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Reading the headlines, I thought that Ewen McKenzie’s selections for the Springboks in Perth may have started to enter the realm of the sane, but on closer inspection I fear the Wallabies may be headed back to the asylum.
First, the positives. Finally, we have the correct halves. Nic White has been solid but recently the other Nick (Phipps) finds more opportunities to add value to the team. Particularly when in tandem with Bernard Foley, who I would argue is the one of the best two in the world at flyhalf outside of New Zealand.
We can only hope that it is the end of attempts to shoehorn an x-factor into the number 10 jersey because it simply doesn’t work. Matt Burke wrote an article for the Sydney Morning Herald recently which included a list of great flyhalves – Michael Lynagh, Stephen Larkham and Johnny Wilkinson.
These players were characterised by soft hands, rock solid fundamentals and nerves of steel. None will be remembered for bringing an x-factor. They have also each raised the William Webb-Ellis trophy as the choice flyhalf for their nation, as did Butch James and Joel Stransky, who were of a similar ilk.
Aaron Cruden is the exception world champion number 10 and he would not have made the list but for a one-point victory over France and an injury to another great, Daniel Carter, who again is just not an x-factor guy. These players rely on taking risks and while risks may win games, no team can carry that burden in that position for the length of a knockout style tournament.
Foley is the right choice. And if all of the above is not enough to end the Kurtley Beale or Adam Ashley-Cooper for number 10 campaign (even James O’Connor’s name has been mentioned) perhaps it’s the name that’s absent from the list which says the most.
King Carlos (Spencer) was nothing less than one of the best to ever play the game. That is, for the short periods he maintained form for more than a game at a time. And for a brief period he did, hitting his peak in the 2003 Rugby World Cup where many of us remember his between the legs, no look pass to Joe Rocokoko in the quarter-final between the Springboks and All Blacks.
The more astute will also recall the All-Blacks’ exit from the tournament the following round, to the Wallabies under Larkham.
Neither Cooper nor Beale possess the kind of x-factor that Spencer brought to the table, much less the sound fundamentals that underpinned his game.
Of course nine and 10 are not the only positions on the field. You will never beat the All Blacks if the wrong players are in those jerseys, but this is about selections and we must look at the rest.
Matt Toomua was lacklustre in the first two Tests but it makes sense to give him another chance with different halves, except that Ashley-Cooper, who has been solid, was not afforded the same luxury. He has been pushed to the wing where he is never as effective as in the centres. And in giving Toomua this chance Beale’s x-factor is gone altogether.
How can one value Beale’s x-factor so much as to gamble the Rugby Championship by playing him badly out of position, only to drop him the following week? It simply does not make sense, why force good players out of position only to punish them when they do not perform there?
The selection in the forwards (inclusion of James Hanson through injury notwithstanding) is unfortunately conservative. Make no mistake, McKenzie is not spoiled for choice when you compare Australia to New Zealand or South Africa, but perhaps a new anchor in the front row is called for. Neither Scott Fardy nor Wycliff Palu have made a case for their inclusion thus far.
Dropping Will Skelton from the bench to no-man’s land is beyond comprehension and, against the Springboks pack, a crucial and criminal mistake.
So once again, the Australian rugby faithful must feel the pain of watching a side take the field that is not what it could be. The workings of McKenzie’s mind will remain a mystery, but perhaps the same bull-headedness that made him a world class scrummager is responsible for his perplexing selections.
McKenzie’s selections have an air of ‘something to prove’ about them, as if it’s more important to prove that he better understands his team than the media rather than simply making the obvious choices.
Regardless of Saturday’s outcome, there is something awry at camp Wallaby which must be addressed if we are to be at our best for the rest of 2014 and beyond.
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.