By Darren Walton
December 16th 2009 @ 5:46am
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There’s light at end of tunnel for the 2009 Wallabies
A first defeat to lowly Scotland in 27 years, four more losses to New Zealand – making it a sorry seven straight – last place in the Tri Nations, three wins from their past 11 Tests and no Australian franchise in the Super 14 finals.
Yet the Wallabies remain among the favourites to host the 2011 [...]
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Crashy said | December 16th 2009 @ 6:25am | Report comment
would love to share your optimism, I really would but our slump has been going on for a few years now which suggests that there may be some structural issues with development, juniors etc.
I truly believe that by winning the 5th team in Vic, the much extended season for Aus players will actually be the saviour of Australian Rugby.
In previous years, a good Australian bench player ( Rodzilla, Gerard) would often head overseas as they were only playing 1 Super rugby games, a handful of tests and a few club games. Now that the super season will be 6-8 months long, it means that players will be playing topflight footy for most of the year and earning a lot more cashola. The drain to overseas clubs will be much lessened.
I understand that player numbers in WA are really growing year-on-year but they need to start producing their own professional players.
I have no doubt that the Vic production line will be fruitful especially as the Brumbies have been signing the Vics up for years. ( love the Brumbies by the way…)
We just need to survive nesxt year!
Blinky Bill from Bellingen said | December 16th 2009 @ 8:24am | Report comment
“Success should not be judged on results alone.” And on that note I think I’ll take my leave.
Here’s wishing the staff of Roar, contributors and fellow commentators a Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year.
May 2010 be a better year for the Wallabies and their loyal supporters than 2009 has been. If however it does not improve we can always look to find positives even when we don’t win.
Parisien said | December 16th 2009 @ 8:39am | Report comment
“Deans’s priority next season must be plotting Australia’s first win in New Zealand since 2001.”
I agree!
fred said | December 16th 2009 @ 10:09am | Report comment
DEANS handles his losses well,not a grey hair to be seen.
Darwin hammer said | December 16th 2009 @ 8:51am | Report comment
The last thing Australian rugby needs is a puff piece like this – everything that’s bad about australian reporting is in this – the over hyping of players, the classifying who is and will be worldclass in the next 2 seasons … “Classy 21-year-olds Will Genia and David Pocock may well be the world’s premier players in their respective – and key – positions with another 20-odd Tests under their belts by 2011, while 25-year-old loosehead prop Benn Robinson already is” – hogwash ..
“To Australia’s rivals, though, coach Robbie Deans is the envy of the international rugby world.” … really ? – I think every one of the major nations of the rugby (England excepted) are pretty pleased with who they’ve got and haven’t shelled out millions on a clearly floundering coach …
Australia were abject for the major part of the international season – a good result against a poor Welsh outfit doesn’t fix things over night … the “deposit’s in the bank” call is merely yet another excuse for a poor effort
rugbyfuture said | December 16th 2009 @ 12:52pm | Report comment
i agree with your sentiment that we cant allow puff pieces, but genia and pockock aswell as our front rowers really are extremely talented, even the english agreed they were the silver lining of the tour
Jerry said | December 16th 2009 @ 4:29pm | Report comment
I wouldn’t pay much attention to the English press, they put an inordinate amount of emphasis on how players go against England. Genia played one good game against England and they were elevating him to ‘new great’ status.
Justin said | December 16th 2009 @ 4:38pm | Report comment
To be fair Jerry he has played well in just about every game he has played for AUS. The great thing is he does the basics very well unlike Deans former love-child Burgess.
Jerry said | December 16th 2009 @ 4:48pm | Report comment
Oh, I’m impressed with Genia don’t get me wrong. I was just pointing out that citing the English press opinion isn’t actually really something that’s gonna win you arguments.
Justin said | December 16th 2009 @ 4:50pm | Report comment
Yeah fair enough…
JamesB said | December 16th 2009 @ 9:15am | Report comment
Dream on! Mentally they are stuffed against the AB’s. Many of the new players haven’t ever beaten the AB’s. It’s bad enough they have lost 7 in a row, but they can’t win in Auckland. And the Wallabies are drawn to face the French in the RWC2011 semi-final stage. 1987 again?
Cattledog said | December 16th 2009 @ 11:51am | Report comment
In a nutshell, the ABs are the best team in the world between world cups, no doubt. However, their track record in that major event is not great. With the added pressure of being at home…they’ll choke, you can just about bet on it.
Truth is, any one of about 6 teams can win it, if the moons align. Problem is, you can’t have a poor game and hope to recover. You’re done and dusted! There’s still much water to flow beneath the bridge and with two seasons to go, only a fool would be making predictions on who will win and why.
