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One of the great mysteries in Australian rugby are the legends of yesteryear who only surface when a colleague dies, or there’s an awards night.
They are the forgotten race, but ever willing to lend a hand. And if ever the current Wallabies need a hand it’s right now.
So it’s time for a selected few to surface, if ARU boss Bill Pulver has the vision.
Rod Macqueen, Nick Farr-Jones, Simon Poidevin, Topo Rodriguez, Mark Loane, Mark Ella, David Campese, and Roger Gould – not a bad start.
Invite them to a day-long seminar after the Wallabies return from their Rugby Championship game at Rosario, while their fruitless campaign is still very fresh in their memory.
Not only those in the squad, but the fringe dwellers as well, and the injured.
This should be a benchmark for future chats between eras that should be automatic.
Pulver to chair the get together, and after all the legends have had their say, they break into groups:
The Wallabies most successful coach Rod Macqueen sits down with head coach Ewen McKenzie, attack coach Jim McKay, set piece coach Andrew Blades, and defence coach Nick Scrivener.
Topo Rodriquez has forgotten more about scrummaging than the current crop will probably ever know, and he squares off with Benn Robinson, James Slipper, Ben Alexander, Sekope Kepu, Scott Sio, Albert Anae, Paddy Ryan, Stephen Moore, Saia Fainga’a, Tatafu Polota-Nau and James Hanson.
John Eales, arguably one of the greatest Wallabies, sits down with locks James Horwill, Rob Simmons, Kane Douglas, Hugh Pyle, Will Skelton, and Caderyn Neviile.
Tough as teak Simon Poidevin takes the flankers – David Pocock, Michael Hooper, Liam Gill, Ben McCalman, Hugh McMeniman, Scott Fardy, Dave Dennis and Jake Schatz.
Another legend in Mark Loane takes the 8s – Ben Mowen, Scott Higginbotham, and Wycliff Palu.
World Cup winning skipper Nick Farr-Jones with the half-backs – Will Genia, Nic White, and Nick Phipps.
The best 10 of all time in Mark Ella with the current Quade Cooper, Matt Toomua, and Bernard Foley with the inside backs Christian Lealiifano, Kyle Godwin, Mike Harris, and Anthony Fainga’a.
Wing legend David Campese with Adam Ashley-Cooper, Nick Cummins, Joe Tomane, Chris Feauai-Sautia, Peter Betham, and outside backs Tevita Kuridranbi, and Ben Tapuai.
With champion fullback Roger Gould breaking bread with Kurtley Beale, Israel Folau, and Jesse Mogg.
You can feel the electricity in the air just writing about those groups, and the way the current and the past meet for the common cause.
Success.
There’s another meaning in this suggestion. I’m not at all convinced the current squad knows too much about what went on before them.
There seems to be a general apathy to tradition, that can be just as damaging as not having the ability in the first place.
A seminar like this would not only be a wake-up call, but it would correct any lack of history in a hurry, and be better players for it.
The ball’s in your court Bill Pulver, serve it up.