Shortly after appropriate recognition was shown to James Slipper, succeeding George Gregan as the most-capped Wallaby in history, the All Blacks gathered behind a banner on the Accor Stadium pitch and were presented with the Bledisloe Cup.
It’s fair to say that celebrations were muted. Not because 23 Cup-winning seasons on the trot breeds indifference – the long run of success has not diminished the high esteem in which the Bledisloe Cup is held by the All Blacks – but because the manner of their 31-28 victory left them highly frustrated.
That’s no slight on a Wallabies side that improved markedly as the match went on, but because by their own performance standards, Scott Robertson’s team remains well short of where it – and the New Zealand public – believes it should be.
Robertson was having none of that at the post-match presser; while admitting to being relieved, he insisted that he was delighted and proud of the way his side dug deep and toughed out a win.
That’s all well and good, but when any side skips out to 21-0 in 14 minutes, by moving the ball imperiously into space, looking yards quicker than the opposition, there’s a context established where the failure to add a second-half try and to limp over the line can’t genuinely be embraced as positive.
Rieko Ioane celebrates a try. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
The fact is, whether by circumstance, lack of bench depth, or some yet to be determined psychological failing, the All Blacks under Robertson have become toothless. Their inability to score second-half points cost them dearly against Argentina and South Africa, and very nearly did again here.
The further the match went on it was noticeable how the Wallabies came to the realisation that this impotence provided them, not just with an opportunity to make a blow-out result look respectable, but to actually win.
Remarkably, they were still in touch at half-time, down only 14-28 when it was obvious to everyone that the real margin between the teams was wider than a four-try to two-try game.
The Wallabies got positive contributions from their bench – Lukhan Salakaia-Loto in particular, in storming form – and once the self-belief kicked in and the All Blacks, pressured into cynical fouls began to shed players, the match had been fully transformed.
When an awful loose pass from Sam Darry conceded possession to the Wallabies and somehow convinced Caleb Clarke to volunteer himself for a yellow card, the sight of the All Blacks trying to run the clock down with seven minutes to go was quite something to behold.
Inevitably, they conceded a penalty for holding on and it was only a dash of white-line-fever from Jeremy Williams that prevented the Wallabies from taking toll of their two-man advantage.
When the try eventually came, to Tom Wright, too much time had been eaten away; Ardie Savea taking no chances with a ponderous, charge-down prone TJ Perenara, detaching from the final scrum and kicking the ball out himself.
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James Slipper reacts as his side’s comeback falls agonisingly short (Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images)
The positives for the Wallabies are easy enough to list. With increasing familiarity a product of more time together and selection beginning to narrow, their attack is beginning to look more cohesive for longer periods. As Schmidt explained, this kind of improvement is never a linear pathway, but the trajectory is undeniably upwards.
Defensively, the same flaws evident in La Plata also surfaced here; it wasn’t so much the number of missed tackles, but the misalignment and lack of urgency to re-adjust and scramble into spaces that hurt early.
To be able to remedy that at half-time and produce a much tighter – and at times punishing – defensive wall in the second half, was impressive.
The biggest win for Schmidt however is that, after casting a wide net for his captain, Harry Wilson’s best match as a Wallaby almost certainly cements him in the role for the foreseeable future.
Appealing as having the right leadership qualities, Wilson’s challenge was always to demand selection as a certain starting pick. Leading the match stats for both teams on carries (24) and effective tackles (21) feels like a coming-of-age statement.
Throw in the ever impressive Rob Valetini and Fraser McReight, and this is beginning to feel a lot like the Caelan Doris-Peter O’Mahoney-Josh Van der Flier combo that Schmidt built a world-class side around in Ireland.
Before one gets too carried away, there are also the caveats, which Schmidt was realistic enough to refer to in his post-match comments.
The All Blacks muffed any number of try-scoring opportunities that, on another day, might have blown the Wallabies well out of the contest. Savea ignored spare men to his left and was held up; Reece’s midfield fumble was enough to have a Jordie Barrett try rubbed out; and a forward transfer from Damian McKenzie cost the impressive Cortez Ratima a spectacular break-out try.
McKenzie was as enigmatic as ever, kicking beautifully for goal, creating opportunities with decisive running, but failing to add enough polish on the final transfer to cap off his good work.
Of high concern was their inability to convert a number of attacking lineouts into points. And when the tables were turned, Sam Cane stationing himself a yard too far infield to allow Matt Faessler a soft run in for his try.
All week the All Blacks would have had the same message hammered home to them, about ignoring any reference to the Wallabies’ capitulation in La Plata, and avoiding the stigma of potentially becoming the first side to lose the Bledisloe Cup in over two decades.
All sides want to start well, but in that context, Will Jordan jetting through for his opening try was almost like the worst thing that could have happened; the sub-conscious mind overriding the stern messaging, telling the All Blacks players that they were in for a bit of a romp.
But no matter about aligning the expectations of both sides with the result, the fact is, New Zealand did enough to win the game and the Cup is once again in their keeping.
Matt Faessler scores. (Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images)
At the presser I asked Joe Schmidt whether it was time for the format to be reviewed. We’d just witnessed a tense, tight finish but now both sides head to Wellington with nothing to play for.
Schmidt raised a laugh by pointing out how he was in favour of the system last year, but he was gracious enough to acknowledge the issue and that people other than he should be looking closely at this.
In short, the Cup is much harder to win than it is to lose. If the All Blacks get belted by 20 points next week, this three-point win says that none of that matters. Unfortunately, this situation is typical of two national unions who continually show that they have little idea how to frame a narrative for the sport which engages and excites fans.
In years where there are three matches played, there’s obviously no problem; the challenger needs to win twice. But in years like this when there are two matches – and who knows how many there will be in the years when New Zealand and South Africa toodle off and do their own thing – it is surely better to designate just one of those matches as the Bledisloe Cup challenge match.
I’m as in awe of the All Blacks’ achievement as anyone – 23 consecutive years as holder is scarcely believable – but anyone who thinks that’s been helpful for the game in our region is kidding themselves.
Nobody is talking about handing over the Cup to the Wallabies as a charity; just that the requirement to win a series 2-0 sets the bar too high and hurts a game that needs everything going in its favour.
The other reason that the All Blacks and Wallabies have little to play for next week is because Argentina’s thrilling 29-28 win against South Africa separates them at the top of the Rugby Championship table, from the trans-Tasman rivals.
This win marks the first time that the Pumas have beaten all three rivals in the same year and it came courtesy of some terrific ball movement and an unanswered 26-point blitz orchestrated by the once-again excellent Tomos Albornoz.
Manie Libbok’s failure to drill a late goal from a handy position was obviously painful for the Boks, but on the run of play it would be churlish to single that moment out as the reason for the loss.
The thing about the law of averages is that for every outcome above the mean, there must be a counterbalance. South Africa were overdue to drop a close match, and while this is a setback for the camp who trumpeted that there was enough depth in the ranks for two world-class teams, it will be most interesting to observe their response next week; at the selection table and on the pitch.
Who knows, with matches and results like these, maybe one day administrators will be able to frame southern hemisphere rugby in a way that really means something to people and goes at least some way to matching the buzz of the Six Nations?
