Under-fire head coach Michael Cheika says he will continue to back his team's defensive structures after the Wallabies' ignominious 54-34 defeat to New Zealand in the Rugby Championship.
In a wretched Wallabies' showing panned by Wallaby great Michael Lynagh as having "non-existent" skills, the Australians leaked eight tries, six in the first half, to go down to the world champions by a record Bledisloe Cup Test score.
It was a point-a-minute first half that killed off the tackle-shy Wallabies and all but ended their meagre hopes of winning back the Bledisloe Cup for the first time since 2003.
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The performance before the smallest crowd (54,846) for a Bledisloe Cup Test at Sydney's Olympic stadium builds more pressure on Cheika following the Wallabies' 16th loss in his 35 Tests as coach.
But Cheika, while critical of his team's tackling - 37 missed tackles in the first half alone - backed his newly-appointed defensive coach Nathan Grey and said the Wallabies' problems stemmed from indecision.
"It's not attitude. It's maybe that little bit of doubt creeps in," Cheika told reporters after Saturday's loss.
"When something goes against you early - and we've been preparing a certain way - if it creeps in, a little bit of doubt, that causes some of the problems."
Asked if he would persist with Grey and his defensive structures, Cheika said: "One hundred per cent ... one hundred per cent."
While the Wallabies removed the threat of a record losing margin of 37 points to the All Blacks with four consolation tries, the reality is that New Zealand led 54-6 with 30 minutes to go before easing off.
"It was pretty plain to see that our defence wasn't good enough, at all," said Cheika.
"The adherence to the way we wanted to defend plus the tackling in itself. It's got to be better. The first part of the game is not the level you can be at in any game, let alone a game against them."
Captain Michael Hooper admitted the Wallabies couldn't live with the pace and accuracy of the New Zealanders in the opening exchanges.
"At 50 points down, we had to believe in ourselves," he said.
"Some guys really stood up to the challenge. But it was a new defensive system and against a quality team we struggled. We'll be looking to rectify that."
The landslide loss could not have come at a worse time for the beleaguered sport of rugby union in Australia.
The Wallabies suffered a shock home loss to Scotland in June and endured a dreadful Super Rugby season where Australian sides lost all 26 of their matches against Kiwi opposition.
A season of problems on and off the pitch culminated with the contentious axing of Perth's Western Force from Super Rugby this month.
The All Blacks will hold on to the trans-Tasman Bledisloe Cup for a 15th straight year if they win again on Saturday in Dunedin where they have only lost once to Australia in 12 encounters.
Defence review at a glance
• Increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 but given “turbulent times it may be necessary to go faster”
• Prioritise a shift towards working with AI and autonomous systems
• Invest in the resilience of military space systems.
• Number of active reserves should be increased by 20%
• More F-35 fighter jets required in the next decade
• New “hybrid Navy” with AUKUS submarines and autonomous vessels
Financial considerations before buying a property
Buyers should try to pay as much in cash as possible for a property, limiting the mortgage value to as little as they can afford. This means they not only pay less in interest but their monthly costs are also reduced. Ideally, the monthly mortgage payment should not exceed 20 per cent of the purchaser’s total household income, says Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching.
“If it’s a rental property, plan for the property to have periods when it does not have a tenant. Ensure you have enough cash set aside to pay the mortgage and other costs during these periods, ideally at least six months,” she says.
Also, shop around for the best mortgage interest rate. Understand the terms and conditions, especially what happens after any introductory periods, Ms Glynn adds.
Using a good mortgage broker is worth the investment to obtain the best rate available for a buyer’s needs and circumstances. A good mortgage broker will help the buyer understand the terms and conditions of the mortgage and make the purchasing process efficient and easier.
RESULTS
6.30pm: Maiden (TB) Dh 82,500 (Dirt) 1.600m
Winner: Miller’s House, Richard Mullen (jockey), Satish Seemar (trainer).
7.05pm: Maiden (TB) Dh 82,500 (D) 2,000m
Winner: Kanood, Adrie de Vries, Fawzi Nass.
7.50pm: Handicap (TB) Dh 82,500 (D) 1,600m
Winner: Gervais, Sandro Paiva, Ali Rashid Al Raihe.
8.15pm: The Garhoud Sprint Listed (TB) Dh 132,500 (D) 1,200m
Winner: Important Mission, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer.
8.50pm: The Entisar Listed (TB) Dh 132,500 (D) 2,000m
Winner: Firnas, Xavier Ziani, Salem bin Ghadayer.
9.25pm: Conditions (TB) Dh 120,000 (D) 1,400m
Winner: Zhou Storm, Connor Beasley, Ali Rashid Al Raihe.
'The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window'
Director:Michael Lehmann
Stars:Kristen Bell
Rating: 1/5
The specs
Price, base / as tested Dh135,000
Engine 1.6L turbo
Gearbox Six speed automatic with manual and sports mode
Power 165hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque 240Nm @ 1,400rpm 0-100kph: 9.2 seconds
Top speed 420 kph (governed)
Fuel economy, combined 35.2L / 100km (est)
How has net migration to UK changed?
The figure was broadly flat immediately before the Covid-19 pandemic, standing at 216,000 in the year to June 2018 and 224,000 in the year to June 2019.
It then dropped to an estimated 111,000 in the year to June 2020 when restrictions introduced during the pandemic limited travel and movement.
The total rose to 254,000 in the year to June 2021, followed by steep jumps to 634,000 in the year to June 2022 and 906,000 in the year to June 2023.
The latest available figure of 728,000 for the 12 months to June 2024 suggests levels are starting to decrease.
