KEY POINTS:
I do not understand what the Australians are up to. The result of their match against a very average Wales doesn't matter as it is one of those meaningless tests we are becoming used to.
But it was one of the few before the World Cup - what
are they doing faffing around with an experimental side? They should be playing their No 1 team or, at least, their No 1 pack.
Instead - and I'm starting at the front row, of course - they go for prop Matt Dunning. This guy is not up to it. He was tossed around like a rag doll against England and he said it was a bad day at the office and he'd learned from it.
Well, he hasn't. I watched the Waratahs and he has deteriorated, if anything.
He'd rate well down the scale of Aussie props. Rodney Blake is injured, Guy Shepherdson and Nic Henderson from the Brumbies are in the "not bad" category; Benn Robinson from the Waratahs looks like he is learning the craft; ditto for Gareth Hardy from the Force. Al Baxter, I have described previously as not being international class and I'd rate Dunning down alongside those two big New Zealand bouncers who played for the Reds this year.
At hooker, Jeremy Paul seems on the outer. He's still the number one for me and Stephen Moore and Adam Freier are nowhere near him.
Then they put Phil Waugh at No 7 - I know he has had little game time through injury - and Wycliff Palu at No 8. Palu is the sort of player great with the ball in hand but who goes missing after 60m, unless they are beating the opposition by plenty. Meanwhile George Smith - Australia's player of the Super 14 - is sitting on the bench.
This Wallaby team was without George Gregan (demoted), Stephen Larkham (injury), Lote Tuqiri (doing sprint training and not making phone calls) and Paul.
Then they make Stirling Mortlock and Waugh co-captains. Words fail me. Captaincy is a one-person job.
There have always been leadership groups in international rugby - just not as publicised as now. This smacks of namby-pamby, politically correct, touchy-feely bullshit.
They wanted to move Gregan sideways (Why? He is still the best halfback in Australia and the best leader) and they looked at Mortlock.
Good player, but injury-prone, they thought. Then - bright idea - let's make Waugh captain. But he's injury-prone too so let's make them both captain - and give Smith the vice-captaincy even though he is sitting on the bench.
Loony, isn't it? There's room to experiment in the backs but the problem is in the forwards. They should be playing their best pack.
Instead they are wondering if they are playing with their team-mates or their soul-mates and, when it comes to captaincy, they are not sure which one is boss.
I know some will say they are just foxing ahead of the World Cup. Foxing? I wonder who they are outwitting. Other than themselves.
