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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)
I sincerely hope that I’m not the only one who has noticed Phil Waugh’s lack of tact as a captain of the NSW Waratahs.
On and off the field in last week’s Super 14 semi-final, I found Waugh to be one of the key reasons that the Waratahs lost the game and why everyone but NSW residents hate the Waratahs.
I couldn’t help but notice that all throughout the season, Waugh just couldn’t grasp the fact that he was hurting his team by giving away countless penalties at the breakdown and complaining to the ref about it, and then screaming at his team when they conceded tries, despite the fact that his constant infringements were in part the reason for the loss of momentum.
The worst of this, and my tipping point as a viewer, was Waugh’s appalling penalty count at Newlands and the fact that he lambasted his team as “performing like a club side” after the match, despite the fact he was largely responsible for his sides constant leaking of points. This was followed by one of the most ungracious speeches by a professional rugby captain that I have ever heard.
Waugh, at the conclusion of the semi-final, did not once mention that his team may have been beaten by a better side, nor did he congratulate the Stormers on progressing to the final, he simply grunted that his side threw away opportunities and even audaciously hinted that they could have won (the Waratahs were noticeably lacking any scoring opportunities, and were effectively out of the game from the moment the Stormers took the lead).
The worrying thing about this disgraceful performance on and off the field from Waugh is that it is most certainly not the first time we’ve seen it. Had a more capable ref had taken charge of the Hurricanes game, Waugh would have received two yellow and a red card for the amount of penalties he gave away inside his teams defensive red zone, and this performance lies among countless other games where his penalty count was much higher than his opposite number’s across the competition.
Couple this with the fact that he has yet to congratulate and appreciate a better team in any after match speech where the Waratahs have lost and you have a man who lives in a dream world of glorified heroism glazed in a shade of light blue.
It’s time for Waugh to get off his high horse, assess that he’s not making the Wallaby squad for a reason, get back to playing rugby, and for the NSWRU to wake up and embrace the next generation, get a captain who is a role model on and off the field and start moving Phil out of the system – particularly considering many of his teammates won’t be too pleased about his comments about them post-Newlands!
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.