SOS Mark Gerrard, your country needs you

 

Roar Rookie

By Tim Reardon, 31 Oct 2009 Tim Reardon is a Roar Rookie

Tagged:

 Bledisloe, James O’Connor, Mark Gerrard, Matt Giteau, Rugby Union, Super Rugby, wallabies

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Seven years after Matt Giteau was catapulted into the Wallabies team, he has begun to demonstrate the leadership and skills deserving of the accolades that preceded his first international Test. In between, there have been games that he would like to forget and others that have made him a star.

If this is to serve as a standard for the development of a boy prodigy, then the 2015 World Cup in England will be James O’Connor’s chance to shine.

Between now and then, we, the Wallabies Diaspora, must live in constant fear that an opposing team might kick the ball. When this naturally talented athlete handles the ball, I get that feeling in the pit of my stomach that something exceptional is about to occur and that points will be scored.

And I hope that the law of averages starts to work and that at least some of them will be scored by the Wallabies.

Blooding a teenager in a Bledisloe is a high risk strategy, but it can work.

The best game of rugby David Campese ever played was his first international. For others, including Pat Howard and ZinZan Brooke, their debuts were of a standard that almost ended their careers.

It slipped by the media that the All Blacks fielded a rookie in the last Bledisloe match. Veteran lock, Bryn Evans, was replaced, due to injury, by Tom Donnelly.

Donnelly has served his apprenticeship through ninety games of Super Rugby and debuted just days before his 28th birthday. He played an outstanding game and has won himself another start for the All Blacks.

Whilst many commentators have rued the lack of depth, or talent, in Australian rugby, that has not allowed experienced replacements like Donnelly to be found.

This is simply not correct.

The weakest player on the Australian team that night, James O’Connor, provides a good example.

The form fullback of the 2009 Super 14 season was an Australian. The Brumbies sixth place on the Super 14 ladder in 2009 obscures the mercurial role Mark Gerrard played in keeping them in the hunt for a finals berth.

He made countless try-saving tackles and consistently repelled kicking duels.

He also displays the two assets a forward pack like to see in a fullback: he is consistently in the right spot and consistently chooses the right option.

At 27, he has nine years of Super Rugby behind him and has gained 20 Wallabies caps in recent years.

Most importantly, he is at the peak of his game.

Just a few months ago, the most talented fullback in the Australian stable was told that there was no role for him in the Wallabies squad and he moved to Japan.

Ironically, the Wallabies are now preparing to play their first Bledisloe Test match in Tokyo and they are searching for an in-form, experienced test quality full back.

I hope that late on Saturday night, Robbie Deans will rise from his seat in the coaching box and scream, “where is Mark Gerrard?”