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Wallabies really need a specialist goal kicker

Roar Guru
14th July, 2010
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Roar Guru
14th July, 2010
44
1883 Reads

WANTED: a specialist goal-kicker for the Wallabies. Must have at least 90 per cent accuracy with penalty kicks. Able to kick drop goals with the same accuracy.

But most importantly, able to kick under great pressure to clinch the narrowest of victories.

Preferably, he should be successful from distances up to about 50 meters, and from all sorts of angles. Optionally, able to rake the ball into touch over sizeable distances.

A bonus, but not necessary, that he should have a high work-rate in the park.

Must be a game winner.

Heresy?

Just when the new interpretations covering the rucks have produced a feast of running rugby? And now instead, to rely on successful goal-kicks to improve Wallaby fortunes?

Isn’t that retrogressing?

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Wouldn’t such a reliance induce the Wallabies to drop their intensity (not that there have been many matches with said intensity)?

Posters on The Roar have remarked about how the Wallabies seem to take two steps forward and one step backward. Perth: a victory over the Fijians. Perth: a win over the England, won mostly because the defense held up.

Then in Sydney, “beaten by a team built like dart players”, in the words of Spiro. An unconvincing win over Ireland in Brisbane.

Last year, a defeat to Scotland after 27 years. For want of a Boot, a Record was lost.

Let’s face it. We’re setting ourselves up for a lot of disappointment if we expect the present Wallabies to string a long number of wins.

Won’t the knowledge that a specialist goal-kicker can save their skins, sway the Wallabies into putting a lackluster effort?

On the contrary, this might just make the Wallabies play better. At the moment, they seem unconvinced that they can reproduce recent successes.

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The knowledge that not everything depends on them might just relieve their crippling, collective anxiety and allow them to get into the rhythm of playing better.

In enjoying the game, they might start winning games in succession. Fewer knock-ons, no pass-the-parcel (non-) attacking line, and the, irony of it, no mindless ping-pong kicking.

We have fiddled with player selections etc here in The Roar when the solution has been staring at us in the face.

I’ll say it again.

The FOREMOST strategic imperative for the Wallabies is a solid, specialist goal-kicker. In future when the player roster has not been decimated by injury, when the young ‘uns have been hardened by experience, such a potent goal-kicker may no longer be crucial.

Not heresy. Just pragmatism.

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