Justin said | December 16th 2009 @ 9:37am | Report comment
In a nutshell the positions that are not up to it and need to be fixed are second row, the 10-12 channel and 15. I think we will have the rest covered by 2011. But they are pretty dam important spots to fix.
Hansie said | December 16th 2009 @ 10:14am | Report comment
“Success should not be judged on results alone.” Why bother with the score board? The reality is that Australia has big problems, and would be better off facing up to those problems, rather than dreaming that it will be “all right on the night”.
Go_the_Wannabe's said | December 16th 2009 @ 10:36am | Report comment
I’ll reserve my judgement of Deans until after the world cup. It’s 50/50 at the moment and could easily go either way. He will either be a saint or a martyr.
Mike G said | December 16th 2009 @ 10:47am | Report comment
I’m backing history to repeat itself (poor results 2 years out), & for the Wallabies to win the 2011 World Cup . There, that was easy, wasn’t it???
PastHisBest said | December 17th 2009 @ 9:59am | Report comment
Putting some hard-earned on it MG???
Campbell Watts said | December 18th 2009 @ 12:32pm | Report comment
At Go_the_Wannabe’s odds (50/50) I would be!!!!
Even looser said | December 16th 2009 @ 10:51am | Report comment
Being positive is all well and fine but being realistic is more important. In reality we are not in good shape at the moment and at the current rate of improvement I expect us to be on the end of some serious losses in ‘10. Whether Robbie and the boys can pull it off in time for the RWC remains to be seen but I wish him well.
My wish for 2010 is:-
1. A string of good wins over tough opposition.
2. A good solid win in New Zealand; and
3. Quaility depth for all positions.
Howi said | December 16th 2009 @ 1:30pm | Report comment
I agree with Darren’s sentiments, though I readily acknowledge that I’m tragically optimistic at times. Many of the right pieces are in place for the Wallabies. There is some sort of ingredient missing but I don’t know what it is, and anyway if it’s at all obvious then I think they would have found it by now. Probably even Deans doesn’t know what it is despite all of his zen-like musings. But he’ll know it when he finds it. I tend to think that 2009 has hurt many individuals in the Wallabies squad and that this can fuel some serious learning and galvanisation in 2010 and 2011. I don’t mind being painted an optimist but I tend to believe that the current squad with Deans and Elsom at the helm can go on to become one of Australian rugby’s better success stories.
Tragic said | December 16th 2009 @ 5:09pm | Report comment
I think that the missing ingredient is genuine, hard-earned confidence. Deans has been putting the Wallabies (and fans)
through a cathartic process of re-blooding and re-building, to play what is essentially a crusaders/new zealander’s game. I think that what characterised the attitude of the crusaders was their ability to maintain composure and resolve to win in tight situations on the back of a justified confidence in their own ability. They had tireless forwards that could all handle the ball and a backline that was skillfull (not primarily sizey). Confidence gives you the ability to seize opportunities as they arise – the Crusaders had this – and it was something that the wallabies didn’t have in their loss to scotland. No sword. Next season will be interesting.
I’m not too concerned any more that Australia is not trying to engineer some ‘intelligent’ way of leveraging itself over the best teams in the world. If you have a game style based on aggressive forwards that provide good platforms and can run with and pass the ball, and a skillful and fast backline that can kick it when they ought to kick it, and run it when they ought to run it, coupled with with tireless defence and support play, then that’s all you can ask for. Oh, and someone who can kick a goal from anywhere on the park… I think these basic fundamentals are what won the crusaders so many games, with the knowledge they could do it, and i think this is what Deans is trying to bring to the team. If I’m correct then I would assess the Wallabies’ development fairly favourably. I always knew this is what the development strategy of Deans was, but I have always doubted the time frame. I hope they can become the team in time!
Darwin hammer said | December 17th 2009 @ 8:49am | Report comment
he also had Carter and McCaw … helps a bit when you’ve got talent like that to fall back on …
Tragic said | December 17th 2009 @ 3:42pm | Report comment
True, and we are yet to see the carters and mccaws stand up. But I think Pocock is promising and plays a very McCaw type of game, and frankly there probably won’t be a carter but I think Giteau will rise again.
You can’t put the star on the christmas tree with a shaky ladder. Carter was so successful because he had a steady platform on which to work, with great team mates and a great educator in deans. Once the platform is there I think that Giteau and Barnes will share the driver’s seat adequately, to put the icing on the cake. Ok too many metaphors Im going to work.
