Well the Lions your has ended with the pummelling many fair minded fans expected at some point during this series. This is a time to reflect on the Australian performance and learn from it with an eye on the upcoming Rugby Championship and the next World Cup. Here are the 5 key learnings, for mine, arising from this series:

1. Australia MUST have a better preparation than a 3 week training camp before the first test of a series. Stopping the players from playing for their franchises in the weeks preceding the first test was a mistake with the Wallabies often looking disjointed and unorganised in that first test.

2. Ben Mowan is a future captain of Australia. Has there been a more composed and purposeful start to a career in a Wallabies jumper than that of B Mowan? What a brilliant commencement to a career: was in everything and never took a backward step.

3. James O’Connor is not a test fly half. Yes he set up our only try in the second test and yes he scored in the third test. That does not mean he gets a pass mark for his performance in this series. O’Connor is a centre or a winger and he played like one.

4. Jesse Mogg is Chris Latham reincarnate. Mogg’s long period on the field after Folau’s injury was enough for me to be certain that Mogg’s booming left boot and excellent positional play are a must for future test matches. He must be our fullback.

5. James Horwill is an innovative captain but MUST learn to take the points. All too often this series the Wallabies were in attacking position and without a penetrative attack and yet still Horwill chose to go for tries rather than easy points on offer. This must stop.

I am not going to talk about Cooper or Deans or Beale or the scrum. These are all issues that are obvious. The lessons above transcend those obvious issues.

The Wallabies were competitive but never really threatened. Some dark days are ahead if the Wallabies do not learn from this!

Here is the 30 man squad chosen by Robbie Deans for the upcoming “team planning” session ahead of the Lions Tour:

Mogg, Folau, Ioane, Tomane, Ashley-Cooper, Tapuai, McCabe, Leali’ifano, Barnes, O’Connor, White, Genia, Palu, Auelua, Hooper, Gill, Dennis, Higginbotham, Mowen, Simmons, Horwill, Douglas, Timani, Palmber, Slipper, Alexander, Robinson, Sio, Moore, Polota Nau.

Are you kidding me Robbie Deans? They are the best 30 players in Australia right now? I assume that you must be serious otherwise you would not have selected these 30 players instead of significantly more qualified and in form players.

Some numbers to consider:

10: This is the number Waratahs in this squad. This from a team that has won 3 of 7 games this season with a net points differential of -38 points. Enough said!

7: This is the number of professional rugby union games played by Israel Folau. Somehow he is in the fullback / wing frame for the Wallabies. You can not tell me he is a better player AND is in better form than D Shipperley, M Inman or A Mafi.

25: This is the number of tackle busts for the season from Alfie Mafi. In a team struggling desperately in attack he has just been a standout. For some reason he is outside the top 30 players in the country.

Those numbers aside one of the most glaring travesties in this 30 man squad is the omission of James Hanson. Robbie Deans has gone with his old favourites in Stephen Moore, who has been playing off the bench, and Tatafu Polota Nau who is injured instead of a player in the form of his career who has stepped up to lead the Reds forward pack in the absence of much more storied and injured compatriots. What more did he need to do Mr Deans? Move to NSW seems to be the only thing he has not done!

Back row staples Dennis, Douglas and Timani get their customary call up again without any semblance of form and despite being in a forward pack that has been under-performed, outmuscled and out-enthused for the basically the whole season.

The positives in this team come from the selections of Brumbies Jesse Mogg, Christian Leali’ifano and Ben Mowen who wholeheartedly deserve their selections. However that is where the positives end.

On that note, I have one last number for you: 0. This is the number of test matches Australia will win against the Lions if Deans sticks with his plan of picking out of form players from under performing teams and rookies with little experience in top flight rugby.

The positive in that is the ripping up of Deans’ contract that must necessarily follow such a pasting. The obvious negative is the undervaluing of the Wallabies jersey with the selection of a sub par and out of form team.