For more than forty years, I have watched with great expectation as Wallaby team after Wallaby team took on the All Blacks and lost.
We will all remember getting together for lunch and few beers at home, early on a Saturday afternoon, Sydney time, to watch a Bledisloe Cup game, full of misplaced expectation.
Sometimes it was by a large margin and sometimes, and even more painfully, by a small margin. The All Blacks invariably won the match. The smaller the margin, the more we were told that the Wallabies were getting closer.
It reminds me of my youngest son, Matt, saying to me on his third birthday, “And, I’m catching up to Nick!” Nick is his older brother, by a mere 16 months.
Sadly, Nick will always be 16 months older than Matt.
So too the Wallabies.
There is a flaw in the Wallabies psyche that is exposed when it comes up against the stronger All Blacks psyche. A coach can improve the skills, the player depth, the tactics and every other technical aspect of the game of rugby. It may narrow the gap, but the All Blacks will still have the edge, the extra gear.
Robbie Deans is an excellent coach and is in the process of addressing the technical and “skill” aspects of the Wallabies’ performance.
This will not bridge the gap on a consistent basis.
The answer is to draw conclusions from our life experience in similar situations, and also look back to the few successful Wallabies teams.
In all cases, the difference was that the winner wanted it more.
Tiger Woods, Roger Federer, Jack Nicholas, Muhammad Ali, Herb Elliott, John Bertrand’s Australia II crew, Steffi Graf, the Australian Cricket team from 1989 until 2007. They were gifted performers, but what made them great was that they wanted it more.
While it sounds simple, and it is a simple concept, it is very difficult to implement. And it becomes harder to implement, or should I say carry out, as the point of victory or defeat gets nearer.
It’s only at the final moment that the real test occurs.
The ultimate contest is such a fundamental, primeval experience. It equates to the hunter and hunted contest of previous centuries. Now that it is almost completely removed from our society, it is harder to find people who demonstrate the necessary iron will and determination to win until it is too late to make a change.
In the case of a rugby team, selectors need 22 players in possession of the skill and the will.
These contests make for great and rare experiences for players and spectators alike. Today, players are paid handsomely to produce this determined unyielding will, often at the risk of personal injury. Too many professional sports people are not delivering their end of the bargain.
In the case of the Wallabies, they have failed to deliver for too long while the All Blacks have continued to deliver and in doing so, regularly expose the Wallabies’ lack of will.
Robbie Deans is ideally placed to examine and solve this lack of resolve. He is also a sufficiently good man manager to potentially change the psyche, unless it is a result of the different cultures and priorities of Australia and New Zealand.
I don’t believe it emanates from the wombs of the homeland.
Australian teams, some of them Wallabies teams, have triumphed over New Zealand and other countries against overwhelming odds on the world’s largest stages.
Unfortunately, I don’t hear Deans addressing the lack of will issue publicly. This is sensible. But nor do I see any change in the intensity or collective resolve of the Wallabies under his stewardship.
Despite the proud, exclusive and rich history of the Wallaby jersey, the excellent financial remuneration, the lifestyle, the adulation and the life long calling card, the Wallabies just don’t want it enough.
It is time for this to change. They owe everyone, not least of all themselves.
ammo
Guest
why are the selectors for NSW rugby not brought to task about their selections. The amount of talent overlooked in NSW is an absolute shame. I thought with independents such as Michael Foley coming into the NSW coaching staff would add some balance and start asking questions about the selections, particularly in the forwards. Noone seems to have enough backbone to say the selections are wrong and to look at other players.
Mica
Guest
what you say is absolutely true. The kind of forwards needed are overlooked for your soft private school players. NZ rugby is 'blue collar' rugby and Aus rugby is soft. Aus players are selected for other reasons not their ability. Selectors in NSW should be ashamed-they have overlooked good strong forwards with that bit of mongrel and the results are reflected in results at S14 and test level.
Knives Out
Roar Guru
internal structure that would facilitate development
Knives Out
Roar Guru
There's probably a lot of reasons, MT: travel time, being pushed into a Wallaby jersey too soon, a lack of consistent internal structure that would facilitate, being shifted from position to position, poor NSW Waratahs tactics... I don't know how much money was spent on Tahu's conversion, but I agree with your sentiment about recruitment, and also that Tahu probably wasn't that well looked after/
mother teresa
Guest
KNIVES, i feel tahu is overwhelmed and cannot cope with the necessary adjustments .the rugby environment and game is completely different in my view.people handle stress in various ways;some take the money and go for the ride ;others go for a ride and forget the money.some have great mentors who guide them thru.adjustment disorders are prevalent esp in some ethnic groups. my biggest concern is not with his character but those who recruited him with a history of injuries and then failed to assist. select in haste,repent in leisure
AndyS
Guest
So given how long it has been, they are presumably as good as they are ever going to be? Then one would have to question whether that is good enough or whether the investment in time, money and opportunity could be better directed...
