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Otherwise titled: Baxter bemused by NSW props' failure
Rupert Guinness
Saturday, January 13, 2007
WITH a smile of uncertainty and a shrug of his beefy shoulders to match the doubt, Waratahs prop Al Baxter admits he is at a loss to explain why the NSW front row can earn parity - if not superiority - against Super 14 opposition, yet at Test level, against many of the same combinations, Australia have fallen short of expectations.
"If I knew the answer to why, then I would probably be coaching," (or at least still in the squad...) said Baxter, who has paid the price for not knowing since last year's spring tour by being omitted from the Wallabies' World Cup training camp that met last week.
"It's one of those things which is disappointing … during the year we [the NSW front row] do well in the scrums. We did very well last year and the year before it at the Waratah level. Then in the Wallaby level it isn't as successful."
However, Baxter's demise is not his alone. At least he toured with the Wallabies last year, as did the up-and-coming Benn Robinson and rookie Waratahs hooker Tatafu Polota-Nau. And senior hooker Adam Freier, with eight Test caps, is back in favour, recalled to the Wallabies for the recent training camp. But the other NSW front-rower axed from the Wallabies early last year and intent on a return is Matt Dunning, who has 25 Test caps.
NSW coach Ewen McKenzie, a World Cup-winning prop, says it is not easy to answer why his NSW front row can't emulate its Super 14 strength at Test level.
However, he believes opposition Test sides have a greater depth of talent to chose from and can create the type of front row they are looking for.
"'At Test level you get a distilling of talent in all countries. Also, technically, there is always a difference in programs [between the squads]," McKenzie said.
"But we are not physically as well endowed as other countries are, so when they distil theirs down they can have the same physical specimen. South Africa have massive guys. The French have short, strong solid guys. We have a difference of range because we don't have as many players."
The retirement of formidable Wallabies props Patricio Noriega, Ben Darwin and Bill Young also left Australia tapping into a limited, underdeveloped talent pool. "That leaves a hole. There has been some transition in that area," said McKenzie, adding that it has left Australia with no choice but to do the best they can.
"We haven't been a dominant country in that area but we've been serviceable enough to play and we have had strategies around that," McKenzie said. Baxter says Wallabies coach John Connolly told him why he was dropped and what he needs to do to make the World Cup. "He gave a reason why. Whether I agreed with it or not (here's a tip, agree with him you trestle moron!) is a different matter," Baxter said. "I have to prove to him and selectors that I'm the best choice." Good luck!
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Originally Posted by Ewen McKenzie
