The Wardman Wire

Australia has been more thoroughly humiliated on the sports field last weekend than for a long, long, time. Ok - since 2005, when they were booted out of the Rugby World Championship in their own backyard by Jonny Wilkinson.

They showed about as much energy as a team of Koala Bears caught in the midday sun.

Wallabies caught on the Hop

Here is the summary from the Rugby Heaven website:

English send Wallabies home

FOUR years ago it was one drop goal which broke Australian hearts and last night England golden boy Jonny Wilkinson booted four penalty goals to send the Wallabies packing from the World Cup.

While Wallabies winger Lote Tuqiri, who broke his try-scoring drought in the first half, registered the only five-pointer of the first quarter-final, the defending champions punished Australia for an error-riddled game.

And the truth is, England deserved the win and ticket to next week’s semi-final in Paris.

Raking through the pumped-up articles from before the match gives an interesting perspective. Here we have The Australian on October 6th:

Wallabies to lift England burden

THE simple fact is the Wallabies are a better rugby team than England…

There is now just the minor and somewhat inconvenient matter of having to go out tonight in Marseille and prove it.

The poor English, bumblers that they are, have fallen short throughout this tournament on all three criteria: style and humour and most definitely good intent.

The poor Australians - self declared non-chokers that they are - fell short in one key area: the ability to win the match when it mattered.

The Wallabies would gladly take the Webb Ellis Cup off their hands. In truth, it belongs to them, but, good sports that they are, they’ve been willing to share it over the years and didn’t even demand first go.

That’s how New Zealand happened to come by it in 1987, but then in 1991 it was returned to Australia, who allowed South Africa to hold it for a while, took it back again in 1999 before, charitably, giving England a feel. Now, as John Eales points out, it’s Australia’s turn again.

Will success become a folk memory?

A generation in top level Rugby Union is barely 10 years? How long before the world cup will be a “beyond living memory” experience for the Wallabies? 2011 could be the year.

The old stagers will be there … “I can remember when we held that trophy” … but will the young Wallabies of the future believe that it was possible?

After the fact, Australian Coach John Connolly has no option other than to face reality, as reported by Rugby Heaven last week:

Shellshocked Australia coach John Connolly admitted the Wallabies had left their worst performance until last as they crashed out of the World Cup at the hands of England on Saturday.

The Wallaby players slumped to the ground in disbelief after failing to handle the unrelenting England pressure in a tense Stade Velodrome quarter-final.

More acute for the Wallabies was that for the third time in tournament history it was bitter rivals England who who were their World Cup executioner.

Rob Andrew’s drop goal dumped them out in the quarter-finals of the 1995 World Cup in South Africa and Jonny Wilkinson’s drop goal won England the 2003 final in extra time in Sydney.

This time the Australians were rattled by resurgent England, flustered into error and failed to find any attacking flow, despite scoring the only try of the match through winger Lote Tuqiri.

Skippy the Kangeroo. can you hear me?

I’m tempted to paraphrase the famous Norwegian “Maggie Thatcher” commentary

Shane Warne (if you’re not German yet) ? Bob Hawke? Kylie Minogie? Crocodile Dundee? Darren Rouse? Ian Thorpe? Skippy the Kangeroo? … can you hear me?

Quote of the Day

My quote of the day came from the (sports mad apart from football … which is played by “Oiks”) girlfriend, who opines:

“An Australian Rugby player in tears … EXCELLENT !!“

OK. Enough of that. For another few years. Or a least until the Ozzies are dumped on their backsides again.

Tags: wallabies, australia rubgy league, john connolly, edna everage[tags]wallabies, australia rubgy league, john connolly, edna everage[/tags]