I think I messed it up and probably by the 3rd time put in a new password. Cricket starts tomorrow and want to join.
@Puma –
Wrong password?
Strange.
But let Superbru help you there.
Back to OldGriqua.
Yes, he was pretty good in his day.
Couldn’t go to the Bok trials, he needed one more year for SA citizenship.
But he would have made Jnr Boks at least, I am sure.
Griquas were awesome in the early 70’s.
I am sure he will have some stories to tell about those years later.
He was on the reseve bench for the Wallas, in the UK, after he moved back there.
But you must remember, he played in an era when SA had an abundance of prime wingers such as Gerrie Germishuysen, Chris Pope, Judge Jeffries, Cheeky Watson (he scored against Cheeky twice at Boet Erasmus GW/EP!), Gert Muller, Edrich Krantz, Pierre Spies, Keith Thoresson, Toffee Sharpe, Sid Nomis, Carel Fourie, Tino Kankowski, Wilhelm Stapelberg, Niel Burger, Agie Koch, Leon Vogel, Buddy Swartz….
Old Griqua held his own against those boys way back then.
Those arseholes on keo don’t know the man….
@Pietman – 19
I will get it sorted with Super later Piet. Thanks. Think I must be doing something wrong although I checked it over and it seemed filled it correct.
Yes remember your talks with OldGriqua and I spoke to him a few times on keo a real gentleman he is. Yes he probably may have made the boks then who knows. Needed to stay here one more year. We will never know.
Nice to have him here if he is going to blog on here. Nice oke to talk too. Knows his rugby very well.
@Pietman – 19
Piet nice to catch up with you as always. Need to go out now boet. Will be back later.
@Puma –
If only OldGriqua wasn’t so modest….I am sure he has many a rugby tale to tell.
@Puma –
Do so, cheers.
good evening everyone
uess noone is chattin
cheers catch someone laters
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