• Advertise
  • About us
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Contact us
Saturday, May 21, 2022
Australian Times News
  • News
    • Weather
    • Sport
    • Technology
    • Business & Finance
      • Currency Zone
    • Lotto Results
      • The Lott
      • UK Lottery
      • UK Lotto
      • EuroMillions
  • Lifestyle
    • Horoscopes
    • Health & Wellness
    • Recipes
    • Video
  • Entertainment
  • Travel
  • Expat Life
  • Move to Australia
No Result
View All Result
  • News
    • Weather
    • Sport
    • Technology
    • Business & Finance
      • Currency Zone
    • Lotto Results
      • The Lott
      • UK Lottery
      • UK Lotto
      • EuroMillions
  • Lifestyle
    • Horoscopes
    • Health & Wellness
    • Recipes
    • Video
  • Entertainment
  • Travel
  • Expat Life
  • Move to Australia
No Result
View All Result
Australian Times News
No Result
View All Result
Home Sport

International rugby wrap: Shock loss to Scots ends Wallabies’ year on sour note

Poor discipline once again blights the Wallabies as they finish their autumn tour with a brutal defeat at the hands of a resurgent Scottish side, writes CHARLIE INGLEFIELD.

Charlie Inglefield by Charlie Inglefield
28-11-2017 01:11
in Sport

Wallaby coach Michael Cheika will once again head back for the Australian summer disappointed by the way his team capitulated against the English and now, shockingly, the Scottish.

The red card dished out to Sekope Kepu was the right decision and Cheika can have no complaints about this. What will be of great concern for the Wallabies is the ease at which the Scots broke their defence even with 15 men on the pitch.

The tries to Huw Jones and John Barclay were particularly disappointing from a coaching perspective, with barely a hand offered in defence on either of these two efforts. Call this fatigue and circumstance with the sending-off but 11 tries conceded in two matches must sound alarm bells for Australia as they build for Japan in two years’ time. One can commiserate with Cheika that certain players weren’t available on top of a long season, but 80 points shipped in the last two games is unacceptable.

The positives for the Wallabies were the two Fijian speedsters Marika Koroibete and Samu Kerevi. With a combination of pace and power they caused no end of problems for England and they also had their moments against Scotland. With the return of a fit and fresh Israel Folau next season, Cheika will have confidence that his backline will reinsert their credentials as a major attacking force. Kurtley Beale, who was very quiet on this tour, will be delighted to have Folau back in place.

The northern hemisphere teams more than had their moments against their southern counterparts this autumn and this bodes very well for the World Cup in 2019. For too long we have seen England and more recently Ireland be the lone standard bearers against the might of the southern hemisphere. Not anymore, with Scotland reinstating themselves at the top of the table.

The Scots were terrific against the All Blacks and imperious against the Wallabies. What a breath of fresh air they have given to the international game.

Embed from Getty Images

Gregor Townsend is proving to be a very astute coach. The try to exciting centre, Huw Jones typified what Townsend was like as a player and what he wants to do with the Scottish team. It was a cheeky, brave and an absolutely brilliant piece of execution by Scotland as a weary Wallaby team turned their backs for a couple of seconds.

What Townsend has also done is improve the conditioning and fitness of the Scottish team so that they can compete for the full 80 minutes against the world’s best. Even if the Wallabies had 15 men on the pitch, I don’t think the result would have changed a great deal. They have strength in depth in their backline, highlighted by the absence of their star full back Stuart Hogg, who pulled up lame just before the kick off.

Scotland responded by scoring some glorious tries from all parts of the pitch. Everyone north of the border will be awaiting the England team with relish on the 24th of February in next year’s Six Nations.

With regards to England, they did not quite push on as all England fans were perhaps hoping given the impressive record that Eddie Jones has created since his arrival. They continue to be tough to beat, as illustrated during the Wallaby contest, but they lack star quality to truly put a team away.

Both forwards and backs still lack the ability to offload, a trait which we so often see from the All Blacks, Wallabies and now Scotland. Endeavour and the ‘head down’ approach will get England so far but it won’t be good enough to win in Japan.

