Australian cricket captain Steve Waugh (left), and Vice Captain Shane Warne (right) display the World Cup Cricket trophy. Australia’s 1 Day Cricket World Cup winning team drove in a motorcade down Sydney’s main street to celebrate in a ticket tape parade with over 100,000 well wishers attending. AAP Photo/ Pablo Ramire
The Wallabies are not the Bangladesh of rugby. The Wallabies are one of the top three teams in world rugby. It is but two short steps to the summit. There is no void there. The gulf is not insurmountable.
Let there be no recriminations. No witch hunt for the coach. No censuring of players that don the green and gold.
Let there be no belittling of the ardent fan who wants his team to win.
It is negative for us to accept a narrow defeat. Nothing less than victory will take away the pain. Nine straight and counting is a tale too morose to countenance.
These 15 young men dressed in a garb of black are not super-natural aliens from another galaxy. They only live across the ditch. Many kiwis call Australia home. But we should not allow them to camp on our front lawn and smile in that self-satisfied and smug manner.
The Wallabies need to take a leaf out of Mark Taylor’s 1995 West Indian odyssey. How did his team reach the summit? The Windies had not been beaten since the early eighties. The last time Australia beat them was in 1975-76. They came close in Adelaide on Australia Day in 1993, when McDermott was given out caught off his helmet.
Leading up to the first Test Australia lost their frontline pacers in McDermott and Damien Fleming. There is a message here for the Wallabies. Palu, Horwill and Ioane are injured but that is no excuse. It is an opportunity.
It hinged on one seminal moment. The instant when Glen McGrath bounced Curtly Ambrose and Courtney Walsh in the first Test. At the team meeting the night before the team vowed: “Let’s treat their tailenders with no respect.
“Let’s bounce them upon their arrival at the crease. We’ll be the ones doing the intimidating, but we must never lose a grip on things. We must follow up this greeting with controlled aggression, to then get them out.” (From OUT OF MY COMFORT ZONE, By Steve Waugh.)
Steve Waugh recalls: “Bad body language is a bit like smelly underarms in that you don’t really sense it, but those around you pick up on it in an instant.”
So what is the equivalent of bouncing tailenders in a Rugby Test against the All Blacks?
It would have to be not backing down at the Haka. This is a ritual where the AB’s throw down the gauntlet. The accepted response is one of respect by the opposition as they stand 10 metres away.
There is nothing disrespectful if the opponent chooses to pick up the gauntlet. There is nothing to stop the Wallabies from inching forward or even circling the All Blacks. It would send a message that they were not intimidated.
This response will acknowledge that the Wallabies also expected to be hit hard by an enraged AB’s team. But the clear message would be that they were up for the pain.
In the 2007 WC quarter final France eyeballed the AB’s: “We talked about it three days ago,” France captain Raphael Ibanez told a press conference.
“It was not a provocation but we wanted to show them that we are proud.”
I don’t recommend that we blow kisses to the AB’s a la Phil Kearns or do a Campese on your own try line but I am suggesting a confrontation that has aggression. This is the warrior’s response and there is no disrespect. Only affirmation of your own intent.
With this initial skirmish out of the way the next step would be to hit the All Black’s with everything the first time they have the ball. Hit them with more than one man. Hit them with support. And when the Wallabies have the ball they must get over the advantage line. This needs willing teammates.
I am not so naïve to suggest it will be easy. I am also not discounting that maybe there are structural deficiencies at the club and grassroots level. There is also the question of the inexperienced scrum and absence of a proven number 8.
O’Connor may be too small and Giteau may not be a number 10. We are missing Hynes and Palu. We lack a Daniel Herbert or Tim Horan. But these are matters the Wallabies cannot control.
They can control their own destiny with the players in the squad. They need to confront, commit and control. For eighty minutes. Nothing less will do. And it starts with the Haka.
The Wallabies can start by confronting the Springboks on the 28th of August and the 4th of September. They have not won on the high veldt since 1963. It is time to correct this. The first step.
The September 11 clash against the AB’s at ANZ Stadium will define the Wallabies as either serious contenders or just the third ranked pretenders. The second step to the summit.
The World Cup is next year and can wait. The Wallabies have unfinished business and the next two and a half months, leading up to Tokyo, October 31s ,will be a litmus test for these current Wallabies.
The Australian fans have thrown down the gauntlet to their own team. How will they respond?
