Wallabies need to call on Ella and Campese’s expertise
Columnist By David Lord, 23 Feb 2012 David Lord is a Roar Expert
- Tagged:
- 1984 Wallabies, David Campese, Mark Ella, robbie deans
It’s never too late for the Australian Rugby Union to officially appoint Mark Ella and David Campese, the two most attacking Wallabies in history and a sheer delight to watch, as consultants to the men-in-gold.
It would mean Campese relinquishing his expert Roar position he only started yesterday.
But in the best interests of Wallaby rugby, that’s a price Roarers would have to pay.
One of the big problems facing the ARU is the code falling well behind in the entertainment race.
Entertaining in the 21st century is just as important as winning. Winning ugly is counter-productive. It’s entertainment that triggers the turnstiles to click.
And there hasn’t been two better Wallaby exponents than the mercurial fly-half the Fijians call Makella, and the goose-stepping winger Campo.
Yet they have been virtually ignored. What a tragic waste of born talent.
How would they consult?
By being integral members of the Wallaby think-tank headed by coach Robbie Deans, a lateral thinker.
And what a truck load of explosive back-line talent Ella and Campese have to work with – Will Genia, Quade Cooper, James O’Connor, Kurtley Beale, Digby Ioane, Drew Mitchell, Rob Horne, and Adam Ashley-Cooper.
It’s as good as, and potentially better than, the mighty 1984 Grand Slammers – Nick Farr-Jones, Ella, Michael Lynagh, Andy Slack, Campese, Brendan Moon, Peter Grigg, and Roger Gould.
The key to current success rests right there – Ella and Campese.
Both were naturally-gifted, but allowed a free rein by the likes of the then coaches Alan Jones and Bob Dwyer.
That’s where Deans surfaces. Deep down he would love to play running rugby, like the November 2010 clash with Five-Nations champions France at State de France, pouring on six brilliant and unanswered second half tries to win 59-16 going away.
But there have been far too many bad backline days, like the 35-18 loss to England and 32-23 loss to Samoa last year, or the 15-6 loss to Ireland at the RWC, forcing Deans into safety mode.
Ella and Campese aren’t miracle workers, but they have been there, done that with Bledisloe Cup success, and the one-and-only coveted Slam.
What they would achieve is stability, and the confidence that goes with it.
There’s no reason why the Wallabies shouldn’t be the number one ranked nation in the world.
The odds of achieving that goal would be a lot shorter if Mark Ella and David Campese were at the coal-face, instead of writing about it.
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- 1984 Wallabies, David Campese, Mark Ella, robbie deans
February 23rd 2012 @ 5:13am
Tristan Rayner said | February 23rd 2012 @ 5:13am | Report comment
Hi all,
Don’t forget The Roar’s Super Rugby Tipping competition will start tomorrow.
Now, the goal for me every year is to beat Spiro Zavos, but I was a whisker out of the top 10 last year – so bring your A-game and join in to claim bragging rights against some of the best Rugby minds in Australia.
Link to join: http://www.theroar.com.au/tipping/
Cheers,
Tristan
February 23rd 2012 @ 5:31am
mania said | February 23rd 2012 @ 5:31am | Report comment
whats needed is a forward pack.i have the utmost respect for campese and ella, two of the greatest aus has ever produced and among the most honoured of NZ’s honoured enemies. but their expertise arent in where the aus team suffer most and thats in the forwards.
aus has natural flair in the backs so the situation there isnt so dire. its the forwards who are slow , weak and a bit un-co. u need forwards who can do the set pieces, rumble the mauls, crash it up the middle across the adv line but also open up and link with the backline.
campese and ella have been highly crtitical of deans and though sometimes a good rivalry brings out the best in relationships i think in this case there’d be too much angst to get a productive patrnership going.
February 23rd 2012 @ 5:43am
kingplaymaker said | February 23rd 2012 @ 5:43am | Report comment
mania the forwards aren’t just not very good, more importantly they’re not very big. They are regularly outmuscled and this is the true problem.
