FIVE REASONS WHY THE WALLABIES ARE UNDER SO MUCH PRESSURE
* Stuttering attack
It’s pretty simple – you can’t win a game of rugby unless you score enough points, and the Wallabies just can’t seem to put it together in attack this year. They averaged 31.14 points per game in 2017, but can now only muster 16.75, and have tallied just 10 tries so far in five Rugby Championship Tests. They’re making line breaks and enjoying good field position but need to rediscover their killer instinct.
* Lousy lineout
Australia’s success rate from lineouts is a record-low 79 per cent – down 11 per cent from last season. They have coughed up possession from their own throws on 22 separate occasions. That’s just too many let-offs for the opposition defence. The absence of a reliable thrower after Stephen Moore’s retirement is proving a major issue.
* Sloppy execution
When the Wallabies do have the pill, there’s other problems. Their worst performances, like the insipid defeat to Argentina on the Gold Coast, have been characterised by horrendous errors – dropped balls, misdirected passes, even the odd falcon to the face. Not to mention Israel Folau’s maddening decision not to dish off to an unmarked Bernard Foley in the dying moments of that match. These blokes have talent and smarts but it doesn’t always show.
* Inconsistent defence
Only twice this year have the Wallabies restricted their opponents to less than 20 points. On both occasions, they’ve won. Sometimes Australia’s defence is on – like in Port Elizabeth, when they missed just 11 tackles against the Springboks. Other times – particularly against the All Blacks – they fall to pieces far too easily. Top teams are always switched on and make their hits count, but Australia’s tackle technique is often flawed and their physicality not always there.
* Time is ticking
It’s less than 12 months until the Wallabies open their World Cup campaign in Japan. Michael Cheika has been in the job for four years. If these problems had surfaced under a new coach at the start of a World Cup cycle, it might be OK. But it’s unacceptable for this team to be so out of sorts, so close to the global showpiece tournament, when they should be starting to peak. Cheika has scant margin for error now – any further slip-ups and he may well find himself out of a job.