Wallabies need a midfield strategist
Roar Guru
By LeftArmSpinner, 23 Nov 2009 LeftArmSpinner is a Roar Guru
- Tagged:
- Matt Giteau, Rugby Union, Scotland, wallabies
The Wallabies lost to a courageous Scottish team by 9-8 yesterday morning in a wet and windy Edinburgh. This loss ended the Wallabies previous sixteen game winning streak against the Scots.
It should not be the catalyst for wholesale changes to the current Wallabies starting team and bench.
The Wallabies dominated possession, the breakdown and were strong in the set pieces for the first 25 minutes. They varied their play and restricted the amount of kicking.
The Scottish defence was outstanding throughout the game and in particular during this first 25 minutes when the Wallabies were in full flight. There is no better example than the scrambling defence that somehow stopped Stephen Moore from scoring when he had the try line at his mercy.
Eventually, the pressure told and the Wallabies were rewarded a penalty in front of the posts and 20 metres out.
Somehow, Giteau managed to miss the “unmissable” penalty kick, and in doing so, sew the first seeds of doubt in the minds of the young Wallabies team.
Not that any more examples are needed to justify why Matt Giteau is neither a flyhalf, on field leader or strategist, Giteau then made a desperate and unsuccessful attempt at a field goal just before halftime.
A real flyhalf If would have directed the forwards to patiently drive the ball forward until they got to midfield and ten metres out, then fallen back deep into the pocket, and stroked the ball over for the replacement three points.
The second half was a replica of the first, except that the seeds of doubt were growing. The Wallabies, effectively without the experienced midfield leader that Giteau believes himself to be, returned to their bad habits of excessive ill-directed kicking.
On several occasions, the Wallabies got near to or over the try line. The most glaring example was in the 65th minute when Quade Cooper unnecessarily threw a cut out pass to Drew Mitchell rather than put it through the hands for an easy try. Up until this point, Cooper had appeared to be growing into the role of a starting Wallaby. However, he is only 21 years old and the more experienced Mitchell was standing so flat that it made any pass the very difficult.
Robbie Deans has explored the depths of Australian Rugby to select the current Wallabies team. Other than that dirt trackers, there are no other players to call upon.
The Wallabies could have and should have won this game.
Courageous Scottish defence, a rare case of the goal kicking yips by Giteau and some inexperience was the difference.
These differences in the rugby cycle are being resolved. The major issue, that remains unresolved, is the lack of a playmaker together with some visionary on field leadership in the backs. Matt Giteau is neither a flyhalf nor an on field strategist.
In the last few minutes of the game, the Wallabies patiently worked towards the Scottish try line. A mid field general would have stretched the defensive line more to the right so that they would not have to go very wide when they swung back to the left for the try. Because this didn’t happen, Giteau, with his yips, was faced a challenging and very missable conversion to win the game. He duly obliged.
With the calibre of the individual players, and the quantity of possession and field position, he should have been a comfortable Wallaby victory.
Until this is addressed, this Wallabies team will continue to under perform and the viewing public will be subjected to wasteful, frustrating and ineffective kicking and the resultant lack of truly entertaining rugby.
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- Matt Giteau, Rugby Union, Scotland, wallabies
mcxd said | November 23rd 2009 @ 7:04am | Report comment
Leftie, being at the ground and conveniantly (and rather nightmarishly) Gits attempt at the final conversion was directly in front of me. What was going on inside Gits head made that kick difficult not the position or the wind as that had subsided for a while. For an experienced kicker it was a very very simple attempt.
As a young Scottish boy of around 7 years old sitting behind me said to his father “but Dad i could have got that kick”. The sad thing is he was right. But then again, the real issue is what went on before in the previous 80 mins and not that kick.
stillmissit said | November 23rd 2009 @ 7:18am | Report comment
Lefty – good article we will all write and say we agree but nothing happens and has not happened in the forever time since Giteau became our 5/8. I thought he might grow into it but no – he just aint got the brains to be a general, he is a storm trooper and should remain one. In fact, I think Giteau is the Ricky Ponting of the rugby world thank god they didn’t give him the captaincy.
Nicol'arse said | November 23rd 2009 @ 9:13am | Report comment
Here here LAS. But while Giteau has proven time and time again ALL season that he is not a good fly-half or backline general… Deans continues to persist with him…. WHY?
Personally, I think Deans was forced to nurse Giteau’s ego longer than he would have liked since Giteau believed his average form during the 3N was mostly the result of Burgess’ inadequate passing. Deans finally got his chance to establish Barnes as the No.10 and backline general (hallelujah)… and then Mr Injury Prone blows his ankle at training…. DOH!!!
Despite his great game for Gloucester, I’m not convinced Cooper is the long term solution at 10 either. He’s got a good pass and can run to the line well… but he’s not a strategic thinker… he’s an instinct player. That’s fine if you play out wide like Latham or Campo and can dazzle your opposite number with some fancy footwork. But in the midfield you need a thinker, planner, director.
That’s essentially why Giteau has failed at 10. He’s a broken field runner (like Cooper) not a director.
So without Barnes you can try to put Cooper at 10 and he might have a good game every so often but in the long run, you’ll get more of the same.
In the absence of Barnes, we don’t have anyone else who fits the bill as long term solution at 10. And to be frank, Barnes is yet to prove himself there too… if he can stay on the field long enough to string a few games together.
I also think Deans needs to shoulder some blame here for strategy (or lack thereof). I don’t recall the Crusaders of the Deans era mindlessly kicking possession away so incessantly??
