Where did all the 'complete' rugby players go?

Roar Rookie

31st August, 2017

1835 Reads

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If Michael Cheika goes head to head with the Super Rugby coaches, who wins? (AAP Image/Dave Hunt)

Andrewt new author

Roar Rookie

31st August, 2017

1835 Reads

There is no doubt that when Michael Cheika took over he wanted to play an attractive brand of rugby driven by a running ball-in-hand game.

However, when it came time to select a team to execute his plans, he has been struck with a huge dilemma. He believes he has found the players best suited to his attacking style, but he has had to paper over other areas of the game at the same time.

I won’t go into the detail as it’s been discussed ad nauseam on The Roar; however, in summary, his need for a fast mobile back row has caused an imbalance which has in turn caused weaknesses in set pieces and a reduced physicality in contact.

Further, his desire to have his preferred attacking options has led to a lot of moving parts in defence and limited field position options, including:

a fullback with an exceptional step and offload who can’t kick and lacks positional awareness;
backrowers who are fast and mobile with limited set piece contributions or who in some cases lack physicality in the tackle, at the breakdown and in advantage line running;
a five-eighth who takes it to the line beautifully and has plenty of zip but doesn’t possess a long passing or kicking game; and
creative inside backs who need to be hidden in defence.

How can these guys have made it to the elite level without developing all their skills? I admit that last week’s performance saw a significant improvement in some of these areas – some of it due to skill-related execution and a lot of it due to better game planning – however, let’s not pretend that these issues will go away unless our Wallabies become more complete players.

When you think of some of our most successful Wallabies teams of the past, this was never an issue. Tim Horan could play a hard hit-it-up game when required or mix it with the best with ball-in-hand skills.

Could you imagine him ever being hidden in defence? Michael Lynagh possessed a tremendous tactical kicking game, yet he could have a run or unleash a back line as required.

I know the game has changed significantly since these guys were playing, yet has it changed so much that some of the basic rugby skills do not need to be taught and developed? New Zealand still manages to produce guys like Conrad Smith and now Ryan Crotty, who provide composure and options in the backline as they have the full package of skills.

So why do we have a lack of complete rugby players at our disposal?

(Image: AAP Image/Dave Hunt)

Maybe it’s the fact that our Super Rugby teams have hidden players in defence and not allowed them to develop areas of their games that need attention. These players come into the Wallabies at a young age and their deficiencies continue to be hidden and neglected.

Would they be better served with longer Super Rugby apprenticeships with the international coaches and ARU development personnel working with them? Think of some of our great Australian cricket batsmen of the past – they had some chances when they were young; however, once deficiencies were exposed they were sent away and welcomed back when they were more mature and their games had developed.

Or is the dilemma that these young guys will run off overseas if they do not receive their instant gratification? If this happens, it may not always be a bad thing as long as the ARU and national coaches do more than just keep in contact with the odd phone call.

This could be part of long-term career planning with an aim to bring hardened forwards back from Europe in their late 20s. They could even be contracted for longer terms when they are younger and seconded overseas or into New Zealand NPC in the early stages of their careers. This process could be managed.

However, I would say that irrespective of the above, it needs to start earlier. Much more needs to be done before these guys hit the Super Rugby level. The skills need to be getting taught through the juniors and then developed via the pathway.

We also need to be doing more to retain young talent like the Angus Crichtons of the rugby world. I don’t know enough about what the ARU actually does in these areas and therefore my opinions are self-acknowledged generalisations, but clearly it is not working, as some of the skills at the senior level are not good enough.

Maybe some of you will say that these players are actually out there and that the main issue is poor selecting at the national level. I was going to propose my complete Wallabies team – one that can run or play field position, that competes at the set piece yet is mobile and that defends in their own positions.

However, I gave up as I couldn’t get past selecting a five-eighth, so why do we lack complete rugby players and what can be done to improve this situation for the future?

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