Wallabies legends ‘surprised’ by Sir Clive Woodward’s ‘losing mentality’ claim as Michael Hooper claps back at lack of Lions ruthlessness
Wallabies captain Harry Wilson kicks the ball out during the first Test against the British and Irish Lions and an inset of Sir Clive Woodward.
Wallabies legend Michael Hooper and Matt Burke have hit back at ex-British and Irish Lions boss Sir Clive Woodward after he slammed Australia’s ‘losing mentality’.
Replacement scrum-half Tate McDermott crossed for a try with a few minutes left on the clock during the opening Test match, a score that ultimately put the hosts eight points adrift in the final knockings of the game.
The Lions kicked long from the ensuing restart, forcing the Wallabies to attack from deep if they were to complete the most unlikely of comebacks, needing two scores in a minute.
The hosts attempted to attack from deep but a misplaced pass from Fraser McReight gave the Lions one more shot at adding to the scoreboard with an attacking lineout, with the ball crossing the line just before the clock went into the red.
Looking to put the final nail in the coffin, the Lions looked as if they would form another driving maul from the set-piece, but Wallabies lock Nick Frost had other ideas as he pinched Ronan Kelleher’s throw that was intended for Maro Itoje.
From the steal, fly-half Ben Donaldson attempted to launch another attack from deep before offloading to Wallabies captain Harry Wilson, who decided that enough was enough and booted the ball over the dead-ball line to bring the game to an end.
Losing mentality?
The number eight’s decision has come under scrutiny of Woodward, who believes that this is an example of the Wallabies’ ‘losing mentality’ as he believes the hosts should have attempted to get another try before the end of the match, even though it wouldn’t secure a win for Joe Schmidt’s men.
“It was not what a Lions series should all be about. What summed up the game for me was that with the clock in the red and with the Lions winning 27-19, the Australian captain, Harry Wilson, kicked the ball out to end the game,” he wrote in his SportsMail column.
“Talk about a losing mentality. For me, it is the last play of the game, so why not have a mentality to try and score, as this could be the situation in seven days’ time, only closer?
“Why not rehearse this scenario? Why would any player, especially the captain, want to end the game? That in so many ways reflects the current state of Australian rugby, which is clearly not in a great position.”
Hooper and Burke have since clapped back at Woodward’s remarks, stating that it was a ‘mature decision’ from Wilson with the result already sewn up.
“This kick is a mature decision because he goes ‘We have got two games still in the series, there is nothing we can do here, the game is dead’,” Hooper said on Stan Sports’ Between Two Posts podcast.
“I’m surprised by the comments of Clive, a great coach, what more could be done?”
Commentator and show host Sean Maloney added: “They’re down by eight, they can’t win the game. They’ve won the turnover one metre from their line. I’m not sure what you’re supposed to do in that situation.”
Burke agreed with the pair, highlighting that the Lions could have turned over the ball and scored themselves, further bloating the final scoreline.
“We’ve said it 100 times, you try go 100 metres and you drop the ball, they toe it through and the opposition score,” he said, Hooper adding: “And they almost did, before the lineout.”
Burke continued: “Exactly… You have got to understand the scenario. So for me, in that last play, do not let them score.
“When they had the lineout, do not let them score. Do everything, bust everything that you don’t let them get a driving maul and just rub salt into the wound. 34-19 sounds incredibly bad, so good the ball, kick it out and start again. Walk off and say, ‘You didn’t breach our line at the end there.’ We won that second half in tough circumstances after coming back.
“I’d say, well done as a captain, that’s what I would have done every day of the week.”
Focus on where the Lions were short
Instead of questioning what the Wallabies should or could have done in the latter stages of the match, Hooper believes that Woodward should be focusing on the Lions, who were not as ruthless against Australia as they have been in their other tour matches.
“I think that’s a good, mature decision from Harry, and we will turn up in the next weeks and win the last two,” he continued.
“Clive should be thinking, why didn’t the Lions put the foot on the throat in the second half? 24-5 in early in the second and for the rest of the tour out here, they have put the foot on the throat for all the Super teams and AUNZ with scores around 50.
“But they didn’t on the weekend. So were aren’t seeing any talks or discussions from him there but that’s surely an interesting line of thought as well.”
Maloney added to that point, saying: “Talk about a losing mentality? Nick Frost has just gone up and in front of Itoje, who is one of the best going around, and plucked it off him to deny them a rolling maul try. Like turn it up.”
Burke concluded: “These players are good enough to go when they need to go, but the Wallabies didn’t need to go on the weekend. It’s not entertainment value at the end there, it’s understanding what your role is.
“You saw him [Wilson] point to Donaldson to put it out, saying ‘We don’t need to try this’. So as Hoops said, it’s a mature decision to put it out.”
