They lost again. They improved again. They fired some shots but often into their own feet. They dominated possession but didn’t convert it to points. They created lots of chances but squandered plenty of opportunities. They were mostly brave and occasionally stupid. Again.
Australia’s 41-17 loss to France piles more pressure on a side already labouring under a 0-5 start to the season. But the coach maintains this latest pummelling doesn’t mean much in the grander scheme of the Wallabies’ World Cup campaign starting on 10 September. Defeat, Eddie Jones says, isn’t another nail in the coffin, it’s another rung up the ladder.
“The scoreboard is always important, but we’ve got a greater aim than this game,” Jones said after the defeat. “In terms of what we want to do for the World Cup, we probably did a lot of good things. But we’ve got to get better at converting territory to points and when they get in our territory, stopping them scoring points. We’re not a bad team but we’re not a good team yet.”
Score points, stop points. It sounds so easy. But a young Australian squad featuring 12 players with 10 caps or fewer, failed by both measures against the World Cup hosts at Stade de France. Against France, one of the tournament favourites, that was perhaps expected. Despite the last six Tests between these nations being decided by three points or fewer, most recently a 30-29 thriller in November, noble defeat is becoming a habit for this team.
Despite 61% of the territory, Australia again failed to turn pressure into a payload, ultimately scoring three tries to Les Bleus’ four but, fatally, converting only two of the 12 points offered to them from the kicking tee compared with the 21 banked from 26 by the home side. France led all the way, and a closer game unravelled into a scoreboard chasm.
Carter Gordon was the culprit, the 22-year-old fly half struggling in his fifth Test. But it also exposed Jones, given he left veteran playmaker and dead-eye kicker Quade Cooper at home. Australia may live or die by this selection. The easy points of penalty kicks and conversions buoy a team, exert pressure on rivals and provide a buffer against bad luck or mistakes. “It’s 100% a concern,” Jones said. “But all we can do is work with the young kid. He’ll get better.”
When they’re so young, inexperienced and out-of-sorts, Australia can’t afford to run so lean. The challenge this side faces against their pool group rivals gets bigger by the day. Georgia (who Australia play first) genuinely troubled Scotland on the weekend, Fiji trounced England for the first time on Saturday and Wales are on the rise again.
The Wallabies continue to struggle in key areas. They were torn apart in the outside channels, the poor communication between the new centre pairing of Jordan Petaia and Lalakai Foketi leaking points to the superb French attacking kicking game. Two crucial lineouts were stolen when tries seemed imminent. And with fewer Brumbies in the pack and no Dan McKellar on the coaching staff, the rolling maul has been holstered as a weapon.
The bright spots were an improved scrum marshalled by Angus Bell and Taniela Tupou, who on return from injury mixed sublime with ridiculous, leaking penalties and winning turnovers. Winger Mark Nawaqanitawase was dynamic in the air and on the edges, scoring a fine try fuelled by crisp sleight of hand. And his partner Suliasi Vunivali finally arrived as a Test star.
“We’ve got more players improving than declining,” Jones said. “Suli is one. At Super Rugby level, he couldn’t blow a candle out and at Test level, [Tonight] he scored one good try, could have scored a couple more. He looked like he was ready to play at the highest level.” In the clinches flanker Fraser McReight did predecessor Michael Hooper proud with his work rate.
And although new captain Will Skelton seems yet to find his voice, team unity is building. Jones admired the Wallabies’ grit, despite the hope of victory being snuffed inside an hour. “I liked the way the players kept fighting. I really enjoyed that,” he said. “[France] were red hot in the second half. Every bounce went their way but we kept in there, kept fighting.”
Fight is good, five-zip isn’t. Fans are restless waiting for the “click” Jones promises is coming. “We’d like to have a better win-loss record,” he said. “We’re trying to play a different way and the results haven’t been good enough. But we do have a long term plan for the World Cup and that’s what we’re here for. Within the camp we have a fair bit of confidence.”
Outside the camp? Amid all the hurt of defeat is still hope for a rainbow after the rain.