PastHisBest said | December 17th 2009 @ 10:03am | Report comment
“I’m not too concerned any more that Australia is not trying to engineer some ‘intelligent’ way of leveraging itself over the best teams in the world.”
Far from being ‘not too concerned’ Tragic, personally I’m rapt about this.
Maddog said | December 16th 2009 @ 4:03pm | Report comment
Thanks for a great article Darren! For too long the media at large have been all too happy to point the finger of doom when as you so rightly point out ‘Unless the Wallabies are winning week in, week out, they are seen as flops.’
I can’t imagine this attitude prevailing in any other country in the world! Even in New Zealand, while being critical of play especially afetr a loss, the nation still has unreserved support and pride for the team and what they represent. Are there other factors at play with reporting here? Is the mungo element that controls papers and TV news to blame?
Given the abundance of international fixtures on the Australian Rugby calendar, it is all too easy for the media to paint a picture of gloom following a loss. But let’s put it in perspective…every test match is like playing an AFL or NRL grand final in terms of intensity! We should expect to lose our fair share of them, especially in the Tri-nations as we are constanstly playing the number one and two ranked teams in the world! If the Wallabies were and AFL or NRL team they would be sitting middle of the table and probably make the finals. Sure there would be nay-sayers suggesting ways to improve and there would be supporters saying look how we are rebuilding, BUT no one would be saying our game is dying! Why, because other teams will rise to take their spot…this is the natural eb and flow of the sporting world.
Just because the Wallabies are not on top every year doesn’t mean death for our game! Darren has written a great article here and more positive thought in the media and from us as supporters will go a long way to ensuring continued health of Australian rugby…no matter what the week in and week out results.
stash said | December 16th 2009 @ 4:25pm | Report comment
Success should not be judged on results alone…ha ha, that’s pure stand up.
I hope you said that and not Deans….
Sheesh, if Henry said that there would be a necktie party in his honor.
Australia has enough of a winning history that fans should be expecting them to win – just like the ABs and Boks are expected to win by their supporters.
Personally I think they should all be hauled off to SAS training camp rather than prancing around for summer. Deans included… his reputation is fast becoming tattered.
crashy said | December 16th 2009 @ 8:03pm | Report comment
Maddog – I tend to agree in that our media are ( how shall I say), prone to hyperbole!
Whilst yes we are in a slump and the last few years have not been great, I can see light at the end of the tunnell.
Rugby 7s is now in the Olympics and that we will have a 5th Super 14 team. This alone will lead to more funding and top level rugby for our 200 or so professional players.
Just think, it was only a couple of weeks ago that the press were calling the death of Test Cricket! not in my lifetime sonny jim!
zhenry said | December 17th 2009 @ 10:48am | Report comment
Absolute optimist vision plus PR that’s what Australians read, tends mostly to the positive of centre. On the other hand New Zealand read absolute negative vision, still with the PR and mostly negative of centre. Australia owns both media.
Sport 24-7 said | December 17th 2009 @ 11:21am | Report comment
An optimistic view no doubt. There are a lot of promising young blokes coming through. BUT – Remember the English pack of 2003 ? There were a few blokes over 30 in that squad and they all have World Cup medals. I wouldn’t go writing off the Boks just yet.
Sam Taulelei said | December 17th 2009 @ 12:30pm | Report comment
The only problem I have with any articles about the future of Australian rugby is exactly that. It’s the future. It hasn’t been achieved, written or reached.
How about focusing on the present and learning from the past?
Funny how “professionalism” has altered the definition and measurement of success. Take the world cup out of the picture and should the Wallabies results this year be more tolerable or less tolerable if there was no four yearly cycle to develop a side? Are the Wallabies more successful or less successful than they were in the amateur days?
The world cup for all it’s good qualities has really stuffed up perceptions and perspectives about teams, coaches and players performances. Winning a world cup is now the end to the means and everything else is subservient, irrelevant and negligible. Haven’t you seen the folly of that thinking from your cousins across the ditch?
It appears there is no longer a line separating development from failure. Lord give me strength.
Campbell Watts said | December 18th 2009 @ 12:26pm | Report comment
“Yet the Wallabies remain among the favourites to host the 2011 Rugby World Cup. Go figure.”
Wow – I thought New Zealand had already been alocated the right to host the cup!!!
Pete said | January 17th 2010 @ 1:12pm | Report comment
Just came across this clip on the web “Wallaby Highlight 2009″ Admittedly it was a long season so you could always put a decent highlights package together and you could equally put a low lights package for 2009!
There were certainly some great moves and areas where we greatly improved. I can’t wait for the Rugby to start again!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ckWM8d1VD9g