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Crusaders' Andy Ellisleft, bottom left, tackles the Waratahs' Dean Mumm as his captain Phil Waugh jumps to make room for a pass during their Super 14 rugby union game at the Olympic Stadium in Sydney, Australia, Saturday, March 21, 2009. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)
What do we make of the NSW Waratahs coach, Chris Hickey, being surprised at the NZRU’s instruction to their Super 14 franchise to play more ‘positive’ rugby to restore the game’s popularity? Not much, in fact.
Hickey’s rejection of a similar policy for the Waratahs suggests to me that he has lost the plot and that his tenure on the coaching job must be in doubt.
Hickey says that he has not been approached by the Australian or NSW unions to change last year’s pathetic “win ugly” style that turned spectators away in their thousands, and failed to get the Waratahs into the finals.
I’ve been told by high authorities inside the Waratahs camp that they are decidedly unhappy with Hickey’s performance last season and that words to this effect will be delivered to Hickey.
Have these words been delivered yet?
Hickey was reported in the Sydney Morning Herald as saying that “at the moment the laws tend to favour the defensive team a little.”
Here is a news flash for the Waratahs coach: the laws of rugby have always favoured the defensive side. The task of the coach is to work out ways of beating this defensive bias.
The Wallabies did this on Saturday against Wales, as did the All Blacks and Ireland.
The strange thing about all this is that Hickey came into the coaching job of the Waratahs with a great deal of good will.
His Eastwood sides were very successful over a long period of time, and they played attractive and effective rugby. But as soon as he took over the Waratahs, he seemed to give up on the attractive, effective style and opted for “winning ugly.”
The problem was that he kept the second part of the phrase but not the first part.
His justification for playing defensive, kicking and boring rugby is that the Super 14 is “a very difficult competition you are trying to win.” The implication here is that you can’t win the tournament playing running rugby.
Well, tell that to the Canterbury Crusaders, a side that has won seven Super Rugby titles by running the ball.
The Waratahs take their name from the wonderful 1928/9 NSW side that toured Britain and was famous for running the ball from virtually anywhere on the field. This is the tradition Hickey should try to emulate.
He has the talent in the backline, especially now that Berrick Barnes has transferred from Queensland. The pack looks like being strong and competitive. So there is no excuse not to play like the Wallabies did in their Test against Wales.
If Hickey thinks that this is beyond his coaching abilities under the present laws, then he should be told by the NSWRU board to hand over to someone who can do this.
The Waratahs just cannot afford another season of “winning ugly” rugby.