Nearly every time our backs chance their arm and run with the ball, they look infinitely more dangerous. If we can improve our support play and the ball carriers (like AAC) start shifting the ball once they have made a break… then we might start regaining some confidence.
Save for the appropriate No.10, these guys have enough skill… they are just not utilising it. And for that, I essentially blame Deans. He is not playing the best game for the cattle he has got.
BennO said | November 23rd 2009 @ 10:41am | Report comment
I agree with you completely in your descriptions and analysis of the players.
I don’t think Deans is the problem though. He’s told them from the start to run if possible. Only kick when necessary. Or so I thought. Without Barnes I don’t know what we can do as we have no true strategist and general.
I have been thinking it might be time to get Ben Perkins back as specialist kicking coach, if he’ll come back. Giteau had a great place kicking record when under Perkins. But perhaps shoring up the midfield kicking would help a fair bit.
Diplomatic Immunity said | November 23rd 2009 @ 8:40am | Report comment
Very few of the Aussies players came out of that fiasco with their reputations in tact, Palu, Elsom and AAC. Some of the options chosen were head scratchers to say the least. However in those dying moments when they finally were able to get some phase play going they finally were able to cross the line with the ball pointing downwards instead of upwards. But that pathetic attempt by Giteau pretty much sums up the night. The Fox commentators made an interesting comparison when they recalled other great kicks after the bell to win, Eales, Burke, Mortlock, will Giteau join the ranks they asked……………no. You have got to figure there were at least 8 other blokes in gold scratching their heads and murmuring, we pay this bloke how much??? Giteau has failed to deliver for far too long. The guy obviously has some talent I just cant understand why he chooses not to use it. LAS you are on the money, Gits has may talents, but he definitely is neither a play maker nor strategist that is required in the 10 jersey.
LeftArmSpinner said | November 23rd 2009 @ 9:16am | Report comment
gentlemen, I can even forgive the missed goals. as a g kciker, you hope firstly that youi dont miss any, then that you dont miss easy ones then that you dont miss several in one game and finally that you dont msis them in a close low scoring game. bingo. Giteau got ‘em all.
But it is about organising the plays, reading the defence. The strategist would have moved the breakdown further to the right and then executed left to cross the line nearer to the posts. you dont start at the posts or even to the left of them and then go left.
SMI and DI, spot on. The fox comparison was a good one and Giteau is clearly not in that class on any front, except remuneration. Cooper (despite his name being like the rubbish beer) is developing and learning to take the line on Benji lijke with footwork. Cooper’s pass was over guilded but he is still a baby. Mitchell was out of position and for a supposedly experienced player on his last chance of many, he should have known better.
But DI, i thought that most of the others did well. The front row did well including the benchies, the back row, particularly Palu was strong, Hynes tackle was a beauty but will see him out of the Wingers club if he continues with such ferocity. The Locks are not are first choice anyway and held their own in the line out and bolstered the scrum but failed to carry the ball well.
AAC was great. give me 22 of his ilk.
Burgess showed that he can bring something to the table late in the when he attacks the line and his pass was okay. (they say, Bob Dywer that is, that the catcher is the cause of most poor passes: NB Cooper to Mitchell and Burgess to Giteau)
formeropenside said | November 23rd 2009 @ 9:26am | Report comment
Nice to see someone else note that Mitchell was standing way too flat – to put the pass in front of the man, Cooper had to throw it forward. A flat pass would have had Mitchell standing still to take it.
Regardless, the pass probably should have gone to Cross.
Justin said | November 23rd 2009 @ 9:45am | Report comment
Genia has no problem finding his targets, Burgess does and shouldn’t have been touring. Valentine is far superior in his core skill…
Spook said | November 23rd 2009 @ 9:59am | Report comment
Burgess was awful when he came on. LAS is talking nonsense.
Whaler said | November 23rd 2009 @ 10:44am | Report comment
To be fair, both halves dropped the ball cold on a couple of occaisions……and both threw a couple of ordinary passes …..
Worlds Biggest said | November 23rd 2009 @ 12:44pm | Report comment
Giteau doesn’t have the bottle when it really matters. When was the last time he won the Wallabies a game against quality opposition. He couldn’t even win the game against second tier opposition. He has been MIA all season and his nomination for the IRB player of the year is an embarrasment. Surely the most over rated player in the game.
formeropenside said | November 23rd 2009 @ 2:03pm | Report comment
Maybe Giteau should have been made into a halfback back in 2005-2006, and made that his permanent position. With hindsight, that might have been the best outcome all around (save that Genia is really looking the goods at present).
Brett McKay said | November 23rd 2009 @ 2:51pm | Report comment
Great stuff LAS, as per usual. I’m now at the point where I think we might as well try Cooper at 10 against Wales, simply for the fact that doing nothing is probably worse than doing something with risk attached. And playing Cooper would be less risk that say, handing Toomua a debut. And while we’re at it, we might as well see how someone like Dave Dennis goes at Lock, becuase the Horwill-Chisholm combination surely cannot continue.
And then there’s fitness – will Ioane, Palue, Robinson and Genia be fit?
Is the Cardiff game tomorrow night or Wed night? Could we find a smokey in there somewhere??
AngryAnt said | November 23rd 2009 @ 3:07pm | Report comment
Dennis for Chislom. Cooper to 10 and O’Connor to 12. Still gives left right kickers and two play makers. Surely they can’t do any worse. Mitchell has always been the same mixes some good with some terrible. There are better options. Hell play Giteau on the wing if need be.