Phibbs? Afeaki? Playford? Never heard of ‘em.

 
Andrew Logan Columnist

By , 4 Mar 2008 Andrew Logan is a Roar Expert

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Brumbies’ Patrick Phibbs gets the ball away - AAP Image/Mark Graham
If there is one thing that has characterised Australian rugby in recent times, it is a reluctance to take a punt on young players.

At the same time, Wallabies with questionable form have regularly been allowed to work their way through slumps.

And the message was clearly given to young players that it might actually be harder to get out of the side than it would be to get in to. The disease was not limited to the national team. The provincial sides, too, retained players who simply didn’t measure up week after week and the practice was excused by the general agreement in all camps that there wasn’t the depth in Australian rugby to do otherwise.

On Saturday, for one night at least, this “lack of depth” argument has been exposed as a sham. Perhaps, rather than a lack of depth, one might argue a “lack of courage” on the part of selectors, and a simple “lack of opportunity” from the players point of view.

During the Brumbies versus Reds game in Canberra there were at least 3 rookies and second stringers who stepped up to the mark with such force that they won decisive one-on-one victories over players who have been in the Super 14 and Wallaby line-ups for years.

The most forceful personality on show for the Brumbies was Patrick Phibbs, an abrasive and aggressive halfback who has spent the past three years gathering splinters for 65 minutes under George Gregan and looked set to be doing the same as the understudy to Josh Holmes.

Phibbs signalled his intentions in the first minute of the game with a crushing tackle on a Reds player out in the centres. For those who thought it may have been a flash in the pan, he continued to dish out the punishment all game long, at one point driving Leroy Houston back over his own line to force a 5 metre scrum and also smashing Digby Ioane over the sideline with a rattling hit reminiscent of the great Hillbilly Jim in the now defunct WWF.

It would be easy to write Phibbs off as being just a defensive halfback, but in between the physical hammerings, he also passed accurately and cajoled his forwards into a comprehensive victory upfront.

Spectators watching on TV could have been excused for wondering why Phibbs was for so long a forgotten man when he is capable of such a dominant performance.

If the “forgotten” Phibbs was dominant around the scrumbase, then it was a complete nobody who got the best of the centre battle over 20 Test Wallaby Morgan Turinui.

Sanulio Afeaki, Leo to his mates, cruised out onto the Canberra Stadium turf like he owned the place, and proceeded to show the Brumbies that while they might be missing the best outside centre in world rugby in Stirling Mortlock, they still have a sharp runner and bone-crushing defender in Afeaki.

Afeaki warmed up by making several strong tackles and clean outs, then ran an excellent line onto a wayward ball and stormed 40 odd metres before being pulled down just a few metres out.

Not content with that effort, he later rushed up out of the line, with the Reds on attack, and smashed Reds captain and Wallaby number 8 John Roe in a legitimate tackle, which caused Roe to spill the ball and swung the momentum back to the ACT. Former Wallaby centre Morgan Turinui was obviously watching, because a little while later, he took the ball from a Reds backline move, saw Afeaki coming his way and propped to avoid the looming hit, throwing a forward pass in the process.

Still later, with the Reds threatening, Afeaki grassed Chris Latham in a smothering tackle near the touchline to douse a Reds attack. This is no mean feat from a rookie, with Latham probably being the hardest Australian player to put to ground outside of Stirling Mortlock.

The shine on Latham’s brave effort for the Reds was unfortunately further dulled by a scintillating try from another Brumbies “nobody” – Peter Playford. Those acquainted with the Sydney competition will remember Playford as a Sydney University winger who spent 2006 with the Tasman Makos in the New Zealand NPC, scoring 6 tries in 8 games.

In the previous season, Playford scored a Sydney record 29 tries in a season with University. So he knows his way to the tryline.

Certainly against the Reds, Playford once again showed his nose for the chalk, running some outstanding lines before a big step took him over for the second last try of the game. In the process, he produced an epic palm to the tireless Latham, who pulled him down but didn’t secure him. Playford was straight to his feet and over for the try.

This was on top of his first half effort, where he avoided the defence to put Gerrard over with a brilliant floating inside ball. Although, when he threw the pass, he had Roe beaten in cover and could have scored himself. All this from a reserve who only made the field as a replacement after Julian Huxley was injured.

Admittedly, the Reds lacked application and attitude. They were poor in many facets of the game, and of course the New Zealand sides will test this young Brumbies outfit. But the willingness of the young men to run and tackle with exuberance, enthusiasm and aggression when given their opportunity was a heartening sight for Australian rugby fans.

Perhaps also there is a lesson here for all of us on building depth. If someone isn’t performing, then rather than be allowed to work their way through a slump, they should be dropped, and a young player given a go.

Anyone down at the Brumbies will tell you that this isn’t such a bad strategy.

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