February 23rd 2012 @ 5:43am
Sam Starr said | February 23rd 2012 @ 5:43am | Report comment
Thats a fair statement we have an outstanding backline that can tear through any team on the day.
As for the forwards David Pocock is a great asset and he definately saved us in the quater final
and would have been very handy against Ireland.But overall i think the forward need more ticker.
February 23rd 2012 @ 6:04am
mania said | February 23rd 2012 @ 6:04am | Report comment
the problems is not muscle its the top 2 inches. they need some balls and brains. muscle would definately be an advantage but they have to get forwards who’re creative and have some fight to them. pointless having big forwards if they’re stupid and stand around doing nothing.
what puzzles me is that the wallabies has a fantastic backline, world beaters who love running the ball. in the superTeams though its the opposite . conservative, “dont want to lose” and “kick it away” mentality takes precedence.
why is that?
February 23rd 2012 @ 6:28am
kingplaymaker said | February 23rd 2012 @ 6:28am | Report comment
mania possibly they have a handful of very good backs, and a lot of others who really aren’t up to much.
February 23rd 2012 @ 6:44am
mania said | February 23rd 2012 @ 6:44am | Report comment
KPM – and thats why aus can get to the top but wont stay there for long. u only need 15 players to be the best but u need depth to stay there
February 23rd 2012 @ 7:49am
johnny-boy said | February 23rd 2012 @ 7:49am | Report comment
The Wallabies need to call on someone ……
February 23rd 2012 @ 8:00am
mania said | February 23rd 2012 @ 8:00am | Report comment
ghost busters?
February 23rd 2012 @ 7:52am
Blinky Bill of Bellingen said | February 23rd 2012 @ 7:52am | Report comment
I’m not saying Campo or Ella would be hard to work with or anything (I don’t know if they are or not) but I do ask myself ‘why is it that coach after coach doesn’t see them as an asset’?
Could it be that coaches have considered them and felt that perhaps the negatives outweighed the positives?
Maybe coaches feel that they are yesteryear’s way of playing the game and it just would not work for the so called ‘modern game’?
Maybe it’s a simple case of ‘Coach Ego’?
Sorry more questions that answers, I know. To be honest, I was asking something similar about the Wallabies going into the 2011 RWC and getting Ewen McKenzie involved. Again no answer.
February 23rd 2012 @ 9:09am
sheek said | February 23rd 2012 @ 9:09am | Report comment
BBB,
Coach ego – you’ve nailed it!
There aren’t too many coaching positions available in Australia, so these guys (in those positions) aren’t going to call on a couple of legends (like Ella & Campese) who might demonstrate they know more of rugby tactics in one afternoon than the other guy has learnt in a lifetime…..!
Honestly,, just because a guy completes a Cert III or IV in coaching (whichever is highest) doesn’t automatically qualify him to coach. There are plenty of people running around with the qualifications who simply don’t possess the man-management skills to get their message across. Or they are simply continuing to give the wrong message……….
February 23rd 2012 @ 9:39am
WQ said | February 23rd 2012 @ 9:39am | Report comment
Similarly, just because somebody was an excellent player in what ever position they played, does not mean that they have any ability to Coach.
Ex players like Campese need to go through the process of becoming a coach instead of just sitting back taking pot shots. It is very easy to bag everything that people are doing it is not so easy to make a difference!
February 23rd 2012 @ 3:14pm
sheek said | February 23rd 2012 @ 3:14pm | Report comment
WQ,
I’m aware of the counter-argument you & others are putting forward. However, i’ve seen Campo & Ella play, & we haven’t seen their like since.
I’ve read their columns, seen them interviewed & listened to Ella speak live.
I would be happy to put my meagre life savings on Ella & Campo to do anything asked of them in Australian rugby, & produce impressive results. Even with ordinary talent!
If only they would be asked to contribute…..