Can they come up smelling roses?
jeremy
Guest
Vinay, as a proud Kiwi I don't need reminding of what the haka represents, I was attempting to highlight how demystification and deconstruction of the haka could bring results. In schoolboy days I used to row; looking back I realise that the crew I was in only began to succeed when we blocked out absolutely everything around us and concentrated purely on making the boat go fast. We didn't talk to people as we carried the boat to the water, we didn't look out of the boat, we didn't look at our oars, we didn't listen to what other crews were saying or doing in the lane next to us. When we had that level of concentration and focus, we won. It was that simple. Extending this to sports, if you have the level of focus and concentration on what you need to achieve, then elements like the sound of the crowd, and the environment become secondary considerations. In that state, the haka would be a group of men making faces, yelling, and poking their tongues out, the psychological effect would be diminished. Therefore, the response to the haka should be as a result of preparation rather than its own thing in its own right. There shouldn't *need* to be a 'plan'. But if you do want to know how to view or respond to the haka, take a cue from the All Blacks - they're trained to do it. Watch Jon Afoa here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gcQRu3yTcfk @ 1:07 Richie McCaw here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OrzcMagsWUM @ 3:11 Munster and the ABs here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13fGHSqHTwA - throughout Treat it with solemnity and respect in solidarity with the team mates. Then press the mental reset button and play the game.
Vinay Verma
Roar Guru
jeremy,to start with there is no other way than to stand up to the Haka. You can't turn your back. That would be cowardice. You can't play touch footy under the crossbar. That would be disrespectful. The Haka demands a response. Cold staring is fine and you can be thinking about your game plan. It takes two to make a game and they are both intent on winning. That is the beauty. If we knew the result we wouldn't watch. Of course you validate the Haka but nore importantly you validate your credentials. "Yelling and poking their tongues out" is not how I see the Haka. It is a ritualistic expression of warriors embarking on a battle.
Frank O'Keeffe
Guest
Bob Dwyer has some interesting points on the haka in his first book 'The Winning Way', which I think all people ought to read.
Frank O'Keeffe
Guest
But when Campo ignored the haka it wasn't out of disrespect, it was because he was Campo. There was a test around '95 or '96 where Phil Kearns instructed his side to glare down the haka and really stand up to it. As the Wallabies were getting ready Kearns looked around... "Er Campo... this way... Campo, we're standing-up to the haka." Campo was running around kicking the ball without a clue about the game starting. Campo did things because he was an individual. He was off in his own little world. Still the greatest.
jeremy
Guest
Well, the way that the article reads, the central theme does appear to be standing up to the haka, comparing approaches and drawing comparisons to other famous sporting comebacks. Underlying intent to standing up to the haka is all fine, but I would've thought that if a player were that intent on winning a game of rugby, their focus wouldn't be on the guys standing in front of them yelling and poking their tongues out - it'd be on how they were going to do what you needed to in the match to win. The haka would be incidental noise that they're not paying attention to. Another perspective on it. You write of team chemistry, collective passion and intent, being ready for the pain, backing your teammates. The haka itself is the embodiment of these things, is it not? So what good would a challenge do other than to validate the haka? And you're correct in saying everyone is beatable - but this cuts both ways - as much as the All Blacks are beatable, the Wallabies are beatable. Christchurch's game reinforced that; as a spectator it seemed to me that the All Blacks realised that the Wallabies were working on ways to beat the All Blacks, and the All Blacks then (excuse the repetition!) beat the Wallabies in the areas they were trying to beat the All Blacks.
jeremy
Guest
Brad Thorn was born in New Zealand...
Vinay Verma
Roar Guru
jeremy,i take your point but my point was that the intent starts with the HAKA and then it must be carried through for eighty minutes of football. I am not so naive as to think you win the Bledisloe by outstaring the AB's. I spoke of the collective passion and intent,being ready for the pain and backing your teammates. And in the final analysis everyone is beatable.The chemistry has got to be right.
ohtani's jacket
Guest
The most famous example was Campo ignoring the haka completely in the 1991 World Cup semi. The entire team tried that in '96, however, and were thumped.
jeremy
Guest
Hi Vinay, Re the haka, If someone has the spare 17 hours it would take to do this, I'd like to map out the number of times a team has challenged the haka and gone on to win the match. The obvious is French in the World Cup in 2007 (but this was a *very* narrow contest in the scheme of things) - otherwise, no situation springs to mind. I think you'll find that challenging the haka does little more than give additional incentive for the All Blacks to bring out the whacking stick, and apply it with great force and a small amount of glee to the opposition. The Springboks enjoy the highest win ratio against the All Blacks; would you like to know what their approach is? Stand with your countrymen, relish the challenge, then get out there and play the game. It really IS that simple.
jeremy
Guest
Hi Vinay, Here are the names of some of the kiwis who call Australia home: Dean Mumm (born in Auckland) Quade Cooper (born in Tokoroa) Digby Ioane (born in Wellington) Robbie Deans (born in Cheviot) Out of interest, do you apply the self-satisifed, smug label to the above? Just curious.
Ben S
Roar Guru
I'm learning every day, CD.
