Try-scoring is no longer a dirty word for a Wallabies outfit long starved of “meat” in their forgettable attacking rut.
Back-to-back wins and better defence remains highlighted in bold on the Ewen McKenzie agenda, but for now he’s satisfied one of his vows on taking the national role has come to pass.
In racking up seven tries in Sunday morning’s (AEDT) 50-20 thumping of Italy, Australia have tallied 18 five-pointers from their last four Tests.
That is just as many as the Wallabies scored from the previous 18 internationals as they averaged just one a game in a damaging blow to fan support of the battling code.
As the backline ran riot against Italy, hungry winger Nick Cummins gladly lapped up “two pieces of meat” – as in ‘meat pies’ for tries – and lauded his slick inside men for a free-running spectacle at Stadio Olympico.
Under Robbie Deans in 2012 and in the Lions series loss, Australia were living on rations as they were forced to guts out gritty tight wins through a conservative territorial game and penalty goals.
McKenzie’s first five Tests in charge during the Rugby Championship changed little on the try-scoring front, just one per game, and they went well backwards in defence – conceding an alarming 16.
But the tide has well and truly turned.
Italy are ranked a lowly 12th in the world but they are no pushovers and showed in upset wins over France and Ireland in the Six Nations, plus a spirited 17-11 loss to England, they’re a formidable outfit at home.
With the Wallabies forward pack nullifying the Azzurri’s scrum threat, playmakers Quade Cooper and Matt Toomua combined superbly to unleash the ball-runners Israel Folau and Tevita Kuridrani, while wingers Cummins, Adam Ashley-Cooper and Joe Tomane finished clinically.
Tough all-rounder Toomua, a five-eighth for his entire career, has stepped up to snaffle his chance at No.12 at the expense of Brumbies teammate Christian Leali’ifano and provide a perfect foil for the mercurial Cooper.
“I like having a playmaker in that (inside centre) position,” McKenzie said.
“It suits us and if you look at last night six tries were scored by outside backs.
“That’s one of the things I was talking about right from the start, being a bit more try-scoring (oriented) and scoring more tries.
“We’ve scored 23 tries now (in his nine Tests in charge) … so we’re getting that bit right.
“We’re getting a lot more potent.”
But with Ireland – set to rise to No.5 on the rankings, one spot below Australia – looming in Dublin this weekend, McKenzie is stressing credibility will only come with consistency.
“You have to win two in a row, it sounds a bit meagre but that’s where we’re at. We need to get that consistency.”