February 23rd 2012 @ 6:17pm
WQ said | February 23rd 2012 @ 6:17pm | Report comment
Agreed Sheek, their input should be utilised by a Coach as their ability to play the game is unquestioned. However that process is as much about the relationships as anything else and unless there is a solid relationship between the ex-great player and the now coach this process will be flawed with mostly negative outcomes.
This is why I suspect that often, truly great players are not used by different coaches. This issue is not just confined to the Wallabies either.
February 23rd 2012 @ 9:49am
Blinky Bill of Bellingen said | February 23rd 2012 @ 9:49am | Report comment
Sheek,
I’d imagine the coach (qualified with the piece of paper) versus the coach (qualified through experience) would make for an interesting discussion regardless of which sport.
I also wonder if sometimes a coach on the team with no Rugby experience/ background would sometimes help. By this I mean Managing players, Health & Fitness, PR Savvy, open to potential & new ideas. I’d reckon they may well see things through a clearer lens.
For example, I know Wayne Bennett has said that he’s got no interest in Rugby Union but having someone like him onboard could potentially do wonders come RWC 2015.
February 23rd 2012 @ 8:37pm
Lorry said | February 23rd 2012 @ 8:37pm | Report comment
the reason why, at least in Campo’s case, they were on the outer for so long is that they didn’t fit into the rugby/Wallaby mould, something I talked about in a previous article comparing Campo and Maradonna…
Indeed, it was only a year or two ago that Campo was ALLOWED to present the jerseys for the first time. A pretty amazing and damning stat…
February 23rd 2012 @ 8:24am
Chris said | February 23rd 2012 @ 8:24am | Report comment
Is there any evidence that either Campo or Ella are any good at coaching? I’m not doubting their playing ability – that is undeniable. Both players were instinctive players – particularly Campo. I’m not sure how you go about coaching that…
February 23rd 2012 @ 8:28am
brendon said | February 23rd 2012 @ 8:28am | Report comment
I agree Chris. They were great players in a different age, this does not necessarily make them great coaches of a sport they havent played in 20+ yrs. Also they do like to critisise alot of current players/coaches and this could make them very hard to work with, so maybe the national coaches think it is best to not have them come in and possibly create a negative culture in the sides
February 23rd 2012 @ 8:36am
Mike G said | February 23rd 2012 @ 8:36am | Report comment
Yep, this is the point that David has ignored here. A great player doesn’t always make a great coach
February 23rd 2012 @ 9:28am
David Lord said | February 23rd 2012 @ 9:28am | Report comment
Mike G and brendon, it doesn’t matter what era of rugby you want to talk about, beating a man with ball in hand is universal.. Mark Ella and David Campese were past masters at the art, and born communicators. They don’t need any certificates, they just have to be themselves.
February 23rd 2012 @ 10:34am
Mike G said | February 23rd 2012 @ 10:34am | Report comment
I respectfully disagree, David…
Nobody is arguing that they were not our best 10 and winger of all time, I think that’s obvious, but my point is true – this doesn’t always translate to coaching success.
I too have often wondered why they were both continually overlooked (or not approached), for coaching gigs, but this assumes they wanted them??? By memory, Campo had his cafes and sports shops and Ella was busy with early pay tv media commitments, so perhaps they weren’t available, only they could answer that one).
February 23rd 2012 @ 10:35am
Chris said | February 23rd 2012 @ 10:35am | Report comment
But David that’s my point. There’s no evidence that “just being themselves” will work in a coaching situation. Just look at Brad Fittler’s experience coaching as demonstration of how disastrous your theory can be. Freddie was a great, instinctive player, but a truly awful coach.
February 23rd 2012 @ 11:02am
Cliff said | February 23rd 2012 @ 11:02am | Report comment
I don’t think simply instructing the Wallaby backline to ‘beat the man’ would be a particularly effective coaching strategy.
February 23rd 2012 @ 3:15pm
sheek said | February 23rd 2012 @ 3:15pm | Report comment
Chris – Using Brad Fittler as a counter example to Ella & Campese is your first mistake…..
