Reading a recent article on how Jonah Lomu helped light the “fuse” for the All Blacks, I reflected on who lights the Wallabies fuse.
Do the Wallabies have a similar character to fire them up?
Could this be the missing ingredient we so badly need to reach the hallowed ground of consistently beating the best in the world, as we did under Rod MacQueen?
Jonah has an almost spiritual connection to the All Black jersey. He has so much pride in his heritage and his beloved All Blacks.
The All Blacks players stated that his presence and love for the game ignited the team to produce a performance that will be talked about for years. It was a complete demolition over a good French team, on a ground that the French have only ever lost once in the history of the game.
How are the Wallabies ever to beat the All Blacks if they can’t reach a similar standard? Currently their erratic performances aren’t anywhere remotely close.
How are us supporters and the players themselves hope to have confidence in the Wallabies going forward?
The answer may be in reflecting on where Jonah finds his passion for the game and how he demonstrates his pride in the jersey.
I was unfortunate to walk into a lift with Jonah – or fortunate enough to survive with my life! – hours after the 2002 Bledisloe Cup in Sydney. The mighty All Blacks had lost again – for the fifth year straight.
The lift doors open and there the colossal Jonah stood.
I froze.
I’m not a small bloke, at 6’3 and 100 kegs, but it was not only Jonah’s physical immensity that was most intimidating. It was his darkest of moods, a raw primal energy not of grief, but a kind of stone-faced torment that seemed to suck the oxygen right out of the lift.
His pain was stark, it seemed to smack you straight in the face. I’m sure that’s what he wanted to do, take out his frustration on an Aussie supporter in the private confines of a lift.
Thank the Lord Mils Muliaina was in the lift too, a reserve that night.
Sensing that Jonah might be teetering on the precipice of ripping me apart like a BBQ chicken, he put on a smile, delaying the ticking time bomb that was Jonah long enough for me to make my escape a few seconds later.
Those seconds in that lift while I waited to get out at my floor were some of the longest in my life, but what an insight it gave me.
What I felt and experienced first hand was Jonah’s unfathomable pride in the All Black jersey.
In the All Blacks latest win over the French, Mils Muliaina revealed a little of the special nature of All Black rugby, he alludes to what was the fuse that lit them up:
“He spoke a lot about still wanting to be in the black jersey, and that he still dreams about it today. Certainly for an older guy like me, that just inspires you still being in the environment and wanting to play your best.
“He lost that through sickness. You just never know what’s around the corner, and that in itself is inspiring.”
Where is that similar level of pride in the Wallaby jersey today? Where is our fuse?
How did we get to the stage of owning the “unwanted piece of history” that was the loss to Scotland? How do we get our pride back and how did Rod MacQueen aid in creating that sense of pride in the first place?
The latest Welsh victory proved that the Wallabies are “on track” but, how many times have we heard that now over the course on two seasons?
Deans would be breathing a massive sigh of relief landing in Sydney and fronting the media with a story of “back on track” and “loads of potential in blooding new players”. But his job was on the line just a few days ago.
I can’t say I’m hugely confident of beating the current All Blacks next year and then in the World Cup after their slaying of the French. It could be a nightmare and drain what little support the Wallabies have got left, plunging them further into despair and what could be a fatal blow to the sport in this country.
We need to act now.
In recent years – since the debacle of 2007 Rugby World Cup – questions have been asked again and again of why the Wallabies need to be placed in a position of utter embarrassment to decide to show up?
Even Deans has stated that “you never know what team will show up to play rugby”, and “they keep on inventing new ways of losing”. This was only two weeks ago.
It begs the question: How does a team with so much pride, so much Wallaby heritage behind them – experienced team or not – need the motivation of humiliation before they get in the right mental state to play for their country?
As a Wallaby supporter I cannot comprehend this reality.
The “glory days” of Australian rugby came in the form of a bloke who knows a thing or two about pride and what it means to wear the green and gold. He did not actually get to have that immortal honour, but came very close.
Rod MacQueen placed a huge importance on creating a “fuse” with enough explosion to propel his team into the stratosphere of success.
Unlike measurable statistics and results, a “fuse” is very abstract and hard to measure. Notice that the loss to Wales completely defied statistics like the Wallabies’ dominate field position and possession.
They completely dominated statistically but ultimately failed.
They lacked the self-belief to finish off try scoring opportunities again and again. It was torture to watch, but fascinating as an illustration of how a team can completely dissolve under the the fear of losing.
They need a fuse to reignite their potential. Look at Jonah Lomu.
He could ironically be the saviour of the Wallabies, if they are able to learn from him.
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.
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