Wales Outclass Again

Anybody else get de ja vu last night? Wales pushing the All Blacks all the way for 50 minutes, never quite getting the scoreboard going, and then being sucker punched in 10 minutes and watching the Kiwi's cruise to the final whistle. It's a familiar tale by now, even if the method was a little different this time around. So why did an ambitious Wales fail to defeat an under-strength New Zealand?

Rieko Ioane's second try sealed the game away.

New Zealand: All Black or Not All That?

For the last five or more years it has been rugby scripture that the All Blacks are the best team in the world, the one which all others should look to emulate, only beatable by the most perfect of performances (and even then only when they are missing players). In the last six months, however, they have looked more vulnerable than ever. The Kiwi's love coming to the Northern Hemisphere looking to finish off the season unbeaten, but this year they didn't even get to start the undefeated run. Since their opening fixture against Samoa, they have lost against the Lions and Australia. Additionally, they could have lost to South Africa, France, Scotland, and the Lions again. In a nearly a dozen games they've only put together one 80 minute performance, against South Africa. The rest of the year they have largely relied on a complete blitzkrieg in the first half to build an unassailable lead, before releasing the throat after halftime. So what's going on, is it a malaise within their own ranks, or simply the rest of the world catching up?

Top of the World for eight years, yet the All Blacks look weaker than ever. What is going on this year?

Five Things from Wales v Australia

On a miserable day in Cardiff, which saw a lot of paying fans frustrated with the queue's into the stadium, Wales wrote the same story against the Wallabies as they have for nearly a decade. Close, showed promise, but ultimately undone by a few killer blows. In reality, there wasn't a large amount of hope for a home win going into the match, many supporters looking instead for a decent performance under a new style, and it is what they got. Despite this, it is another loss - twelfth in a row against the men in gold - and performances need to turn into results quickly if the World Cup is the objective. Below are five topics of conversation from the game.

Double Pivot System

Owen Williams seemed at home in the Welsh midfield.
Given enough time he could be crucial come 2019.

It was the big talking point going into the game. Owen Williams selected at twelve, so long the jersey for the bruising straight running Jamie Roberts, instead gone to a thinking, passing playmaker. Ironically Australia turned up with the big ball carriers in centre, hoping to question the lighter Williams in defence.

Did the system work? In a nutshell yes. It granted Wales the ability to play with width, and get on the outside of the Australian defence, especially in the middle third of the park. The passing skills shown by Owen Williams especially the ability to move the ball quickly under pressure showed why he was selected. But really those hands could have been provided by Scott Williams - or even Roberts himself - what Williams provided as another player who can look up, read the defence and look for the weaknesses. The nature of rugby today means the fly-half no longer can be expected to read the whole defence, there simply isn't enough time with blitz defences, having a second pair of eyes further out allows holes in the wider channel to be spotted and exploited.

Was it perfect? No, obviously, it was the first time Wales had played with this structure and it was never going to click instantly. On occasion, there was still a lack of a decent screen behind which the second pivot could operate. Additionally, after making the breaks in the middle third, in the red zone, Wales once again looked inept out wide. Only this time instead of battering down the 12 channel repeatedly, they seemed to fling passes and hoping something would happen. This issue could

Will the system work better with North's physicality?

possibly be fixed by the return of the likes of Moriarty or North who can add a physical, hard line down the centre channel, which will fix defences allowing the width to be exploited on the try line. It will be interesting to see what team is Gatland's first choice with everyone fit.

Rookie Players Step Up

No Roberts, no Warburton, no Tipuric, no North, no Webb. There was something of a notable injury list for Wales heading into the game, which meant plenty of inexperienced players got a chance to prove they can step up. Navidi at 7, Owen Williams already mentioned and Stefan Evans the notable three. The question was could they take their consistently excellent form at a regional level up to the Test stage, and overall yeh they kinda did.

Navidi has added another option in the
backrow to Gatland's resources.

Navidi especially can be pleased, a few years ago when he was storming around for the Cardiff Blues Gatland questioned whether he was big enough for Test rugby, after Saturday's performance I think we can agree he definitely is. Regularly made ground, and showed up very well in the wider channels, as Wales will ask from their 7's in the new game. On the other flank Shingler returned to the red of Wales looking like he'd never left, a regular target in the lineout and did all the graft needed from the blindside, Wales' strength in depth in the back row is formidable now. Meanwhile out on the wing at best it was a mixed day for Steff Evans, once outstanding finish against two covering defenders, and often beating the first tackler in open player, combined with a number of handling errors and guilty of being ripped by Beale in the play of the match. None the less he looked ready to be a consistent fixture on the wing, and what happens when North returns will be very interesting. 

