Australia's Super 14 teams are keen to entertain but the devil will be in the detail
Australia's Super 14 teams are keen to entertain but the devil will be in the detail
WHEN ARU chief executive John O'Neill revealed this week that Australia's four Super 14 teams had agreed to play attacking rugby this year, my first reaction was "I hope he got that in writing".
Not because I necessarily doubted the teams' commitment to playing attractive, running rugby, but because of the increasing importance of promoting the 15-man game in the professional era, at least in the southern hemisphere.
O'Neill was right when he said rugby was in the entertainment business.
When the game went professional in 1995 it was no longer just a players' game, if indeed it ever was one.
Competition for the entertainment dollar is fierce, particularly in the crowded Australian sporting arena with four major football codes battling each other for television exposure, crowds, sponsorship and athletes.
As rugby has sought to attain a higher profile and earn more money, the spectator has assumed greater importance.
While traditionalists bemoan the commercialisation of the game, the average rugby fan demands a fast, open spectacle with a high degree of skill.
But winning is still the most conventional measure of success, which encourages coaches and players to minimise the risk of defeat by playing safety-first rugby.
The real challenge for 15-man rugby is to show that it is not just entertaining, but conducive to winning.
As entertainers, rugby coaches and players must be like vaudevillians. Variety in attack is the key.
There is a misconception that 15-man rugby is reckless and simply involves spinning the ball wide.
In fact, 15-man rugby requires high levels of skill and discipline. Every player has to be equipped to play a role in attack, defence and support.
There should be no strict adherence to a single tactic or aspect of play.
When Robbie Deans coached the Crusaders they were the most prolific try-scoring team in the competition. They also kicked more than any other side, which seemed to undervalue the importance of ball-handling in their game.
But it showed that attack can derive from any number of strategies and tactics.
What really distinguishes 15-man rugby from the safety-first rugby is well-judged risk-taking, which has not been a feature of Australian play in recent years in Super rugby.
The SANZAR countries (Australia, New Zealand and South Africa) have moved to reward attacking rugby this year by varying the laws at the breakdown.
While rule changes can affect the shape and form of the game, the commitment to playing 15-man rugby is really a matter of will.
I have no doubt Australia's Super 14 teams were sincere when they "signed up" to the agreement to play attacking rugby, but like any contract, the devil will be in the detail.
The Brumbies signalled their intention to play attacking rugby when they appointed Andy Friend last year to bring back the team's traditional, expansive style.
The return of prodigal son Matt Giteau and the acquisition of Wallabies captain Rocky Elsom will enhance the Brumbies' attacking mindset.
But the Friend-coached Brumbies, unlike some Canberra-based teams of the past, will not bash their heads against a brick wall of defence, which means tactical kicking will still have an important place in the gameplan.
The Waratahs, the highest ranked Australian team last year, were heavily criticised for playing boring, negative rugby, but they finished the season with a flourish of attacking football.
The key to the change of tactics was moving five-eighth Kurtley Beale to inside centre, which gave the Waratahs two playmakers and more attacking options.
The arrival of Wallabies inside back Berrick Barnes to direct the Waratahs' attack was a major boost and they have speed out wide in Drew Mitchell, Lachie Turner and Sosene Anesi to finish anything they start.
Barnes' old team, Queensland Reds, was more committed to expansive rugby than any other Australian team in recent years under former coach Phil Mooney, but they were the least successful in terms of results.
It is possible the Reds were caught out trying to copy a style of game they did not really understand.
New Reds coach Ewen McKenzie was known for favouring conservative, percentage style tactics while at the Waratahs. But the Reds don't have the same overall talent as the other sides , tactical nous will be the key to their fate.
John Mitchell has only ever coached one way whether at the All Blacks or the Western Force -- flat-out attack.
Even with the departure of Giteau and Drew Mitchell, the Force will play to the edges of the field yet again.
Former Springbok five-eighth Andre Pretorius will be a steady influence at five-eighth, but young Wallabies utility back James O'Connor will give the Force the necessary verve at inside centre.
So yes, Australia's four Super 14 teams will all set out to play attacking rugby -- to the degree that suits their prospects of winning.
But as O'Neill and other marketers of the game would no doubt argue, winning with panache is a whole lot better than just winning.
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