Waratahs: The ‘missing Link’ needs to walk
Roar Pro
By John Fabian, 4 Mar 2008 The Crowd is a Roar Pro
Three matches and three aimless performances. The Waratahs are clearly a team playing not to lose rather than a team playing to win.
They seem over-coached and over managed. They lack any game plan, direction and on field captaincy. Most importantly, they display no willingness to spin the ball wide.
Sure it was a wet night this week, but they still lacked any purpose or game plan.
One would hope that they watched the Brumbies ‘second stringers’ play the game as it should be played – with passion and conviction. More importantly, with inventiveness.
The sooner the Ewen ‘Link’ McKenzie is sent to his true destiny in life as a statistician, the better. He might understand the numbers but he certainly can’t motivate his team, nor provide the culture to create a winning combination.
When will the heads of the NSWRU realise that if they don’t replace him soon, they will be broke with long suffering supporters voting with their feet!
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sheek said | March 4th 2008 @ 6:50am | Report comment
As being a head coach goes, McKenzie made a great Wallaby tight-head.
It’s sad to see, but being a great player doesn’t automatically qualify you as a competent coach. For McKenzie, not at the elite level anyway.
John Fabian, I agree with you. Link might make a great assistant forwards coach, but he’s not a head coach.
Rabbitz said | March 4th 2008 @ 8:17am | Report comment
I think that this quote from Ewan sums it up:
“I am often questioned about our style of play. My answer is to pitch the game for all occasions.”
One game plan for all games, regardless of the opposition or state of the game. Can the players break out and play interesting, expansive rugby? No, of course not. By virtue of it’s need to cover all occasions, it must be a very safe, try not to lose strategy.
Clearly Ewan has no idea about the modern game.
Or maybe, it is the players? Are they just not bright enough or trustworthy enough to implement a Plan B or C? Nah…
See Ya Link, Don’t let the door hit you on the way out….
The Link said | March 4th 2008 @ 10:27am | Report comment
I feel some sense of duty to my namesake, but I doubt anyone in Australian Rugby does not understand that his job is on the line this year. Lets not forget that this is the man that took the Tahs to the finals in 05 / 06, you don’t become a bad coach overnight
Andrew Marks said | March 4th 2008 @ 10:42am | Report comment
I agree with you, John. Link’s one dimensional Rugby League forward style of coaching worked when he had Rogers and Sailor around who could run in traffic and sniff out tries. There were three try scoring opportunities against the Highlanders 1. Beale with an massive overlap in the first minute of the game. 2. The Tuquiri line break late in the first half and 3. Tahu with a massive overlap close to the Highlanders line late in the game. On all occasions the ball was kicked and the opportunity lost. This style of play has obviously been coached into the side.
Flatland Rugby will only drives the fans away.
Darryl said | March 4th 2008 @ 8:53pm | Report comment
I think you’re right Sheek. He’s a great member of a coaching team but not a head coach. He did a fantastic job of rebuilding a NSW culture that was very cynical but doesn’t quite understand the idea of playing within your team. He’s seems to think the Waratah’s can change strategy depending on the team they play. That’s a wonderful luxury if you have a dynamic team with skills to match every strategy – but the tahs don’t. In fact I don’t think any team does.
The Crusaders and Blues play well because they do the basics well (as opposed to the tahs who do not). They have their signature style of play, and modify that style slightly but not by so much that they are out of their confort zone, when the need calls for it.
Link seems to think he’s playing a rugby computer game where he analyses the opposition, identifies the parameters, picks his corresponding players, then presses GO!!
Sorry Ewen, doesn’t work. And you don’t either.
sportym said | March 4th 2008 @ 11:14pm | Report comment
No way!!!
I think he needs to stay! If the tahs get a real coach, that is able to fire up a very nice NSW backline……how are the brumbies every going to beat them this weekend???
For all the cash/support the tahs have, why do they always choose such bad coaches? On paper, the tahs look like a semi final team each year.
And the times they have made the final, they had no game plans for the occasion.
A natural leader will also help on field, though not a tahs fan, I think Rocky should be out for 80minutes and be captain as he leads by example. Phil waughs days are past him, and was never a natural leader, nor had any charimsa, we was just a pitbull chassing a stick all game. Now though the pitbull has got bigger, lost his bite and fails to retrieve the stick like he once did.
matty p said | March 5th 2008 @ 5:27am | Report comment
I thought putting in Lachy Turner at fullback was a good sign… now they just have to get him the ball.
“The Link” – we don’t forget the Tahs being in the final in 05. That’s why it’s time for him to go. He let the team go to pot on his watch – that is the very definition of time for a change, in sport or in business.
haydenl said | March 5th 2008 @ 9:56am | Report comment
Finally Ewen is getting the recognition he deserves. He took the tahs to the finals because of a talent laden team. The lack of direction got shown up with massive losses in the finals to well directed teams.
If his tactics aren’t bad enough then the loss of talented players to other provinces should be a warning sign. Why they offered Sheehan a contract before signing Holmes is astounding.
I just don’t think Link is a smart enough tactician for modern rugby, and unfortunately not many Australian coaches are. The problem will be in finding a good enough replacement for him. What is Scott Johnson up to next year?