Wallabies coach Dave Rennie has reason to smile after his first test. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Wallabies coach Dave Rennie has reason to smile after his first test. Photo / Mark Mitchell
OPINION:
Seven thoughts from a startling, combative, riveting first Bledisloe Cup test.
Looks like Cheika was the problem
Teams are not always a reflection of their coach, but under Dave Rennie the 2020 Wallabies, who after 88 minutes of hotly contested rugby emerged with an historic 16-all drawin Wellington, don't look anything like the disjointed, almost shambolic mob they were when Michael Cheika was in charge.
As time went by Cheika became more and more self-obsessed, as his histrionics in the coaches' box went from amusing to embarrassing. There always seemed to something to whine about - whether it was referees or an unfair media corps, and I've never known a player who enjoyed working with a coach who was paranoid and grumpy.
Yes, it's too early to say whether the Rennie reign with the Wallabies will be as successful as the first hit-out was but eagerness on defence is always a good measure of the spirit in a squad.
In Wellington it was hard to fault.
No, Ian Foster is not in trouble
When a six-to-one outsider at the TAB gets up to draw a test against the All Blacks, the usual guns will swing towards the New Zealand coaches.
In hindsight Jordie Barrett at fullback and Caleb Clarke on the wing might have been a safer choice on a wet and windy day in the capital.
All Blacks coach Ian Foster, flanked by captain Sam Cane and assistant coach John Plumtree during the post-match press conference. Photo / Mark Mitchell
But weirdly there was a lot that was good for the All Blacks. They had the better of the lineouts and scrums, and new captain Sam Cane had a blinder.
The measure of Foster and coaching team will come at Eden Park next Sunday when we'll see what they come up with to deal with the deeply impressive line speed of the Wallabies on defence.
For once a draw didn't feel like kissing your sister
This draw had the most exciting, nerve-wracking, heart-pounding finish to an All Black test since the last-gasp Ryan Crotty try in 2013 in Dublin that involved two minutes of non-stop play, 10 breakdowns, 24 passes, 13 players handling, not one mistake, and got the All Blacks home 24-22.
Ardie Savea and Sam Whitelock hug after the final whistle in the drawn Bledisloe Cup clash in Wellington. Photo / Photosport
If there had been a dramatic try to finish the game in Wellington the excitement would have almost been too much to handle. Instead, the commitment from both teams wasn't matched by cool execution, so it was almost fitting that the test ended with the ultimate anti-climax, when James O'Connor kicked the ball dead.
After 19 years without a win in New Zealand, no wonder the Aussies were happy to settle for a draw.
Bet the farm he'll never, ever do that again...
Rieko Ioane's dive over the line with the ball in one hand has become a trademark - he's scored most of his 24 tries for the All Blacks that way.
It's always been a dangerous way to place the ball but until extra time in the first half in Wellington, it has never gone wrong.
All Blacks centre Rieko Ioane spilling the ball over the line. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Nobody in the All Black coaching group will need to tell him to change his try-scoring style. He is, as Sir Bryan Williams commented when Ioane first made the All Blacks, from "a great rugby family", where common sense is in good supply.
You can guarantee that the next time Ioane crosses the line the ball will be in both hands when he touches down.
No Hodge magic this time
Three years ago in Brisbane it was raining and the Wallabies were clinging to a two-point lead when Reece Hodge stepped up to slot a 55-metre penalty and give Australia a 23-18 win.
On Sunday in Sky Stadium, the same bloke was lining up from 56 metres, a minute into injury time, to win it for the Wallabies again.
Reece Hodge hit the upright with a penalty attempt that would have won it for the Wallabies. Photo / Photosport
The look on his face when the ball hit an upright and bounced away was interesting. There was certainly disappointment, but reasonably enough, for a man who it is reputed once kicked a 70-metre goal in club rugby, I swear that was also a hint of surprise.
Thank God, Gardner's an Aussie
Given that Covid-19 has made having neutral referees an impossibility, the awkward moment when it became clear from replays that Ioane had stepped on the touchline before Jordie Barrett carried on for his try in the eighth minute, would have been a lot more awkward if the man with the touch flag hadn't been Sydney's Angus Gardner.
If a Kiwi had missed the moment no apologies would have ever done the job.
Suddenly, four Bledisloe tests don't seem too many
Given that arrogance has been a buzzword around Kiwi rugby in recent weeks, let me phrase this very carefully.
If the Wallabies had been towelled in Wellington, how much interest would there have been in the tests coming up at Eden Park, and in Australia?
Right now the test in Auckland has everything going for it, and, if the weather's kind, a sell-out and a game for the ages could be on the cards.
