A sad year so far for Australian rugby: Comment.
A sad year so far for Australian rugby
14 March 2007, 7:28 pm
By Rollo Manning
"Super 14 2007 has highlighted deficiencies in Australian Rugby that have put the game in its worst light since the dark days of the 1970s." - Rollo Manning reports
Super 14 2007 has highlighted deficiencies in Australian Rugby that have put the game in its worst light since the dark days of the 1970s when it struggled against the raids being made on its players by the professional game of Rugby League.
Many theories are being put forward as to why this is so and they range from the lack of depth in the playing numbers to the inability of coaches to let players use their instinctive flair and play a natural game.
The lack of depth has been highlighted as a result of injuries that have had a big impact on the Waratahs, Brumbies and Reds while the Western Force continues to show a determination that is not matched by players from the other three Aussie teams.
The manner in which Force fans celebrated their first win at home last weekend illustrated the enthusiasm that has spurred the team on and packed the Subiaco Oval for their early home games and before their final seven games of which four are at home. There is every chance they will be the team to crack the final four at the end and what a wonderful example that would be.
At least the Force are using their backline with playmakers like Matt Giteau, Drew Mitchell and the League convert Ryan Cross showing that individual flair does still have a place in modern day rugby. As for Cameron Shepherd at full back, he is making it tough for Chris Latham even if the latter is fit for the Wallabies when Test match time comes around.
Shepherd’s composure in the dying minutes against the Hurricanes was exemplary.
In contrast the statistical analysis and “slide rule” approach by the coaches of the Waratahs and Reds is showing that games are not won by defence. The concentration on kicking for field position and grinding it up through the forwards is not only deadly dull for the fans but neither does it score tries and win games. The Waratahs had 10,000 less people watching the Bulls game last weekend as were there the week before at Aussie Stadium for the draw with the Western Force.
The Brumbies showed glimpses of their previous form and flair against the Stormers and would have revived the hearts of some of their fans that may have started to write them off too. A consistent backline is paying dividends with Adam Ashley-Cooper showing his strength as they started to take the ball at pace during passing rushes. The three tries scored by the Brumbies in one match brought their season tally to seven – this showing how poor they had been in that department.
The Waratahs have not been able to get out of first gear and the backs show a reluctance to even line up in any sort of attacking formation. Rookie five eight Kurtly Beal, at just 18 years of age, should really be playing at Club level to learn more about the culture of the game rather than having been thrust straight from schoolboy football to Super 14 in one step.
The culture of rugby that inspired Wallaby teams of old is born on the passion and the devotion to the game earned though club rugby. If there is one area where Australian rugby is failing it is in the department of passion and commitment. To thrust a teenager into the limelight (and the same goes for Quade Cooper in the Reds) is like giving a child a car to drive before they have a license.
When rugby went professional in 1996 Australia had the luxury of some fine dedicated and brilliant players that carried the team through to the 1999 World Cup Final as winners. The likes of Campese, Eales, Kearns, Wilson and Roff took the Wallabies to the pinnacle. The culture of the team was born back in their days with amateur Club rugby. The new breed of player in the Wallaby jersey is lucky to pull on a Club jersey in an entire season and to take youngsters from school is doing an injustice to those that went before and came up through the ranks.
It may be time for another inquiry like the one back in the early 1970s when the Wallaby win/loss ration fell to 16%. Then it was the raids by rugby league on top Wallaby players – maybe the Wallabies need the reverse and have some astute buying of young league players rather than the $6 million deal with just one player – Lote Tuquiri, who in this scribes opinion would not even be in the team if picked tomorrow.
The depth of player talent is there in Australia. It is just that they are playing the wrong version of rugby – the 13-man one in the Club competition down the road!
The coaches need to allow the attacking flair that predominated with players like Campese in the past and not go down on a fellow for trying some initiative as happened with Sam Norton-Knight for the Waratahs against the Force.
What this year Super 14 is showing is the symptoms of a sick administration and an approach to the game that will not be fixed in the short term. It needs a good mix of experience and business acumen to get it right and the sooner the likes of Rod McQueen or John O’Neill are brought back the better Australian Rugby will be.
Write off 2007 and a year that never happened and start rebuilding in 2008 – the year when Rugby League will be celebrating its Centenary in the country and column inches will be hard to come by at any rate.
