Box clever: Wallabies say accuracy and urgency keys to combatting All Blacks’ aerial dominance

Wallabies pivot Ben Donaldson says kicking accuracy will be a priority ahead of the second Bledisloe Cup clash after Australia lost the crucial battle in the air at Eden Park on Saturday.

In his third straight start at No.10 – in a total of six run-on appearances in the key position – Donaldson turned in a solid performance, having a hand in both of the Wallabies’ tries in the opening half.

But those tries weren’t nearly enough to stay in the contest against New Zealand, who dominated most aspects of the game, and particularly the important contest for the high ball.

The Wallabies came into the game aiming to repeat the success they had with contestable kicks against the Springboks in Perth, when Max Jorgensen and Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii won the ball back and helped build momentum in South Africa’s half, which ultimately lead to plenty of points.

But it was a different story in Auckland, with New Zealand gaining the upper hand in the air using the same tactic. Having won the “regained possession” battle 8-3 against the Boks, the All Blacks flipped the script and outpointed the Wallabies in that stat 8-3.

Like them or loathe them, contestable kicks are now a staple of any Test team’s game plan, after World Rugby banned defenders from running interference for catchers in late 2024.

All Blacks coach Dave Rennie said post-game that stats show receiving teams now only successfully catch 25 per cent of box kicks sent their way.

Like other Test teams, the Wallabies tried using a retreating winger to take the catch, instead of the fullback coming forward, but they were hesitant and muddled with the timings. And under the pinpoint box kicks of All Blacks halfback Cam Roigard, the Kiwis made hay by either catching the kick or cleaning up the deflected ball. There were even times when the Wallabies allowed the ball to bounce due to poor communication.

“I thought Cam’s kicking was excellent and allowed us to put a lot of pressure on – we kicked a bit more off nine than we had been,” Rennie said. “As you know, receiving or retrieving those kicks are difficult – I think teams are catching one out of four that are receiving teams – so that’s the nature of the game at the moment.”

Compounding the problem was the fact Australia’s high kicking was also ineffective, and mostly too deep to be genuinely contestable.

“Me and Lonners [halfback Ryan Lonergan] were just having a chat in there [the dressing room], against the Boks our kicking game we thought was quite good,” Donaldson said post-game.

“And then today, you know, might be 10 per cent off, but that adds up in the end. We’ll get another crack next week, which is the great thing about rugby.”

Wallabies coach Les Kiss said a lack of defensive urgency to get back onside after the kick also put pressure on Australia, and they cracked in the second half.

“They were certainly a lot more accurate than our kicks when we put them up, that’s for sure,” Kiss said.

“And it was just in this position where you’re trying to go back or forward to catch the ball, and they had the momentum on it each time. It’s not just the winning of the ball, it’s what happens after that, and I thought a couple of times they were just on the front foot, and we didn’t match that.”

Wallabies captain Harry Wilson was one of the few bright spots at Eden Park, along with a strong defensive lineout. Donaldson’s effort was also encouraging, given No.10 has been such a problematic position. The Force playmaker showed confidence with the boot, and tellingly set up Wilson’s try by taking the ball to the defensive line.

“I am obviously growing in confidence each week,” he said. “The more you play, the more you’re learning out there. I haven’t started a whole lot in this gold jersey.”

Given how often the Wallabies No.10 jumper swaps hands, Donaldson said he tries not to let the precarious nature of the job stop him playing his natural game.

“You never know how many opportunities you’re going to get,” he said. “And you don’t want to mess up that opportunity that you do get. But if you’re thinking about messing it up or failing or whatever, you’re probably already gone.

“Just swing the bat, as they say. Try things. Try to play free. Les has given me full licence just to play from wherever – kick, run, pass. There were some good patches, but for myself and the team, far from our best. It comes down to our skill set in the end. And we’ll be looking to nail that this week.”