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Simon Poidevin, one of the great loose forwards in rugby history, made the observation after the 1991 Rugby World Cup tournament that players would shape their careers, particularly the end of them, by the Rugby World Cup cycle.
He did this himself by retiring after the glory of RWC 1991. He went on to make a noted career, like a number of his fellow Wallabies of the era, in the world of the money markets.
This brings us to the case of Ben Mowen and his decision to play out the 2014 Super Rugby tournament with the Brumbies and then finish off his rugby career in France.
Rebecca Wilson in The Daily Telegraph, among a number of the pundits, has found this decision sort of unAustralian. She told her readers she couldn’t understand why someone would give up the captaincy of the Wallabies and the chance to play in the 2015 RWC tournament just to spend more time with his family.
Peter FitzSimons, a former Wallaby and informed writer, also suggests Mowen’s decision is “very strange.”
In my view, these experts miss all the points made by Mowen to justify his decision and, more importantly, the points he has implied with the timing of the decision.
John Eales once told me that in a RWC tournament year he was away from home 300 nights. The travel done by a rugby player far exceeds that of, say, a rugby league player.
The Super Rugby tournament is played in three countries. The Rugby Championship is played in four countries. And the next RWC tournament, which is played over two months, will be played in England.
Last year, which was not a RWC year, Mowen spent the equivalent of seven months away from home.
The advantage of playing in France, in terms of family life for the 29-year-old Mowen, his wife Lauren and 18-month daughter is the majority of his time will be spent at home, probably in Montpellier in south-west France, l’Ovalie (the oval ball country).
Montpellier is a charming town where the Wallabies were based during the 2007 RWC tournament. It has a fine plaza, a university, medical research centres, an excellent stadium, good schools and a strongish side.
I am normally cynical about the purported reasons why people pull out of commitments. But Mowen’s reasoning makes perfect sense to me and fits the paradigm enunciated by Poidevin.
The important consideration to understand in the case of Ben Mowen is he has been a journeyman player who has had one great season. He was dropped or let go from two franchises, the Reds and the Waratahs.
Under the coaching of Jake White, Mowen flourished as a smart, no-nonsense and hardworking player, a sort of Australian equivalent of the over-rated Todd Blackadder.
And in a turbulent season for the Wallabies when the coach was dumped and when Wallaby leaders suffered from form failures, Mowen’s steady and intelligent play and his ability to talk persuasively to referees saw the new coach, Ewen McKenzie, give him the captaincy.
Being realistic, Mowen knows he wouldn’t have been the first choice as Wallaby captain in 2014. He would have been lucky to make the starting XV.
By 2015, there was the very real possibility he would have been struggling to make the RWC squad.
In a sense, Mowen struck gold after years of unsuccessful panning. He is cashing in on his strike before his luck changes.
Scott Allen has written an excellent article on The Roar titled, “Wallaby candidates to watch in Super Rugby 2014“.
He points out Hugh McMeniman “has more to offer the Wallabies” if he can stay off the injured list.
David Pocock and Scott Higginbotham, both certainties for the Wallabies, are coming back from injury, as is Wycliff Palu.
There are Liam Gill, Michael Hooper and Scott Fardy in the picture. And who knows what other talented players/player will make a break-through in the coming Super Rugby tournament? There is also the remote possibility of George Smith being brought back again, too.
Mowen’s decision to leave Australian, while he is the incumbent captain, has given rise to an interesting and important discussion about the merits of selecting players out of Australia for the RWC squad.
There are several players, including Mowen, James O’Connor and Matt Giteau, who could be in this situation as far as Ewen McKenzie is concerned. Injuries to home players might make the use of overseas players an attractive possibility.
The Springboks allow this system. To my mind, it has prevented the needed refreshing of the side in the halfback, five-eights and centres positions.
The All Blacks do not allow this system. To be eligible for the All Blacks, players have to play in one of the Super Rugby franchises.
But the New Zealand Rugby Union does allow established stars like Richie McCaw, Dan Carter and Conrad Smith to have sabbaticals, with Carter and Ma’a Nonu being allowed to play outside of New Zealand, in France and Japan, and still being eligible for the All Blacks.
England are insisting their players play for English clubs if they want to play for the national team.
In the best of all worlds, the New Zealand system seems to be the best.
There is no one right now in Australian rugby who would qualify for a sabbatical. But someone like Israel Folau, say in three years time if his development as a super star of rugby continues apace, might be a strong candidate for special sabbatical treatment.
Meanwhile, let’s celebrate Mowen’s good fortune and wish him well for the Brumbies and then in France.
He has been and remains an exemplary model of the professional rugby player: hardworking, skilful, smart, tough and a leader, on and off the field.