[ad_1]
OPINION: A drop goal was good enough to win a Rugby World Cup for England and South Africa, but why not a wet and windy Bledisloe Cup event in Wellington?
The All Blacks and Wallabies contested more than six minutes of overtime after Reece Hodge hit the post with a long-range penalty in the 83rd minute.
Australia had the first chance after All Blacks winger Caleb Clarke failed to recover the ball after it bounced off the post and fell into the arms of the Australian attackers.
Hagen Hopkins / Getty Images
Richie Mo’unga was never really in a position to kick a game-winning drop goal for the All Blacks.
It was the first sequence of phases in a dramatic but bewildering finale in which neither team attempted a drop goal to win the match and Sunday’s thrilling test ended 16-16 in the 89th minute.
READ MORE:
* All Blacks vs Australia: ‘Dingo Dave’ Rennie regrets no drop goal, proud of his Wallabies
* All Blacks coach defends Rieko Ioane after star’s error on the test line proved costly
* All Blacks vs Australia player rating: Sam Cane stands up but others fight
* All Blacks vs Australia: Bledisloe fighters achieve a thrilling draw in wet Wellington
* All Blacks vs Australia: ‘Feels like a defeat’ as hosts take Bledisloe Cup draw hard
Imagine, it’s the 2023 World Cup final in Paris, the All Blacks are tied with England or South Africa in overtime, they’re attacking at 22, a sweet drop goal from their fourth World Cup win, and lose. the ball. for the try, the opposition goes down the other end, kicks a drop goal and lifts the Webb Ellis Cup instead.
Jonny Wilkinson’s drop goal in extra time led England to World Cup glory by defeating Australia 20-17 in the 2003 final in Sydney.
Hagen Hopkins / Getty Images
Jordie Barrett doesn’t either.
Joel Stransky did the same for South Africa to beat the All Blacks 15-12 in the 1995 final in Johannesburg.
Wait naysayers, are you suggesting that it’s better to lose a World Cup final by pushing for a try rather than kicking a drop goal to win a match? Is it better to lose the World Cup than to win it?
It’s up to you.
Dan Carter scored a crucial drop goal for the All Blacks at the end of a 34-17 win against Australia in the 2015 World Cup final in London.
fake images
England coach Clive Woodward celebrates with Jonny Wilkinson after England’s victory in the Rugby World Cup in 2003.
The reluctance on both sides to attempt a drop goal on Sunday was staggering.
The best candidates to land one for the All Blacks, in the absence of star playmaker Beauden Barrett, were Richie Mo’unga and Jordie Barrett. They finished the game in the first five eighths and the fullback respectively.
However, they both spent more time involved in rucks when the All Blacks were under the posts, a prime position for one of them, with excellent kicking skills, to kick alongside them to victory with a drop goal from 20 meters.
Laurence Griffiths / Getty Images
Dan Carter’s drop goal at the end of the 2015 Rugby World Cup gave the All Blacks a 24-17 lead in the second half.
Any international playmaker should be able to kick a drop goal while sleeping from that distance.
It ran through Mo’unga’s mind because he seemed to be drifting towards the spot to kick one, but he decided to get involved in the play before the All Blacks gave up possession and the test ended.
All Blacks coach Ian Foster said they were “well prepared for a drop goal” and defended their decision making because there was an opportunity for a try on the right wing in the last minute.
“I think you’ll see that Richie was floating in that position, but Jordie called the ball and it was actually a pretty solid decision,” Foster said.
“Jordie didn’t have a mark on his side, but again it’s a skill run and we couldn’t get the ball where it needed to be.”
There is less risk in kicking a drop goal so close to the goalposts, especially in rainy conditions, than waiting for a lucky shot with a penalty and keeping a slippery ball alive in such a frenetic finish.
Phil Walter / Getty Images
Wallabies’ first five-eighths James O’Connor also didn’t position themselves for a drop goal.
In fact, a flagrant lack of composure and a poor pass from Hoskins Sotutu, who was acting as a runner after TJ Perenara’s plunge down the line, closed out the final attack.
Otherwise, Sotutu was brilliant in his test debut, but his pass found Barrett’s feet and Australia opted to settle for a draw after regaining possession on their own lane.
The Wallabies were also guilty of wasting their best shot at a drop goal, and coach Dave Rennie lamented their lack of communication.
“We practice it [a drop goal] during the week. James O’Connor reached back into his pocket, not sure what happened there around the communication, but we ended up opening up and flipping it. A missed opportunity, obviously, ”Rennie said.
Mark Kolbe / Getty Images
Nathan Cleary’s late-knockdown goal ensured the Panthers beat the Roosters 29-28 on October 2 in the first week of the NRL Finals.
The NRL finals have been outstanding over the past two weekends. Rugby league has no aversion to dropping goals at all, even if they are worth just one point compared to three in rugby.
Panthers star Nathan Cleary’s late-knockdown goal ensured that junior premiers Penrith edged out 2019 champions the Sydney Roosters 29-28 on October 2 to earn the hosting rights for a qualifying for the grand final against the South Sydney Rabbitohs this Friday.
Expect more goals in both qualifiers and the grand finale because they are considered vital in the league to settle tight matches, whether the scores are tied or a team wants to kick another lone point to leave the opposition needing more than a convert. try to avoid defeat.
That begs the question: why the heck were the All Blacks and Wallabies so hesitant to kick a drop goal to win a test match?
