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Mark Ella | March 01, 2008
FORMER Wallabies defence coach John Muggleton made an interesting comment during his unsuccessful candidacy for the Australian head coaching job when he stated that my attacking game in the 1980s would not have been as effective in the professional era.
According to Muggleton, the improvement in defensive patterns would have negated the rehearsed plays I called for the Wallabies.
I have to admit I had a quiet chuckle when I saw Western Force five-eighth Matt Giteau pluck a move out of my old playbook to score a try against the Cheetahs last week.
One of the oldest tricks in the book, the loop, came back into fashion when Giteau ran around his captain Nathan Sharpe from a maul to score the first try for the Force.
It wasn't a fancy move, involving only two players, but doing the basics right is always an advantage if executed correctly.
It was heartening to see such simple rugby of a bygone era come back to have an influence on the modern game. Everything old is new again.
But what was even more pleasing was Giteau's performance at five-eighth, directing the Force around the park.
It is early days, but Giteau's play after two rounds is in stark contrast to his counterparts at the Reds, Waratahs and Brumbies.
Every week Giteau looks more and more like Stephen Larkham's heir apparent in the No10 jersey.
In the past Giteau has shied away from responsibility, but now he seems to be embracing it.
This is not intended to be a criticism of Kurtley Beale, Berrick Barnes or Christian Lealiifano, but Giteau is the best option at five-eighth by a country mile.
The other three are talented players, but they have a lot to learn, particularly in controlling the flow of the game.
Barnes has the greatest expectation on his shoulders this year after a reasonable performance in last year's World Cup in France.
Filling in for the injured Larkham, Barnes rose to the occasion against Wales in Cardiff to ensure victory for the Wallabies.
Unfortunately, he was over-hyped by the media and his inability to control a game was all too evident when the Wallabies lost to England in the quarter-finals.
You can see the same thing happening at the Reds as they fade in and out of games without a dominant five-eighth directing play.
The Reds played well in patches in their win against the Highlanders in Brisbane but they could not maintain control of the game against the Hurricanes in Wellington, jumping to an early lead before falling away to lose.
There are probably lots of reasons why the Reds fell apart and I am sure their coach Phil Mooney is as worried as Eddie Jones and Jeff Miller were before him, but the Reds, like the Waratahs and Brumbies, need a dominant playmaker.
Barnes must exert his influence more rather than over-relying on the likes of outside centre Morgan Turinui and fullback Chris Latham to direct the attack from wider out. Until Barnes masters this key aspect of fly-half play there will always be a question mark over him.
Much the same can be said of young Brumbies five-eighth Lealiifano, who is attempting to fill the enormous boots of Larkham in Canberra. Lealiifano is on a hiding to nothing until he can give his team greater direction.
Like Beale, he can deliver deft touches with the football and put players into the gap, but he needs to be more consistent.
Lealiifano, has enormous potential but a great deal to learn.
His head-to-head encounter against Barnes tonight in Canberra when the Reds meet the Brumbies will be an interesting test for both.
I have already mentioned in previous columns the strengths and weaknesses in Beale's game and how the Waratahs' ultimate success will depend on his ability to control the match. The Waratahs will need to bounce back today against the Highlanders in Dunedin after a disappointing effort against the Chiefs last Saturday and again the focus will be on Beale.
Australian rugby is lucky to have such an array of up-and-coming talent in the five-eighth position after years when it seemed like Larkham was our first and last option.
The new crop of five-eighths have everything to play for and now it is up to them to stand out by leading their teams through a tricky start to the Super 14.
When I was their age and representing NSW, it wasn't easy to assert myself, especially when I was playing with older, more experienced players. But as the chief playmaker, it was important for the team that I showed leadership and responsibility.
And if any of these three rising stars want to challenge Giteau for the Wallabies No10 jersey, then they had better learn to take charge of their team for the entire 80 minutes instead of drifting in and out of games or relying on others to make decisions.
I know it is not easy for a young player to organise a team, but that's the challenge in front of Barnes, Beale and Lealiifano.
Australian rugby will be much the richer if they rise to it.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au...012430,00.html
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