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Over the past couple of weeks I’ve been down on the state of Australian rugby, with good reason. But this week I want to run through a few players who I think do have some flair and show vision on the field.
For a start, I really like watching Hosea Gear playing.
The younger brother of Rico, Hosea runs good angles, is capable of off-loading, and is able to create opportunities. Every time he gets the ball you get a sense that something is going to happen.
Then there’s Patrick Lambie from The Sharks. He’s a very good young player, who takes a few risks in his game but balances that by having a calm head on his relatively inexperienced shoulders.
He’s playing at 10 for The Sharks, but might slot in at 15 for the ‘Boks, which is all part of this modern trend to have players be able to cover a number of positions. I don’t think that this has been a good development for the game.
Digby Ioane can light up the field with his hard running. He is a very dangerous player, and would be even better if the players around him created more space for him.
Australian backs generally tend to run too far across the field and start too deep on attack, making it difficult for them to change the angles around them.
By the time the outside backs get the ball, they’re already 10 or 15 meteres behind the advantage line, meaning they’re using up a lot of energy just to make a bit of ground up the field.
The Australian Super Rugby teams should follow the lead of the Hurricanes and the Highlanders, who move the ball quickly, putting numbers out there, changing angles, and using their feet.
You’ve got to stop the opposition player from drifting in order create space out wide. But when was the last time you saw a fullback chiming into the backline for one of the Australian sides or a team executing a dummy switch play?
Francois Hougaard, the Bulls halfback, is a live-wire with a great step. You’ve got to watch him all the time as he can really create opportunities.
And then, of course, there’s Dan Carter. I played against Grant Fox for many years and Carter is a different style to Fox. But he’d have to be up there with the greatest All Blacks of all time.
That said, Carter comes from a Crusaders background, where the emphasis is on running the ball, and he is surrounded by skillful players, which gives him extra confidence.
James O’Connor is always entertaining to watch, but really, he belongs on the wing. O’Connor can create things, but he needs players around him to find space for him to move in.
As for the past weekend’s action, well, the Waratahs kicked the ball away when they should have run it, the Reds scraped by in a low-scoring match, and the Force showed once again that they just don’t have the quality players.
If you watched the Six Nations, you’d see that they’re at least trying to play open rugby. In Australia, we need to get rid of the league coaches who have infiltrated the game. They’ve brought their defensive approaches. But rugby is a different sport.
We need entertaining players to get the crowds coming back.
Look at the Welsh fullback Leigh Halfpenny, for instance. He’s only a small guy, but he takes on the line. He’s great to watch. Small guys like him can often create more opportunities through their footwork.
There are no good steppers or swervers in Australian rugby. They all run straight and hard.
Tom Carter is a good example. Why would you put him on the field with only a few minutes to go when he can’t create anything? If you bring reserves on late in the game, they need to be impact players.
But instead, with the clock winding down, the Waratahs panicked and kicked the ball away. You simply can’t win the game without the ball. Why do they keep doing this? Because many of the players come from Sydney University, which is known for its conversative style of rugby.
I’m very passionate about the game of rugby. And I would love to pick a team and show them how to play an entertaining match.
Rugby league and Aussie Rules are dominant now because of the entertainment factor. Rugby has developed over the years, but, with a few exceptions, the skill levels amongst Australian players sure haven’t.
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.