Australia's captain Stirling Mortlock, second from right, on his way to score a try during the Tri-Nations rugby match against South Africa at the ABSA stadium in Durban, South Africa, Saturday Aug. 23, 2008. Australia beat South Africa 27-15. AP Photo/Themba Hadebe

Stirling Mortlock has changed the way rugby is played throughout the world. In his absence, however, can the Wallabies find a replacement or will they be forced into abandoning the ‘dual-playmaker’ backline strategy?

When Mortlock came onto the international rugby scene in 2000, he did not fit the accepted mould for an outside centre. As an outstanding performer for the Brumbies, he progressed to the Wallabies, in the absence of an ideal candidate.

Mortlock’s approach of powering straight down the middle was usually the repertoire of a sea gulling forward. Mortlock, however, combined the size and strength of a hooker with an exceptional ability to keep his feet underneath his body whilst carrying multiple tacklers.

This skill allowed him to off load to players, including Roff, Burke, and a host of other nippy backs that have celebrated off his hard fought half-breaks.

Preceding Mortlock was another legendary Wallabies outside centre, Jason Little.

Weighing at least 10 kilograms lighter than Mortlock, Little scored his 20 plus tries for the Wallabies through rapid acceleration, a deceptive swerve, and great ball handling skills. Until 1999 Jason Little was the stereotypical outside centre formed in the mould of Andrew Slack before him.

Mortlock’s influence on the game has been so significant that he changed the preference of coaches world-wide toward a stronger framed outside centre with increased line-busting strength, at the expense of speed and agility.

This can be seen in the Martin Johnson-era of the English rugby, with their preference for oversized outside backs. The Springboks almost succeeded with the development of the kamikaze De Wet Barry.

Similarly, New Zealand centre Ma’a Nonu is another example of a poor imitation of Mortlock.

But those coaches that have attempted to clone a Mortlock have failed on two counts.

Firstly, he was a unique gift to Australian rugby. Secondly, Mortlock’s strength was enhanced through a change to the structure of the Wallabies play and field positions which other nations failed to replicate.

The Wallabies moved away from the traditional centre pairing combination (inside and outside centre) and electing to field two playmakers (at fly-half and inside centre).

The role of these dual playmakers was to snipe around the field seeking out the battering ram. This created a situation where opposition defences were challenged between pairing-up to tackle Mortlock and defending the gaps that emerged around him.

But in recent games, the All Blacks have reverted to the more traditional utility back style of outside centre and selected Conrad Smith. Inside him is not a second playmaker but a solid defender and straight running centre.

Similarly, the Springboks have reverted away from the crash through approach to a faster Adrian Jacobs who can also switch to fullback and fly-half.

Despite his absence, the Wallabies have retained the dual playmakers’ approach.

The failing of this approach, in the absence of Mortlock, has been that the playmakers (Giteau and Barnes/Cooper) have been forced into battering into the defence line themselves. Without Mortlock charging through creating that element of doubt in the minds of the defending team, they have been easy targets.

Whilst the talents of O’Connor, Ashley-Cooper and Ioane have been on display at outside centre, the inability of the Wallabies backline to dominate is not a reflection on their individual skills, but at least in part, due to the failings of the Wallabies backline to evolve in a post-Mortlock era.

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Article link: Wallabies miss Mortlock more than they realise. Written by Tim Reardon, on The Roar - Your Sports Opinion

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