Bledisloe Cup rugby 2020: what the Wallaby icon considered after the Bledisloe explosion of the All Blacks

A former Wallaby has declared himself “delighted” with aspects of the Bledisloe Cup record loss in Sydney.

Rod Kafer, long considered one of the key thinkers in Australian rugby, wants the Wallabies to only choose players under the age of 24, in the style of the development system adopted by France.

And Kafer doesn’t back down after the 43-5 humiliation, saying from the comment box: “I’m quite happy not with the loss, but with the opportunity to give these young players a chance. It’s critical.”

“The first thing about young teams is that you have to give them time and I am delighted to see that the selectors have decided to give these players a chance,” said the former Wallaby and Brumbies player.

“You have to start somewhere, we’ve all been there, the youngsters in rugby matches that are too big for you, and you learn a lot.

“We have to put them in, you have to give them a chance, you have to let them lose, they have to learn, because we know they will improve.”

Kafer believed that Wallaby youth need to “understand what it’s like to lose when possession is not appreciated.”

“Test matches are not won with fast passes and blows out of contact, they are won with pressure, momentum, consistency, they will learn in time.”

Rugby.com.au reported that two-time World Cup winner Phil Kearns was not “delighted” but said: “No, this is not the time to panic.

“It’s a real learning time. They will see New Zealand lift this Bledisloe Cup … guys like Harry Wilson and Noah Lolesio and Irae Simone and Jordan Petaia and Filipo Daugunu, they will use it on the track.”

And another Wallaby leader, Matt Giteau, understood the public’s frustration, but tweeted that the current team didn’t deserve the Bledisloe Cup baggage.

“These kids will only grow from this,” he said.