Diplomatic Immunity
Guest
Bonza - If I was a full time paid administrator of the game I would be able to give you specifics, as that would be expected of me in that role. However as an observer of the game what I am doing is stating observations. The departure of highly paid players clearly frees up some cash. There are many options of what you could do will that cash. I have for a long time been an admirer of the way the AFL promotes itself at grassroots and have been astounded that the ARU/ NSWRU has lagged dramatically behind. It we won’t the code to be healthy for decades to come the administrators need to thing more deeply about how they "sell" the game to the upcoming generations.
Jameswm
Guest
Andy S TPN works very hard on his throwing off the field, I can assure you. And I'm pretty sure Burgess works hard on his pass too.
fred
Guest
the nswru made a big mistake losing ewan mckenzie after a very successful season bringing in a new group of non performers..what a mess;and its getting worse.yikes
Bonza
Guest
Diplomatic - its actually easy to give out contracts to grass roots or whatever, the hard part is to find players that can beat the Crusaders in Christchurch and the Bulls at Loftus. Please advise which part of the grass roots gives us this solution right now as there are two good holes to fill - Interested in your specific suggestions because that is exactly what Chris Hickey will have to do; OJ - agree it is a positive sign but it is about 5 days too late and 3 weeks too early - encouraging nonetheless
Knives Out
Roar Guru
I'm a Tigers man, and all thanks to Gareth Ellis. I have actually been watching a lot more rugby league recently. It's good stuff.
mcxd
Guest
KO, thurned into a wallabies fan ? or would that be an eels fan now ?
ohtani's jacket,
Guest
Stephen Moore and Ben Alexander had a dust-up at training. Perhaps that's a step in the right direction?
Knives Out
Roar Guru
To be honest I think this reflects badly on the character of Tahu. Maybe he genuinely felt that he couldn't cope, or maybe the game just didn't suit him. Either way it's not an ideal conclusion. All things considered I don't think that the Super tournament is a good arena of development for league converts. There aren't many games - and as we know, union is an experience based sport - there is a lot of travel, and what with the generally good weather there are few hiding places on the field. In England, for example, if a league player is struggling then during the wetter months he can be hidden, so to speak. The forwards can take the ball and the convert can watch and learn from a safe distance whilst still being involved on the pitch. That tends not to be an option on dryer and harder pitches. An excellent example of this is Shontayne Hape at Bath. He chugged away slowly learning and by the summer he was humming like a beauty. Chev Walker was progressing nicely too until he left union for family reasons. I don't think that Deans helped Tahu by pitching him in against the Springboks, either.
Diplomatic Immunity
Guest
Glad to see Tim Tam gone! I was never a fan of his and NSWRU might be able to channel that extra dough back into grass roots players. Still who's surprised? I watched him play the other week on ABC's Sat match. He came off the bench deep into the second half, (plays for west harbour I think?) There were 20 people 2 coaches and a couple of dogs at the ground and I cant help remembering thinking at the time that there was no way that a person who's tasted the heights of each code would stick around for this.... time proved it to be true. Shut the door on your way out Tim Tam. Add him to the list of league converts skulking home. Wake up ARU and look in your own backyard.
LeftArmSpinner
Roar Guru
Oh and as we lose Tuqiri and Tahu, the AB's get back Carter, Jack, Evans, McAlister et al from Europe. (apologies if some of the names are inaccurate but there are quality players returning to NZ!!!)
LeftArmSpinner
Roar Guru
Knives, My god, its a miracle. A true miracle. A prop has changed into a speedie back, right in front of our eyes. Backs have been declining into forwards for years, a natural process, but Doctors have struggled to achieve the reverse. But, Now, Knives Out has ben transformed into Tahu!!!! (see photo above for evidence!!!) Doctors are even more baffled as to how the transformation from silver fern to wallaby took place. So is the passport office!!! Knives, I was a tahu fan even in the face of the Boks disaster last season. But more recently, I "withdrew" my support and decided that enough chances were enough. Despite undoubted natural ability, he missed too many tackles, slipped over too much, too much injury time and was not worth the effort it took to support him against the tide on the roar!!!. So, no loss in my mind. Having said that, Who would want to play for the Tahs with THAT game plan!!!! Really it was the absence of a game plan. So, frees up plenty of money to go and get a bunch of youngsters who have already developed the necessary understanding of the game. Well done Knives. All good stuff.
Knives Out
Roar Guru
Spinner, is it still Tahu-time? Ho, ho ho... hee hee hee...
LeftArmSpinner
Roar Guru
expatsin, its not about wanting to win. its about wanting to win and giving more to win than the opposition. it is like giving an open cheque in terms of what you will give and how far you will go to win, on and off the field. Of course they want to win. The U9b's want to win. The Wallabies need to find more skill and will to win than the u9b's. AndyS, two good examples, Burgess and TPN. basic skills yet to be reliable under pressure. I cant explain the Burgess situation with his pass. it is more than just a bad day at the office. but there are also good days for him, very good days and he certainly doesnt lack courage or determination given his tough path to the Wallabies. TPN, I just dont know enough about him, but inaccurate throwing is unacceptable. then again, the AB lineout has been weak for years, but it is populated with true mongrels like Williams and Thorne. no one is perfect.
Stash
Guest
Hmmm....actually didn't Deans go to the bench too late last year... (I cant quite recall). Either way, it lead to his downfall.