From the bench the likes of Leon Brown, Sam Cross, and Owen Watkin all showed up decently in their five-minute cameos, Watkin deserves a special mention for triggering a line break which lead to Hallam Amos' try at the death. 

Kick Off Nightmares

Now referred to as the "third set piece" it was rather shocking to see how clunky and disappointing the Welsh were on the restarts. With alarming regularity, they were unable to clear their lines and gifted Australia great territory and possession. Which put them right back under pressure after pulling themselves back into contention on the scoreboard. All in all in meant Wales could never really get any momentum in the game and double up on scores. In fact in the first half, from poor restart control, Australia were able to score two tries with minimal effort. 

Davies is used often by Wales during
their exit strategies.

Throughout the game Bernard Foley was targetting Jonathan Davies with his kicks, aiming to get what they sort as the danger man out of the game. If Davies catches and gets tackled Wales lose their left-footed kick to touch. It was obvious, so why didn't Wales realise this and adapt. Move Davies around a bit test Foley's thinking and ability. Or leave him where he is and get the players around him to secure the ball and clear your lines. At least twice the ball was coughed up at the breakdown just from not looking after the ball for Gareth Davies. It was a number of basic things you'd expect professional players to do, that wasn' there for the men in red. Against Georgia, they will need to sort it out, because if they keep the Georgians in the match then that result could go anywhere.

Handling Errors and Retaining Possession

Honestly handling errors have been an ever-present thing with Wales for a few years now. Something that creeps up often and why players aren't turning up to the international camps with the basic handling skills expected. Things have improved overall but with this new style focused on passing the ball wide, it was bound to appear again. Saturday showed that all the players - even props and second rows - have the ability to pass the ball under pressure, which is great and can only help the attack. However far too often players were guilty of trying to get one too many passes in. 

Gareth Davies crucially held possession after
 making a break by himself.

I lost count of the number of times Wales would successfully manage to get outside the defence and the player with the ball would fling a wild pass as they got brought down. It was frustrating as a fan, can't imagine how much it annoyed Rob Howley. With how often Wales were able to make twenty or thirty-yard breaks in the outside channels, they needed to realise being tackled and forming a ruck wasn't the end of the world. Recycle the ball, and go again against a retreating defence. Two things are going to have happened. Either the defence has all be sucked in scrambling to bring down the line break, and so there is, even more, space on the opposite wing. Or the defence hasn't made it back to defend the breakdown and your close support and make a big burst down the same flank.

You don't need to score off every line break instantly, just look at the Steff Evans try. Gareth Davies made a great break off the lineout and held on to the ball when brought down in the 22. From the ensuing ruck, the ball was passed to a forward pod who heard the call from the fly-half to tip it on. At this point the defence had been fixed by the forwards and some slick hands in the backline put Evans over in the corner. More of that and Wales could have scored a couple more tries.

Yellow Card Sins

What is it about Wales and a complete inability to make one man advantages count? Especially against Australia? It is becoming a huge worry that Wales can't find the extra space left by a missing player. Two years ago it was two men off and Wales still couldn't score. This time it was captain and talisman Michael Hooper who was shown the yellow. Wales should have had the extra power in the pack, less to deal with at the breakdown, and a notable defender was off the pitch. So despite being camped on the Australia line with a succession of scrums, mauls, and phases, they couldn't find a way over. 

Hallam Amos pulls off a spectacular finish in the corner
to give Wales a little hope.
 (Huw Evans)

As discussed before the backline seemed to struggle with fixing the defence in narrow to find any decent space out wide. Instead, resorting to long passes with an attached hope that someone wider out would find the space to get over. A change in method from two years ago, but the same result yielded. Eventually, the try did come, but Hooper was actually back on the field in time to witness Hallam Amos' spectacular finish in the corner (something Shane Williams would have been proud of). When it comes to red-zone try scoring Wales still look as limp as ever, but I think it could be improved upon with the return of North to the backline. With his physicality down the 10-12 channel off the wing as an option for Biggar or Owen Williams, it will fix the defence and allow space outside to be found. That, or the defence will drift a little too much and the 17 stone powerhouse from Northampton will dive underneath the posts.

Overall plenty of positives for Wales to take into Georgia next weekend, and the rest of the Autumn, but still plenty which needs work as well.