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Is this a new era for Australian rugby?

Roar Rookie
3rd July, 2014
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Ewen McKenzie - is he just too old school for the Wallabies? (AAP Image/Dave Hunt)
Roar Rookie
3rd July, 2014
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The June Internationals have come and gone and the Southern Hemisphere’s ‘big three’ nations are regrouping and preparing for the Rugby Championship after the conclusion of Super Rugby.

Australia, New Zealand and South Africa have faced their challenges. In particular, the Wallabies have a point to prove considering recent years.

The Wallabies have now won seven games in a row under Ewen Mckenzie and are looking much more like the sort of team that is going to reignite interest among fans.

France are either a team in transition or one in shambles, it’s kind of hard to tell. This Test series did show however that Australia could adapt in Melbourne to a strategy set to kill off attacking rugby and find a way to win.

Brisbane and Sydney were over by halftime as contests but it was clear that in these matches the Wallabies were able to physically overwhelm France a lot earlier and efficiently at the breakdown.

Will Skelton and Sam Carter are two players with immense talent who debuted in this series and really gives Australia much needed physical presence in the middle of the park. These two players are just one example of Links willingness to give new players a shot on the international stage when there are calls that its ahead of time.

McKenzie inherited a side that was completely devoid of any attacking nous and looked completely uninterested in the game plan they were set. Since taking over and having the honeymoon from hell, he has established depth, cohesion and unity within this playing group and it seems that the camp is much happier with the how things are being run.

In his last 10 matches in charge we have seen Australia play running rugby, which the fans love. Melbourne may have been a minor setback, however I believe this also showcases that our tight five and back-row can adapt to a trench style game if needed and still come away with the result.

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Australia has scored 39 tries in these 10 matches, where as they only managed 23 from 23 games from the start of 2012.

On the other hand, with so many players available in key positions, particularly in the backline, one has to wonder what Link is planning on doing when Will Genia’s ankle heals and Quade Cooper stops taking selfies from New York.

I will say that Bernard Foley has surprised me with his form this year, for both the Waratahs and Wallabies. Though he doesn’t possess Cooper’s talent, I think it’ll be a good thing he gets his chance to play against the All Blacks and Springboks.

Even as an avid Sharks and Reds supporter, I honestly think the Waratahs are in pole position to claim their maiden Super Rugby title in 2014. With Israel Folau and Adam Ashley-Cooper in scintillating form and Kurtley Beale providing x-factor off the bench, it makes sense to keep Foley for the Championship.

For Australian Rugby to be successful, there needs to be success at the national level. Australia don’t have the money nor the commercial supremacy that both Aussie Rules and rugby league hold.

I think the NRC is another great venture and if it is successful this time around, it allows further exposure to up and coming players and in adding another level to the rugby system in Australia. This in turn allows the fan-base for the game to grow and provide much needed revenue for the ARU.

While I am not certain Australia will regain the Rugby Championship and the Bledisloe, I’m certainly feeling more optimistic in 2014 than in years past however.

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Folau, Michael Hooper and Matt Toomua are the three players that give the Wallabies a world-class feel. With the right approach and mindset, this year might be the dawning of a new era in Australian Rugby.

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