Wallabies not there yet, says Catchpole
By Ed Jackson, 9 Sep 2010 Ed Jackson is a Roar Pro
- Tagged:
- ken catchpole, Rugby Union, wallabies
Former Wallaby Ken Catchpole says Australia are not World Cup contenders yet despite their heroic win over South Africa in Bloemfontein last weekend.
Catchpole, a member of the last Wallabies side to emerge from South Africa’s highveld victorious in 1963, says the current model still has work to do to convince him of their World Cup credentials.
“The impression I had was they started off well and second half just succumbed a little bit, that structure disintegrated a little bit,” Catchpole said on Wednesday when asked for his opinion on the 41-39 win over the Springboks.
“They’ve still got a little bit to go before they’re a competitor for the World Cup.”
Catchpole, a Wallaby hall of fame inductee who was unveiled as the latest sporting figure to be immortalised in bronze outside the Sydney Football Stadium and SCG, says ending the team’s recent struggles against the All Blacks would go a long way to changing his opinion.
“Probably that, one, they have a win against them, but two, the way they win is displaying their improvement in their performance,” said the former halfback, whose 27-Test career was ended when he had his hamstring torn off the bone in a tackle by All Black legend Colin Meads in 1967.
The 71-year-old believes the Wallabies can end their nine-Test losing streak to the New Zealanders in Sydney this Saturday but it would take some luck.
“There’s an opportunity there, nobody would say the Wallabies are starting favourites, that’s just not on,” he said.
“But they’ve got a chance. I’m not sure they can do it just yet.”
And Catchpole, who formed a legendary halves partnership with Phil Hawthorne for the Wallabies in the 1960s, says the current combination of Will Genia and Quade Cooper had impressed him.
But he feels challenges lie ahead for the Queensland pair.
“I think it’s one of those situations where you hit initially and you do well but then they work out how you do it so they’re going to come back and form a fairly strong defensive exercise against you,” he said.
“That’s a little hurdle you’ve got to get over and then go.
“I think they might have the ability (to get over that hurdle) but just wait and see.”
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Wix said | September 9th 2010 @ 8:44am | Report comment
Ken Catchpole statement “……….. they started off well and second half just succumbed a little bit, that structure disintegrated a little bit” is both polite and understated. That is because of his obvioius kind and gentle nature. If he was rough and tough like the others he might have said “… they started of well and then simply ran out of puff”.
Yes, Ken, they have a lot to do if they are to be serious contenders for nex year’s RWC. One of their tasks should be to learn how to play at “test match” speed for 80 minutes like the All Blacks. Last Saturday the Bok’s did it for 40 minutes and almost stole the show.
And the bronze statues…. about bloody time!! Next should be the 3 Ella’s, a unique, never to be repeated, period of collaborative running rugby
Bob Mcgregor said | September 9th 2010 @ 2:30pm | Report comment
Lovely to see Ken Catchpole so honoured – well deserved. He was the best half-back I either played with/against/saw over the past 60 years.
However, I must correct the writer on the ‘supposed tackle ‘ that ended Ken’s Rugby career. Meads tried to make a wishbone out of Catchpole’s leg when the other was trapped under a mass of bodies in a ruck. A more cowardly act I’ve never seen. That one act – obviously intended to maim Catchpole, and it did – dispatches Meads to the pits on my Richter Scale. That one dastardly act outweighs all the other brilliant things Meads did on the Rugby paddock. I for one would be interested to know – in retrospect, what he thought of his then actions in maiming Catchpole and ending Ken’s Rugby career.
I’m willing to bet it’s one of those incidents in one’s life you wished you could take back. By their deeds you will know them!
Mick Gold Coast QLD said | September 9th 2010 @ 2:55pm | Report comment
Catchpole surely was the best, Bob. Reliable, capable, great temperament – and a skilled operator.
That dive pass he used is something I’ve not seen used much since Farr-Jones – so very effective – and I do wish scrum halves would add it to their bag of tricks more often again. He and Phil Hawthorne were good together.
