One of the more common criticisms of the state of Australian rugby is that there’s no depth, or even that there’s not enough quality to cater for four Super rugby teams, let alone one more with the arrival of the Melbourne Rebels in 2011.
These criticisms place Australian rugby in the classic catch-22; without the four (and soon to be five) professional teams, places are very limited and the chance for young players to impress is often brief, and almost always cut-throat.
Either way, the talent argument or how much of it there is or isn’t, is actually for another day. Looking around the Super 14 this year has seen some pretty handy young players making their mark already, and I’ve picked out four to focus on this week.
NSW Waratahs flanker and lock Dave Dennis is one player who has already got plenty of wraps from the actual and armchair experts, which should come as no surprise after Robbie Deans took him to Europe at the end of 2009 after a starring season captaining Sydney University’s premiership side.
The 24-year-old didn’t take long to establish his place for the Tahs this season, and his strong form on their South African tour was enough to consign long-standing lock Will Caldwell to the bench after the return of Dean Mumm from suspension.
Moving back to blindside flanker has been a godsend for Dennis though, and his performance in Friday night’s rout of the Lions particularly, was pretty hard to ignore.
In the first half on Friday night, Dennis’s large frame was a constant presence in the tackle and ruck areas, but it was in the second half as the game opened up where Dennis really came into his own.
Suddenly he was making line breaks and offloads seemingly at will, and proved to be a headache for the already-aching Lions defence in centre field. If there were repeat phases to be had, Dennis was in them up to his ears, and he was a crucial link between forwards and backs in attack.
I don’t want to go making rash statements (for a change), but I can see a lot of Wallaby captain Rocky Elsom in Dave Dennis currently. It wouldn’t surprise me one bit to see him in a Wallaby jumper before the year is done.
ACT Brumbies playmaker Christian Lealiifano was tipped by plenty – me included – to be the main loser with the return to Canberra of prodigal son Matt Giteau.
After young flyhalf Matt Toomua finished the 2009 season in strong form, and found himself as a late call-up on the Wallabies’ Spring Tour, the thought was that Lealiifano would spend most of 2010 on the bench, and that the Melbourne-raised midfielder would become an inevitable signing for the Rebels.
He may well end up returning home in 2011 yet, but if he does it won’t be because he’s unwanted in Canberra.
Lealiifano has instead benefitted massively from Giteau’s return, and has slotted into the inside centre position almost seamlessly. What’s more, because Giteau is under pressure to deliver a title and walk on water at the same time, Lealiifano has been able to ply his creative trade at No.12 with little or no pressure at all.
More often than not, Lealiifano is calling the plays for his outside men, rather than Giteau, and it would appear that the Brumbies are pinning their attacking game around Lealiifano in that New Zealand-style second five-eighths position.
Queensland Reds inside centre Anthony Faingaa was something of a surprise naming in the Reds’ No.12 at the start of this season, but since then, he’s repaid new Queensland coach Ewan McKenzie’s faith in spades.
While the likes of Quade Cooper, Will Genia, and even rookie speedster Luke Morahan are getting the rave reviews in the Reds’ cracking season start, Faingaa has been a constant performer among these names, even if he hasn’t been as widely noticed.
His defence has always been a strong point, and this has certainly continued to be the case in 2010, though admittedly, anyone defending in the line next to Quade Cooper is going to look fairly solid.
But he’s also a straight, hard running centre, not unlike NSW’s Tom Carter, and Faingaa’s ability to hit holes really shone in the Reds’ 50-10 demolition of the Western Force in Brisbane on Sunday, where he scored his first and then second try for the Reds since moving north from Canberra at the end of 2008.
While his talent was always evident, it seems he’s finally benefitting for the same thing every young player craves: opportunity. On current form, there should be plenty more of it coming his way.
Western Force flanker Ben McCalman first caught my eye a few weeks back, when I forced myself to ignore a lifetime’s worth of backline instinct and watch forwards for a weekend (yes, it was painful, and no, I’m not quite back to normal).
Having made his Super rugby debut from the bench in round 1, McCalman was elevated to the starting line-up following the long-term injuries to Wallaby backrowers Richard Brown and The Roar’s own David Pocock, and has just gone from strength to strength since, albeit in some fairly well-beaten Force teams this year.
While there’s been seemingly weekly shuffling of the troops in the Force pack of late, McCalman has been a fixture in the No.6 jumper, and his work in combination with openside flanker Matt Hodgson has been a rare highlight so far in a season the Force desperately needs to get back on track.
Like his Sydney Uni team-mate Dave Dennis, who then went to Europe last Spring, McCalman was brought into the Wallabies pre-tour training squad having grabbed the attention of Robbie Deans while playing strongly in last year’s Shute Shield finals.
His ability to cover lock and backrow can only be a good thing for his future selection hopes, and it’s not difficult to picture him in Australian colours in the coming years.
kingplaymaker
Roar Guru
Looks good: it's sad to see the Wallabies who are so strong in so many positions being let down by a critical few weaknesses. Australia seem to have the odd habit of producing most of their quality in some positions and very little in others. The total misjudgement of Hynes, Mitchell and Turner is also at fault: if someone ever demanded they do more than turn up and not make any defensive mistakes then they might get replaced by raw but more talented players. Things do seem to be shaping up nicely though as there is still a reasonable way to go before the World Cup :-) In addition to the rest of this Super campaign and the club rugby season, there's next year too, and although the Wallabies have glaring gaps and depth to fill out, the kind of developments you're referring too suggest they'll come up with enough new players to sort things out.
