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Once again, the Waratahs have flattered to deceive. After finishing third in the competition phase of the 2010 Super 14, and recording some notable wins, the Waratahs have fallen at the first hurdle in the finals phase.
Once again, an Australian provincial rugby team has been found wanting when it really mattered. Conceding seven kickable penalties is simply unforgivable. 21 points head start or the equivalent of 3 converted tries.
What were they thinking?
Where were the leaders as the crisis built?
Where were the experienced wallabies when it counted? Polota Nau, Baxter, Waugh, Burgess, Barnes or Mitchell.
The scoring tally looked like this:
Peter Grant (pen)
9m
Peter Grant (pen)
12m
Peter Grant (pen)
51m
Peter Grant (pen)
56m
Peter Grant (pen)
63m
Peter Grant (pen)
66m
In the period from the 51st minute to the 66th minute, the Waratahs conceded four penalties. Using the rugby equivalent of tennis’s game, set, match, the quarter, the half and the game were lost in this 15 minute period.
It’s not as though the Stormers were scoring tries so freely that the Waratahs needed to push the rules (and in the danger zone where Peter Grant could kick the goals) to get the ball away from their opposition. Possession across the game was 50 per cent to each team.
The Waratahs won the rucks and mauls 82 to 58, turnovers 27 to 10, runs 86 to 61 and made 30% less tackles and Stormers, 56 to 90.
But they conceded 21 avoidable and unnecessary points to arguably the best team in the 2010 competition.
Call me old fashioned. Call me anything (except late for dinner), but I just don’t get it.
In this age of fulltime professional rugby players’, with direct and effective communication from coaches to players during a game, with extensive video analysis, with sports psychologists, how can a team failed to score a try while conceding 18 points (and possibly an additional three points) from penalties in a sudden death semi final?
I just don’t get that.
The only conclusion to be drawn is that, by comparison to the Super 14’s best teams, the Crusaders, the Bulls and ( if the current performances continues in years to come) the Stormers, the Waratahs lack the most important ingredient for any aspiring rugby team, mental strength.
By that, I mean the ability to understand the game while it is in progress, adapt tactics and playing style on the run and maintain concentration and intensity for the full 80 minutes.
Down just seven points, 13-6, after 51 minutes, the game was there to be won.
History has repeated itself. The Waratahs remain an enigma. Their impressions of “Bully Boys” against the weaker teams but then failing to beat any of the other 3 semi finalists, puts them need two if not on top of the infamous “flatter to deceive” awards along with Graeme Hick.
What is to be done? Interestingly, the current Waratahs organisation requires relatively little in terms of quantity but a lot in terms of quality.
The board of New South Wales Rugby need to acknowledge that this is an issue of the Pareto principle and that the current coaching staff had failed to address the single most important issue facing the New South Wales HSBC Waratahs: mental strength.
If they are really serious, they will move the Hickey team on now and replace them, for the 2011 season, with coaches that have a track record of addressing mental strength and changing cultures within an organisation to achieve this new paradigm. White and Cheika come to mind. I’m sure that there are others.
It has been no surprise to me that Hickey and Wisemantel have failed to address this issue. However, I am surprised that Michael Foley and does not appear to have been able to inculcate mental strength into the Waratahs pack. All career coaches make mistakes.
Foley needs to make sure that he doesn’t overlook this issue again.
Meanwhile, and until this issue is addressed, the New South Wales Waratahs will flatter to deceive.
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.