The Meads attack occurred when I was about 18 – at the time it met with condemnation and disgust, that’s for sure.
Wix said | September 9th 2010 @ 4:56pm | Report comment
Mick
Dive pass …. I think you may haved the wrong halfback. Catchpole may have used it occasionally, but his passes were mostly sharp and short (in those days the five eighths use to stand close). His pass was in the hands of the five eighth faster than a “speeding bullet” because he did not use back swing like other halfbacks. He passed off the ground direct to the five eighth. As a result the five eighth had more time to do his stuff. The absence of a back swing seemed to make a huge difference.
In the 1967 tour to Europe, Ken Catchpole’s unique passing technique was the subject of a special article in the Paris sports paper L’Equipe by former Irish test halfback Andrew Mulligan
Mick Gold Coast QLD said | September 10th 2010 @ 1:29pm | Report comment
I’ve had a look around, Wix, and I stand corrected. My apology.
I thought that I may have attributed a characteristic of Hipwell’s but I find he, too, was an upright ball shoveller – found in this piece by Spiro http://www.theroar.com.au/2008/07/23/nick-farr-jones-puts-in-the-boot/
I do have an image from those days of both Catchpole and Hipwell diving, captured in press article photos, but I defer to your better memory of how frequently Catchpole employed it. Perhaps I’m remembering his “off the ground direct” pass to which you refer. I certainly recall his service as exceptional.
A comment on “no backswing” – back then I recall at training those other blokes that hung around with rugby players having John Brass’ “straight through” service in centre field drummed into them – catch and pass in a continuous motion.
Later on I used his most excellent example of swift hands, with footage, in coaching young fellas. That’s about all I could pass on to them ‘cos much of what backs actually do has long been a mystery to me.
Frank O'Keeffe said | September 10th 2010 @ 2:33am | Report comment
Yeah Catchpole hated the idea of a long pass. He considered it to be wasteful.
Chris Laidlaw, arguably New Zealand’s greatest halfback (depending on how you rate Going and Loveridge) rated Catchpole in his book the greatest halfback he’s ever seen. This coming from a man who’s seen and played against Gareth Edwards and competed with Des Connor and Sid Going for the scrumhalf position during his career. Terry McLean once said Catchpole was the choice of 90% of people who consider who the best 9 ever was.
But for all his greatness, there’s also modesty. What some former Aussie players don’t understand is that you can criticise the team, it’s performances, selections, and players… and still do it in a respectable manner. Catchpole is wonderful like that. Back in 1975 when Australia beat England up pretty bad in a Test match Catchpole was the only person in the media who said Australia were going too far, and you have to win games with skill, not thuggery.
But yeah Catchy hated the dive pass.
Frank O'Keeffe said | September 10th 2010 @ 2:49am | Report comment
One thing I will say about this article…
It would have been nice to see Catchy congratulate the side on winning at altitude for the first time since 1963. It’s one of those moments where you almost feel the likes of Catchpole, Heming (is Rob Heming still alive?), and Thornett should come out and say, ‘Well done lads, join the club.’
In hindsight it’s a shame Australia didn’t win both Tests this year. South Africa may not be at their peak right now, but a series win is a series win. As far as I’m concerned, the Wallabies would have considered winning two Tests in South Africa as equivelant to the 1963 glory.
It still remains a shame that the ABC only has 17 minutes of that famous 3rd Test from 1963.
JohnB said | September 10th 2010 @ 2:30pm | Report comment
Frank – for reaction from some of the 63 players:
http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-union/union-news/team-of-1963-glad-long-wait-is-over-20100908-151fu.html
Given that Ed’s piece wasn’t about congratulating the Wallabies, it’s fair to say that just because there’s nothing in this particular piece where Catchpole says that in so many words, it doesn’t mean that he didn’t say that at all. I think it’s being unfair to him without knowing every comment he made to suggest that he was somehow being churlish about the Wallabies winning last weekend.