The Wallabies’ attack is statistically the worst it has been in almost 40 years as the side bunkers down to quickly work out how to turn half chances into point-scoring opportunities in a must-win clash against Argentina this weekend.
From eight matches in 2018, the Wallabies have scored 134 points at an average of 16.75 per game. Last year, that average was almost double at 31.14 from 14 matches.
Even in 2016, when the side won just 40 per cent of its games in a dismal year, the Wallabies chalked up 39 tries for a return of 21.93 points per game.
In the year of the last World Cup, Australia was completely on song, amassing 30.6 points per fixture with an attacking structure that troubled every team in world rugby.
Now, 12 months out from the World Cup, the Wallabies are stagnant and finding it hard to cross the paint and attack coach Stephen Larkham must be working overtime to give his players the information required to find their attacking flair.
During a bad period for Australian rugby in 2012, the Wallabies scored just 15 tries in 15 games and averaged 17.27 points per game. This year Australia has managed 16 tries but fewer points per game.
One has to go back to 1979, when incumbent Rugby Australia president Tony Shaw was captain, to find a Wallabies team that racked up fewer points per game across the calendar year.
From five Tests that year, Australia scored just 57 points across matches against Ireland, New Zealand and Argentina. Keep in mind, this was during a time when tries were only worth four points, not five.
The Wallabies still have five Tests remaining this year against Argentina, New Zealand, Wales, Italy and England, all of which are away from home.
Despite having 79 per cent of territory in the second half of the latest Springboks defeat, Australia did not score a point in the final 40 minutes. It was the first time since the Pretoria fixture in 2016 where they were unable to get any pay on the scoreboard in the second half of a Test.
After his early blunder that cost Australia a try after 24 seconds, Kurtley Beale sprung into action and was electric for most of the second half. He made good metres and, as he does so often, was not scared to take on the line.
After three games at No.10, the jury is still out on whether that is Beale’s best position given Bernard Foley is waiting in the wings and Matt Toomua said earlier in the year it was where he felt most comfortable at.
Halfback Will Genia praised Beale’s work and was encouraged by the opportunities Australia created even if they had nothing to show for it in the dying stages of the contest.
“Kurtley is one of those guys who probably gets a little bit disappointed and down because we lose but we’re not scoring the points that we’d like,” Genia said. “I guess [it is] rightly so because we feel like we’re playing good rugby but we’re not scoring tries.
“The thing to reiterate to him is that we’re doing good things, we’re creating opportunities, we’re creating scoring plays, we just have to stick at it. That’s a discipline in itself to stick at it.”
by SMH.com.au
So the Wallabies have their very own Lambie. I don't for a second believe in Beale. Even as far back as 2011, he struggled. It took wins over poor Boks sides to gloss over the cracks. The persistence with this failed experiment, over a player who was at the heart of their best attacking rugby three years ago, suggests to me that Cheika has lost control of the team and has no way of getting the team out of this rut. His assistants should surely take some of the blame. Larkham has seen a steady decline in the Brumbies attack and their defence coach oversaw the worst defensive performance in proud Waratah's history before being elevated to the test arena. Rugby Australia need to take a long hard look at themselves. They shunned Jake because he had a vision for Wallaby rugby that didn't include candyfloss, how did it work out for them? Whitewashed by the Boks and All Blacks in 2013 followed by more horrendous performances under Cheika.
