What can we learn from the Australian Wallabies?

I was at Eden Park last weekend to watch the Wallabies take on Ireland at the 2011 Rugby World Cup. Australia was expected to win. Some, certainly the minority, thought it may be a close match but there seemed no doubt that Australia would come out on top.

The crowd was amazing. The atmosphere electric. The Irish support was over-whelming. Outside of Ireland the only place I’ve seen so many Irish is….well, Sydney. While green and gold is usually a positive for the Wallabies, the Irish green outnumbered the gold support by at least 3:1. Regardless, it made for a simmering cauldron with an atmosphere guaranteeing a contest on and off the field.

Quade Cooper, the Wallabies Fly Half, received a resounding ‘boo’ when he ran on. It truly was all-encompassing as the crowd erupted around the stadium. It was an ominous sign. Cooper is often touted for his brilliance but when he has an off day (as he did this night) it pervades the team. He is never isolated from team performance. And, try as they might, the Wallabies didn’t gain possession, rarely looked aggressive in their tackling and, dare I say it, was often standing flat-footed with hands on hips at the back of play.

The Wallabies pack had a 12kg advantage in the scrum, although Ireland contested each and every time, often coming up with the ball.

Many have critiqued the New Zealand referee for the outcome of the game, which, with the benefit of TV commentary, may have appeared to be the case. Sure, it had some consequence on the game but the Wallabies just didn’t play well.

However, it shouldn’t all be left to a poor on-field performance, as the strategy the Wallabies appeared to be trying to play just didn’t work. Kicking short didn’t guarantee Australian possession, our scrummaging left a lot to be desired and we never looked like we wanted it, so momentum didn’t build and it never looked to be our night.

The depth of the team has to be questioned, and without depth, how can we be a Rugby World Cup winning side? Pocock was ruled out late in the afternoon with a back injury and Ioane is recovering from thumb surgery earlier in the week. Surely our bench should have had the strength to cover. And why Drew Mitchell was left on the bench until the last 6 minutes of the game when it was far too late to have an impact on the result is anyone’s guess.

So, on the night, strategy, performance and the team didn’t get it right. It is surely a wake up call for a team which has, in recent weeks, defeated the All Blacks and the Springboks. Did we rest on our laurels? Have we become arrogant rather than confident? Perhaps we didn’t show the respect we should have to a team that boasts two British & Irish Lion’s Captains – O’Driscoll and O’Connell.

Ireland had not beaten Australia in their previous 4 Rugby World Cup battles but clearly, on the day, statistics mean nothing.

The lessons for us?

* Strategy means nothing if it cannot be executed.

* A star performer can get rattled by a less than warm welcome. A hostile environment may mean their true talent and performance ability doesn’t shine through. No matter what the level of talent, the environment needs to be right.

* A succession plan – be it for an immediate project/game or for the long-term success of the business/team – needs to be considered. A team is only as good as its weakest link.* Sometimes big decisions need to be made. Cut your losses. If something isn’t working, make changes early enough that it can have a positive outcome on the end result.

And, for the Wallabies, lets hope there is redemption tonight as we face the USA in Wellington.