Brett McKay
Guest
KPM, I can - Pat McCabe for the Brumbies has been nothing short of amazing for a guy in his first full Super rugby season. He's got that look about him that makes you think he's been around for years, just in the way he plays. Very good in attack, seems to prefer running than kicking, and his defence is pretty strong too. Definitely one to watch. It's funny actually that I ended up with two flankers and two insides here, because it was completely unintentional. I had Dennis and Kane Douglas bracketed from the Tahs, and went with Dennis after last Fri night's game. I had Luke Morahan (and there's another winger for you) and Faingaa bracketed from the Reds, and went with Faingaa after Morahan got a fair bit of press the week before. I could just as easily have ended up with a lock, and inside, a winger, and a flanker! By the way, and I touched on this in the column, Dennis played a lot of lock last year for Syd Uni (Bruce Ross could tell you exactly how much ;-) ), but is back in his preferred no.6, and McCalman, who has also played lock, in also pretty effective as a No.8. I think this versatility could help these guys a lot in the coming years...
kingplaymaker
Roar Guru
Brett this is obviously a good increase in depth, but it seems that most of these players are in positions where the Walllabies already have plenty of goood players. Two are inside centres and two blindside flankers. Probably some depth in the latter is useful for the Wallabies, but it isn't a position where they're desperately short. At inside centre there is almost too much talent already: Barnes, Cooper, Beale, O'Connor. It seems to me that the Wallabies real shortages of talent (which admittedly is not depth, the subject you're discussing), lie in the second row and on the wings. The problems at the second row are chronic (it seems Dennis is turning into a blindside flanker) and Australia are a joke on the wings, Ioane aside: Mitchell, Turner and Hynes are a feeble set of attacking weapons. So the question I'm heading to in this somewhat rambling point is whether you have noticed any new wings or second rows making an impression? (What happened to Nasingayavi by the way?). The players you suggested will undoubtedly add depth to the Wallabies, but a good new wing or second row might transform them as they would be so much superior to the players they would replace. A small point is this added quality in the Super 14 suggests player numbers in Australia are doing well.
Nick P
Guest
He probably wants more money than he is worth. He would really be getting offered $$$ to play a world cup year in France, the teams over there need the players without potential WC commitments.
ThelmaWrites
Guest
Thanks, Brett, for all the clarifications, e.g. the Flower "twins". I'm just an enthusiastic pedant with a faulty memory and extreme lapses of concentration.
The Other Reds Fan.
Guest
Can any body explain why Rodzilla isn't coming back, especially if we lose Weekes? Have we tried?
Chris McKay
Guest
Based on current form (and also that of last year). Scott Higginbotham deserves a shot at the Wallabies if he continues the way he is going. Can cover 6 and 8 He is a naturally gifted athlete with plenty of speed and skills. He is a hard worker and gets around the field well. I am also led to believe he dominates the gym work and really puts in. Ben Mowen is also a genuine contender for the wallaby squad as he has all the skills required and provides cover at 6 and 8.
AR
Guest
It was more of an observation on my part than anything else 'Loyal Tah Supporter', and the bias towards a Sydney Uni player like Tom Carter. He may be a great guy off the field but on it well he's just keeping the position warm for when Rob Horne returns - a non one dimensional player with speed, finesse, and strong fend that Carter seems to lack. I will give credit where credit is due and if there are any players out there that are not firing (Force minus Hodgson) then they will get it too. http://www.greenandgoldrugby.com/video-alternative-round-5-highlights/ For the record, the Tahs played well in patches. Putting on a massive score does not mean it is brilliant rugby. Brilliant rugby is the way the Bulls have been going about this business and to a lesser extent the Reds. I'm still not convinced the Tahs have their best backline on the field but when they do - look out.
Brett McKay
Guest
no idea then, Reds. What's the smiley for throwing your hands up in the air and walking away...
reds fan
Guest
Two years according to this. http://aru.rugby.com.au/news/super_14_2010/dave_denis_re-signs_to_the_waratahs,135653.html
Brett McKay
Guest
JK, I thought that was the case too, he sorted it all out after the Spring Tour. But it must have only been a one-year deal, because he's definitely been mentioned. Here's one such mention just from The Roar (http://www.theroar.com.au/2010/02/27/rebels-look-off-shore-to-fill-forwards/), but SMH had one earlier this week, from memory..
JK
Guest
Didn't he sign for two years last year?
Brett McKay
Guest
Nick, Dennis has been mentioned among potential Rebels approaches, and there is of course the obvious Syd Uni connections...
Brett McKay
Guest
Reds, I was speaking to a mate about this yesterday, and to our best knowledge, both Shepherdson and Alexander only just re-signed for a couple of years at the start of THIS season, but we're not sure about Ma'afu's situation...
Nick P
Guest
One of them to the Rebs maybe?
Brett McKay
Guest
Thelma, my work was done with the Flower "twins"....
OldManEmu
Guest
Hehe, fish are biting this morning LOL on Haylett Petty - poor bugger is well out ofhis depth this season but hopefully he will learn from the experiences. Justin Harrison and Van Humphries in the second row...................
Red Rooster
Guest
Hard to shine if you barely get on the field - Hickey hasn't given Mowen much game time of late
bennalong
Guest
Andrew..............!!!!!
jeznez
Guest
Palmer has started ahead of Shepherdson for Southern Districts - so he only has to back himself over Maafu to think he'll get game time for the Brumbies. You'd have to think that a Brumbie front rower might be on the move south though. I think this is shocking miss by the Tahs, Baxter might be in some of the best form of his career but I don't think he is scrummaging as well as Palmer did in his Super 14 games last year. Kepu is failing to convince me as well, his body shape looks wrong. His legs look too long compared to a shorter torso than you would prefer in a prop, also he seems to be suffering from being another prop who packs with his legs too far back. I'd been looking forward to Palmer starting for the Tahs since Baxter got dropped from the Wallabies last year, now he is down the road to a rival outfit - gut wrenching!