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Beware the Wallabies: Jerome Kaino
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Teams
- Australia
- New Zealand
Also see
- World Cup: One year to go
- Williams to quit Tests after RWC
Australia, not the defending champions, will be the All Black's biggest threat at the World Cup next year according to flank Jerome Kaino.
Kaino, who impressed with his contribution off the bench to help New Zealand beat the Wallabies in Sydney on Saturday, was impressed with the development of the young Wallabies over the last year.
"The Wallabies have young players, keen players who are willing to improve," Kaino told The Australian
"And they are improving. I've seen them grow from 12 months ago.
"Ten or twelve months ago people weren't really thinking much or saying much about this Wallabies team.
"Now a lot of these young players are key figures in the Wallabies team. How much these young players are going to learn from these tough times is going to be huge.
"Look at where we were last year, having a disappointing Tri-Nations, and being humiliated by the Springboks at home.
"I think the Wallabies are in a similar position. Ten straight losses. They will be hurting. The only thing they will be thinking about is how they can improve and win games."
Kaino reckons the Wallabies unpredictability makes them a bigger threat than the Springboks for next year's global showpiece.
"The Springboks, no disrespect, but a lot of the things they do are quite predictable," Kaino said. "So seeing these Wallabies up there poses a new threat, just thinking what they will present in 12 months time at the World Cup.
"In 12 months they will learn a lot from these losses and they will have in the back of their heads what happened."
The All Blacks came back from 22-9 down to beat the Wallabies.
Kaino said All Black captain Richie McCaw's positive attitude in the last 20 minutes was the key to victory.
"There was a decision where Richie decided to kick for the corner instead of kick for penalty goal," he said.
"We felt the Wallabies forwards were starting to tire. We decided to hammer those tight spots.
"There was a message to keep the ball in tight and have some structure to our play. At times we made inroads and we scored a try from a scrum."
Comments
sjambok says...
Nah the Boks will be sorted by next year. A good defensive system in place. A game plan that works (ball in hand, and building pressure with the forwards) and having had time to work the rustiness out of the running rugby (which had not been used in a while). The EOYT will be the ideal place to test the new running rugby style.
The Boks will be a force again next year.
Posted 23:30 29th September 2010
smdc says...
As usual most people seem to be suggesting outcomes for the RWC2011 based upon what is happening now. I'd argue that it doesn't make a difference what happens prior to the RWC. The RWC should be treated as a rugby microcosm and matches in the knock-out phases another microcosm within that.
It is almost impossible to predict with accuracy which team will win a 'one-off' winner takes all match when the margins between the top teams are so small in a sport in which the referee can have such a decisive influence on the game. It only takes one missed forward pass in a quarter-final or a missed scrum infringement that leads to a try in a semi-final to determine (unintentionally) the outcome of the match.
Even those teams in the chasing group (e.g. France, Ireland, Argentina) are not so far behind that in a sudden death match they could beat NZ, OZ or SA. An off-day, dropped passes etc., a couple of injuries, refereeing mistakes, weather conditions, can all have a significant impact upon the result. Therefore nothing really matters other than what happens in an 80 minute period of one day for each of the knock-out matches of the tournament.
While I hope we (NZ) can win, it really depends upon the day. That's why it is futile to talk-up any of the top teams chances. If the RWC was a best of three series or based upon round robin wins (exclusive of knock-out matches) then I'd say they were well ahead and should win it (if it was held now). However, you just don't know what will happen in a knock-out sporting contest in which the teams are close. And who knows what a another 12 months of rugby will hold. We'll see in about a year's time.
Posted 08:55 15th September 2010
5Lock4ward says...
@Robo, I agree that the political hand-cuffing of coaches and selectors in SA brought on by the quota system hampers the Boks, which makes them all the more dangerous in that they can still beat anybody on any given day even with it in place. I think this past 3N was a reflection of the error in selecting a first XV based on sentimentality instead of form, b/c in the last quarter of the last few games we saw what they were capable of when the elder statesmen were subbed out.
Posted 20:39 14th September 2010
countryboy says...
Trinats, you asked :Has NZ or SA ever beaten an Australian team in a world cup ?.
Yup, opening game of the 1995 RWC, Australia was fairly comfortably beaten by SA.
Posted 11:41 14th September 2010
Clinton says...
