After a 26-point loss to a team ranked four places lower than them, Wallaroos fans won’t be convinced their fortunes are changing anytime soon. But nothing lies like statistics. Australia’s performance against Ireland at a windy Kingspan Stadium was their best yet under Jo Yapp. Despite improvements, however, some major flaws prevented them from snatching an away victory. So which pieces are missing in this Wallaroos puzzle?
The first half saw the Wallaroos running into the wind, which exposed a historical weakness of theirs: kicking from hand. While starting fly-half Faitala Moleka impressed with ball in hand – using her speed and effective long passing to move the Wallaroos around the park – her clearing kicks and tactical kicking left much to be desired. Fullback Lori Cramer was likewise unable to find much long-range kicking success. As a result, Australia struggled to ease pressure from their own half, finishing with only three entries into Ireland’s 22 in the first half.
Arabella McKenzie’s kicking was slightly better when she came on in the second half, however, she had the benefit of kicking with the wind. McKenzie has struggled for form at the international level this year, despite being an established club performer for Harlequins and the Waratahs. Her improved showing in the second half of this game could see her return to the starting side, with Moleka shifting to fullback.
The sustained attacking pressure from Ireland in the first half also demonstrated Australia’s biggest improvement: defence.
Cecilia Smith and Siokapesi Palu were the Wallaroos’ best defenders in the midfield, while Georgina Friedrichs and the two wingers scrambled well out wide. However, the floodgates began to open from the 60th minute once Ireland deployed some of their Sevens stars from the bench.
The Wallaroos attack was noticeably sharper than previous Tests this year. Quick passes allowed Australia to get the ball beyond the Irish blitz defence, seeing wingers Maya Stewart and Desiree Miller in space and gaining valuable metres. This especially helped to alleviate their aforementioned kicking issues.
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However, despite effective ruck work from the Wallaroos, scrum-half Natalie Wright often struggled to keep up with the pace of their phase play, allowing the Irish defence to reset at every ruck.
If the Wallaroos had quicker service from the base of the ruck, ball runners such as Tabua Tuinakauvadra, Leilani Nathan and Eva Karpani may have created more line breaks and offloads to Australia’s speedsters out wide. In reality, Australia ended with only two clean breaks through the Irish defence, and just seven offloads to Ireland’s 12.
(Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
Layne Morgan gelled well with McKenzie, and on the rare occasions the Wallaroos had possession in the second half, their attack contained more shape. As Jo Yapp is a former international scrum-half herself, she will have noticed Australia’s improvement with Morgan’s injection. Expect to see her in the No.9 jersey for their next Test.
Another frustrating aspect for the Wallaroos was their second-half lineout. Being only 12 points behind and having the wind advantage, the Wallaroos were given several attacking lineouts In Ireland’s half.
They lost possession on every single throw. This was from a combination of poor throws and sub-par jumps, even though their lineout functioned relatively well in the opening 40 minutes. Jo Yapp will be desperate to fix this before their next Test against Wales.
With only one victory for the Wallaroos under Yapp’s tenure, fans will struggle to be optimistic about their short-term future. However, just like the men’s team, the Wallaroos are in a rebuilding phase.
This match at the very least showcased somewhat of a gameplan for Yapp’s Wallaroos, and with four Tests remaining this year against similar opposition, they have the chance to sharpen their execution.
Imagine, then, if they ended their year strongly against Wales, South Africa and Scotland. Follow that with the return of players like Piper Duck and Carys Dallinger next season, as well as a handful of Sevens stars for the Rugby World Cup in England.
With all of that in mind, I would say there is plenty for Wallaroos fans to be optimistic about.
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