Game Cannot Afford to Lose McKenzie
from Game cannot afford to lose McKenzie - rugbyheaven.com.au
Game cannot afford to lose McKenzie
Greg Growden | March 31, 2008
At last Wednesday's training session, Ewen McKenzie and David Brockhoff - two of the longest coaching survivors in Waratahland - were deep in conversation on the Sydney Football Stadium sideline.
Brockhoff, the former NSW and Wallabies coach, is a regular visitor at state training. Such is his enthusiasm for the Waratahs that, almost without fail, he is at the airport to farewell them on Super 14 away trips and is there to welcome them back.
Brockhoff was talking to McKenzie about team tactics. But he could have easily given the man under siege the age-old advice that nothing changes and a coach is always being circled by sharks.
When Australia coach, there were times Brockhoff was gagged by other members of team management who thought him too unpredictable. Other times, after Test matches had degenerated into brawls, including one bloodbath at Ballymore, notes from Australian Rugby Union heavies were sent from the grandstand demanding Brockhoff "call the dogs off". The reply from the players was: "Brock, it's a tea party out here."
Brock knows all about official intervention. And he knows that what McKenzie is experiencing is no tea party, with three sugars, please.
McKenzie hasn't been gagged. And, as far as we know, he hasn't been receiving scribbled notes from the blazer brigade during games. The official intervention has taken the form of a constant whispering campaign. It has had the same destabilising effect.
It seems that no matter what he does during the second half of the Super 14 he will be replaced, most probably by his assistant, Todd Louden. According to those whispering away, not even a semi-final spot will save McKenzie.
Admittedly, during the past season-and-a-half, those who want to get rid of McKenzie have been able to find some solid reasons. The team is not providing value for money, especially as punters at the SFS are slugged more than $50 to watch an attack that has lost the ability to score tries and moves like a bunch of disoriented crabs. Anyone sitting behind the goalposts will tell you that virtually the first step of any member of the Waratahs back line will be a crossfield one. They drift to the extent they almost run into each other. They lack the verve of other Australian and overseas provinces. They have been labelled with that horrible "boring" tag.
The team's inability to think on its feet is also a concern, as is the general skill level. The sentiments of Louden, who said in February that on joining the Waratahs from the Bulls he was astounded by the team's woeful basic skills, still hold true.
"The standard of left-to-right passes … it's just shocking. It's pretty alarming," Louden said at the time. Seven weeks on, the problem remains.
But what cannot be criticised is McKenzie's reaction to the endless criticism. The real test of character comes when someone is placed under pressure, and certainly McKenzie's many fine attributes have been on show the past few weeks when the knives have been swishing.
Many coaches would have thrown public tantrums and attempted to put the blame on the media. They might have given curt answers to tricky questions. McKenzie has not followed that course.
Instead, under enormous stress, he has remained level-headed, even found humour in the situation, and has kept his decorum. He has performed exactly as a responsible leader should. Many other coaches could learn from his example.
No matter what happens in the second half of the Super 14, one can only hope that Australian rugby does not completely discard him.
If McKenzie wants a break from coaching - and you couldn't blame him after the past few weeks - his attributes would fit perfectly into certain areas of rugby administration. He has good man-management skills, knows how to mediate, is knowledgeable on many subjects away from rugby, and comes up with constructive ideas. It is hard not to like the big Link. If he is forced elsewhere, it would be a serious loss.