@5Lock4ward - Even though I am a Boks supporter too, I must disagree with you on some points you made. Yes, the Bok pack is ageing. But they are definately not even a bit more tired then the Aussie and All Black players. They all had pretty much the same game time as it stands at the moment. The major difference is age, form and fitness. The Bok pack is becoming more and more unfit because they are tired. And they are tired because they are ageing. Guys like John Smit (of whom I am a very big fan) and Victor Matfield are past their prime time now. It is time for the next generation to take over. The worrying factor is that PDV is not allowing the young players a decent opportunity to settle in the team because he is hoping that somehow, some way the older players will still be able to pull it off. I'm sorry to say that the Boks will not be a major threat in the RWC 2011 if PDV persist with the current team.
Posted 08:25 14th September 2010
Trinats says...
KiwiLad:
I don't underestimate the boks, It's just that they don't travel to well.
As far as histrionics of the rugby world cups, our real nemesis are the Poms.
Has NZ or SA ever beaten an Australian team in a world cup ?.
Thanks Brarugby :)
nikid40: aren't Australia ranked 2nd in the world right now, but then again rankings don't matter !!!
Posted 08:06 14th September 2010
brazilrugger says...
but then again, you would trinats
Posted 06:42 14th September 2010
zenarcher says...
I'm not sure New Zealand is the major threat to Australia... They will probably meet France before the final.
Posted 03:00 14th September 2010
KiwiLad says...
Trinats Underestimate the Boks off at your peril.
As a rugby nation they have had ups and downs in recent years but within their player ranks is a team capable of blowing the current wallabies, and Abs off the park if they were to get it right... PDV in charge however that is unlikely
Posted 22:19 13th September 2010
robo says...
5Lock4ward
Only problem for trhe Boks is that they don't have a coach worth a fig, or a rugby nion that ensures they do, and it seems that politics, not least racism, will ensure that this circumstance continues.
Posted 20:25 13th September 2010
Ryan says...
I would not get too excited guys!!! The Springboksl lost 4 out of 6 games during the Trinations in 2006, then won the World Cup in 2007!!! This year we all saw them loose 5 out of 6 games, but no need to panic. There is really not much in the teams! I would rather perform badly this year. Bismark will be back and I believe he and John Smit will rotate halves. Brussouw will also be back and do be surprised if he joins Smith with Burger at No 8. Bakkies Botha will play for sure. The Beast will play but only as cover for Guthro Steenkamp who is irreplaceable right now! YES the All Blacks are great and the Walabies look improved, but the remember the most experienced side has always won the World Cup. By then they will have combined almost 900 caps. To beat NZ in NZ is very tough, but remember only the Springboks and the French have done this in the last 3 years and I expect the Boks to do this in the Semifinal against NZ next year! If the kiwis prove me wrong, they will have finally got rid of there chokers tag. The All Blacks have been fitter and it does help having smart coaches, which we don't have right now!
Posted 19:23 13th September 2010
leebok says...
NZ will not win the RWC. Boks will beat them in the semi's by way of controlled rugby and probably some controversial incident (Which the Kiwis have got away with so long) and will be an OZ v Bok final, with Oz taking it.. I am s Bok through and through and I admire the way Oz are playing (or trying to play) and as we saw with the 2 Oz v SA games, the only way to beat them is at the same game. NZ cant play teams at their own attacking game, France have proved this in 2 world cups. Without a ref on the side of Richie McCaw they will give away pens.. They will get found out.
Posted 16:43 13th September 2010
nikid40 says...
As soon as Ben Alexander, James Horwill, Dan Vickerman and Wycliff Palu are back the Wallabies will be much, much stronger in the forwards. They will still be the weakest of the three nations however. Although personally, i consider both a correctly selected South Africa and France more dangerous RWC opposition than Aus.
Posted 16:39 13th September 2010
5Lock4ward says...
The only reason the Wallabies are currently more of a threat is because South Africa's aging forwards were tired from a long season. Until some key players return from injury Australia clearly have the weakest pack. However the Boks are missing key forwards through injury and poor selection policy as well such as Brussow and the Beast for example. But don't forget the All Blacks are missing some key forwards such as Ali Williams and Andrew Hore. So injury aside a well rested or better selected Springbok pack makes them more of a threat to the All Blacks than the Wallabies. The Wallabies may have their team of the future with all this young talent but the Boks and AB's have enough current talent to work the youth in with experience on a continuous cycle keeping themselves always dangerous.
Posted 14:05 13th September 2010
Trinats says...
Funny, I see the headline the other way round. New Zealand pose the biggest threat to Australia !!!
Posted 12:04 13th September 2010