February 23rd 2012 @ 4:58pm
mushi said | February 23rd 2012 @ 4:58pm | Report comment
Beating a man with ball in hand “may” be universal (even though you could make the argument it isn’t) but the ability to convey an ability into teaching somebody else that ability is not, never has been and never will be universal.
February 23rd 2012 @ 8:49am
Frank Miller said | February 23rd 2012 @ 8:49am | Report comment
Campese worked with the Sharks in Durban.
February 23rd 2012 @ 3:16pm
sheek said | February 23rd 2012 @ 3:16pm | Report comment
In a diving cage…..???
February 23rd 2012 @ 8:42am
Sam Taulelei said | February 23rd 2012 @ 8:42am | Report comment
Of all the past Wallabies you could think of to assist Deans I would have preferred someone like Topo Rodriguez and Willie O or Simon Poidevin if I was a Wallaby supporter.
Apart from the 1984-86 pack the Wallabies possessed competitive packs and not a dominant one. But what they may have lacked in size they made up for it by technique and street smarts.
If you watch the Lions series from 2001 the speed the ball was recycled is far superior to what you see now from the Wallabies, all the backline brilliance cant do much with static ball.
February 23rd 2012 @ 4:56pm
Justin said | February 23rd 2012 @ 4:56pm | Report comment
“street smarts”
Sadly lacking under the current regime…
February 24th 2012 @ 1:34am
mace 22 said | February 24th 2012 @ 1:34am | Report comment
Not just this regime but about three before it. I’ll just put this out there could it be that the players are just not good enough. Until australia gets it’s act together and find a comp between club and super rugby you’ll will always have the odd wins in super rugby ( titles ) and against the all blacks. But in saying that if new zealand disapeared over night you’d have the number one team in the world. So that makes the wallabies the number two team not third not eighth but the number two team in the WORLD. NOT THAT BAD REALLY. wher were the wallabies ranked before deans took over fourth if my memerory is correct. So the wallabies have trouble beating the all blacks on a consistant basis, SO DOES EVERY OTHER TEAM. Deans doesn’t need any help from those two arm chair critics.
February 24th 2012 @ 8:48am
Justin said | February 24th 2012 @ 8:48am | Report comment
That may all be true but Deans hasnt come up with a game pan the players can execute to consistently win.
February 24th 2012 @ 12:09pm
mace 22 said | February 24th 2012 @ 12:09pm | Report comment
Neither has any other coach where the all blacks are concerned and that is where most of the critisism comes from. Who have the wallabies lost to in the last two years ( I’m talking about when he has his top side playing ) england, south africa, new zealand and scotland I think. If deans can have his top players fit and healthy, he has a game plan as good as any other.The trouble is the gulf between his best players and the rest . I thinlk the wallab ies don’t get enough credit for where they are in the order of world rugby. But I suppose being a all black supporter I don’t remember what it’s like to be number two in the rankings.
February 24th 2012 @ 12:31pm
Justin said | February 24th 2012 @ 12:31pm | Report comment
Ireland as well. The record is excellent against SA but then again look who they have had in charge since Deans has been coaching!!!
What is his game plan? Tactically he is average, I think that has become obvious during his time with AUS.
February 24th 2012 @ 4:56pm
mace 22 said | February 24th 2012 @ 4:56pm | Report comment
Justin I think the game plan he had for the first forty minutes against the all blacks in the brisbane test was pretty good. The trouble is he hasn’t got the players that could carry on with it in the second forty. His failing in that game was he didn’t have a plan B when the blacks changed their game plan.. A lot of coaches have this failing look at the all blacks in more than a one world cup.
To set the record straight deans isn’t as good a coach as some people thought and he isn’t as bad as some people think. I suppose the expectation of him when he was made the wallaby coach has been to his detriment. As for the ireland game it wasn’t his full strength side he had Ioane, pocock missing and I think drew mitchel was gone as well. People say he should have had another specialist openside in the team, but who else in australia could have influenced the game in the way pocock could have. I’ve said this before you have the second best team in the world enjoy it.