Wales can be proud of their exploits against the All Blacks in another cracking autumnal encounter in Cardiff but once again what promised so much for them ultimately came to nothing. They were given a lesson in finishing by the New Zealand wingers, Rieko Ioane and Waisake Naholo. It becomes imperative that Wales beat an inconsistent South African team this coming Saturday to give themselves momentum going into a Six Nations where they have to travel to Twickenham and Croke Park.

Ireland continue to impress at home and are building nicely especially with an influx of young talent coming into their side. They comfortably beat the Springboks and Pumas in the cauldron of Croke Park and now they have to show that they can go to the likes of Twickenham and win away from home.

AlsoRead...

Best Sports to Watch on TV

Best Sports to Watch on TV

13 May 2022
Updated Odds to Win the 2022 NBA Championship

Updated Odds to Win the 2022 NBA Championship

28 April 2022

The losers this autumn have unquestionably been the French. They were the poorer side of a 23-23 draw with the Japanese last week to complete a dreadful November series. National coach Guy Noves must surely be replaced so that a new man can come in for the Six Nations and have two seasons to mould a French team that can be competitive in the World Cup.

It is mind boggling how poor the French have become given the talent they have at their disposal despite the foreign influx of players that continue to dominate the Top 14 competition. Louis Picamoles, Guilhem Guirado and Yoann Huget would get into most teams and the exciting Antoine Dupont at scrum half has all the tools to be a world class operator. France look off the pace in attitude and fitness and changes have to happen if they are to turn it around.

It has been a cracking year of international rugby culminating in a pulsating November between the two hemispheres. With two years to go until the 2019 World Cup in Japan the global game is in fine fettle with a number of teams set fair to challenge the All Blacks dominance.

Tags: Rugby unionWallabies: Australia rugby union
DMCA.com Protection Status

SUBSCRIBE to our NEWSLETTER

[mc4wp_form id=”2384248″]

Don't Miss

Horoscopes: 21 May 2022 – Saturday

by Adamu
21 May 2022
Free Daily Horoscope - Astrology
Horoscopes

Keep your karma positive with these daily free horoscopes!

Read more

Weather Forecast 21 May 2022

by Adamu
21 May 2022
May's Weather Forecast
Australia Weather

Be prepared for any weather with our daily weather forecast for Australia.

Read more

Tom Cruise was honored at the Cannes Film Festival without Kidman

by Shannon Alexander
20 May 2022
Tom Cruise
Lifestyle

Tom Cruise was recently honored at the Cannes Film Festival. Notably though, Nicole Kidman was missing from his video tribute.

Read more

Ed Sheeran announces the birth of his second child

by Shannon Alexander
20 May 2022
Ed Sheeran
Lifestyle

Ed Sheeran and his wife has welcomed another baby girl into the world. The ecstatic parents shared their exciting new...

Read more

Where to vote: Australians can now vote by phone and post

by Shannon Alexander
20 May 2022
Where to vote
News

Australians have been very distressed in knowing where to vote but those who have tested positive for covid can now...

Read more

Harrys House finally dropped and As it Was set the tone for it

by Shannon Alexander
20 May 2022
Harry's House
Lifestyle

Harrys House is one of the most anticipated albums of the year. Apart from Kendrick Lamar’s fifth album, Harry is...

Read more

Rihanna and ASAP Rocky welcome their first child in the world!

by Shannon Alexander
20 May 2022
Rihanna
Lifestyle

Rihanna, the Fenty founder announced her pregnancy in January this year. Sources close to the couple share their baby boy...

Read more
Load More

Copyright © Blue Sky Publications Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
australiantimes.co.uk is a division of Blue Sky Publications Ltd. Reproduction without permission prohibited. DMCA.com Protection Status

  • About us
  • Write for Us
  • Advertise
  • Contact us
  • T&Cs, Privacy and GDPR
No Result
View All Result
  • News
    • Weather
    • Sport
    • Technology
    • Business & Finance
      • Currency Zone
    • Lotto Results
      • The Lott
      • UK Lottery
      • UK Lotto
      • EuroMillions
  • Lifestyle
    • Horoscopes
    • Health & Wellness
    • Recipes
    • Video
  • Entertainment
  • Travel
  • Expat Life
  • Move to Australia

Copyright © Blue Sky Publications Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
australiantimes.co.uk is a division of Blue Sky Publications Ltd. Reproduction without permission prohibited. DMCA.com Protection Status