RWC Review: No. 3 Australia

[Shaggy]

The 2011 Rugby World Cup has ended and unfortunately for the rugby faithful, this means that we’ll have to wait four years once again, but don’t be disappointed, this was a special tournament. New Zealand hosted this time around, and with that, we realize that we may not see the rugby mad country host again for a very long time.

We hope that you all savored every moment and every match, no matter what the outcomes were, the disappointments or heartache. What impressed us the most is how well second tier nations developed over the past four years, which is great news for the sport on a worldwide scale.

Development is the key to this game, as any, and this world cup has opened the door to a large number of new fans.

As we take a look back, Shaggy, psychic duck and M Two One review the twenty participants from worst to first over the next week. The rankings were put together through several opinions based on performances.

Feel free to debate and discuss. The 2011 Rugby World Cup may have ended, but rugby lives on 24/7.

Australia went into the tournament with high expectations, having achieved the IRB number two ranking and defeating both New Zealand and South Africa to take the Tri-nations crown for 2011. They were drawn to play in Pool C with Ireland, Italy, Russia and the United States. Being the top ranked team in the pool, the Aussies were expected to qualify for the quarterfinals at the top.

Their first match against Italy was expected to provide some stern opposition for the Wallabies, particularly in the scrum, but they achieved a comprehensive victory in this match despite a slow first half. Australia’s next match was against Ireland, where things started to go wrong due to injuries and illness. Ireland really took it to them in the forwards, driving the Wallaby players back in the tackles. Australia, without Pocock to dominate the breakdowns, was unable to compete as well as they would have liked and the Irish outplayed them.

The loss to Ireland proved to be a grievous, but not fatal wound, as the Wallabies easily accounted for both the United States and Russia in their two remaining matches despite having to field number eight Radiki Samo out of position in the final match against Russia due to injuries. Reaching the quarterfinals as the second place qualifier from Pool C set up a highly anticipated match with South Africa. This was always going to be a closely contested match that could have gone either way, but with the injury early in the match to Springbok Heinrich Brüssow, the game was denied a match up of two of the world’s best open side flankers. David Pocock achieved dominance at the breakdowns and despite the Springboks having the bulk of the possession and territory, the Wallabies won the game by two points.

The buzz around the semifinal match against the All Blacks was electric, with many New Zealand fans in particular. Everything was set up for a close game, but right from the kick off the All Blacks dominated the match. David Pocock had obviously been identified as a potential threat and he was effectively negated at the breakdowns by the All Blacks running at him and forcing him to make the tacklesâ€"thus denying him the chance to pilfer the ball.

In the end it was a fourteen point win to the All Blacks, relegating the Wallabies to the third and fourth playoff with Wales. This match is probably the match that no one wants to play, but to both teams credit, they both played to win. Australia eventually prevailed, but not before they lost fullback Kurtley Beale and fly half Quade Cooper to injuries. Berrick Barnes controlled the game well and questions might well have been asked why he didn't start in the number 12 jersey earlier in the tournament.

The Wallabies chances were probably affected through the tournament by injury to key players, as well as some of their big name players, such as Quade Cooper and to a lesser extent Will Genia, not firing as expected. Australia’s core is still quite young though and will have benefited from their world cup experience, making them genuine contenders for the 2015 tournament. - S

 

[centurion]

Nice write up. A lot to look forward to if everything goes according to plan.