Cattledog
Guest
Amazing what goes on as the Southern Hemisphere sleeps, isn't it...lol
Ben S
Roar Guru
Absolutely, Vinay. I like that ... 'Robust and gentlemanly'. A good choice of words.
rich1612
Guest
Moaman, I do understand that, but that's the point, playing rugby Tests is tough. There are always going to be excuses. The Sydney Test is a great opportunity for the Wallabies, I feel it needs to be the first planting of the seed of doubt for the ABs as they commence their 12 month lead up to the WC. I feel that if they don't put in their best performance of the year they will really struggle going into next year.
Vinay Verma
Roar Guru
Ben S and Cattledog,enjoyed your tete a tete. Robust and gentlemanly, as Melon would say,like Rugby should be. These are opinions and there is no winner.
Ben S
Roar Guru
Fair play, CD. Indeed, I am from the NH. We shall just have to agree to respectfully disagree. I think Australia are poorly coached, poorly selected and that some of the players lack core skills. Beyond that I think the Wallabies do have some very good players, that aren't having the best brought out of them... or they don't want to bring it out of themselves. Either way I think there's a schism between specific sides, and if SA get their act together these coming weeks then that gulf may be played out on the big stage. The November Tests will be pretty informative this season. Have a good one.
Cattledog
Guest
Aaah Ben S, nice to hear from you. I was right, you are from the NH or you keep rather odd hrs! Agreed, Waratahs and Brumbies were rather pathetic in attack, and I agree (and I have said on other blogs) that I don't think Deans is doing a particularly good job. However, we have him until the RWC at least so we are hoping he has a rabbit in that hat somewhere. Having said that, I still agree with Vinay regarding the skills situation and it really is passion and belief, which the team is missing at the moment. Yes, I do wear my passion on my sleeve for the Wallabies from time to time and I would say, like all teams, they have peaks and troughs. At the moment, they're in a bit of a trough. However, when your playing in the strongest provincial tornament and then the TN, I would suggest that even when going through a trough, you are generally as good or better than those not playing in such tournaments. Sorry Ben, but a fact. At any rate, the ABs are playing at an incredibly high level at the moment. Whether they can maintain this through to the RWC next year, only time will tell. Whether the IRB rankings can be taken with a grain of salt, again, there's not much else but personal opinion to go on. I'll stick with the IRB rankings at this stage. Good talking with you! PS. Thought I would come back BEFORE we win everything...lol
Ben S
Roar Guru
You shall have to excuse me, CD. I meant to say 'aside from the Reds', but didn't. You are correct. The Reds played a very scintillating brand of rugby. Beyond that I suspect you don't have cause for complaint, or did I imagine the multiple Roar moans about the poor attacking play of the Waratahs and the Brumbies? I suspect that you don't have any cause for complaint about the shortcomings of the various individuals I referred to either? Obviously this is an opinion based site, but you're not really supporting, as Vinay didn't, the assertion that the Wallabies aren't as skilled as the opposition. The proof of the pudding is in the eating, and it's not debatable that the Australian attack has been consistently poor under Deans. There really is no two ways about it. Just how stagnant did Australia look without Cooper against NZ? Why does the back three not attack as a unit? Where is the consistent and coherent phase play? Do you watch the Wallabies regularly, because the play of the past three seasons reinforces what I am saying. Further, if you want to make reference to schoolboy rugby then FYI England, for example, have been in 2 of the past 3 junior world cup finals. Australia haven't been making waves on the youth scene over the past few seasons either. Clearly you've taken my comments personally, hence the 'ours is better than yours', but let's not get confused here: the 3N is about NZ this year, and last year it was about SA. Australian involvement is currently of little value. How many times have SA and NZ lost to Wales, Scotland, England and drawn with Ireland in recent seasons? Australia is in a bunch with SA, England, Ireland, France, Wales and possibly Scotland. The next few months will show us who is good enough to gain promotion from that group, or be relegated from that group but I think you're attaching a little too much significance to an IRB ranking that is probably very flattering to Australian rugby. Come back when you win something.
Cattledog
Guest
Ben S, not sure where you are getting your information from, but you are rather wide of the mark. If no Australian S14 side really fired in attack, what is it you call the effort of the Queensland Reds? Also, I must agree with Vinay here, there's really not a problem with basic skills, these are generally honed at schoolboy level in Australia, however, like anything, they must be practiced and generally work better in combinations. Your comment about the skill levels of Australia being below 3 NH sides, who you also rate above SA, would indicate your from the NH somewhere and are being a bit delusional. There's little doubt the Tri-Nations is the top competition for rugby anywhere and it's contested generally by the top 3 rugby nations in the world. The NH has some way yet to catch up and I think the RWC will again prove this very point. When the NH can fill the top 3 nations with some consistency, then your comments may have some credibility. But not at the moment.
Ben S
Roar Guru
Vinay, Luke Burgess is a Test scum half and he can't pass properly. He managed to get to international level minus the most basic skill necessary. How did he get 20+ Wallaby caps? James O'Connor is a back three Test player and is outrageously vulnerable under the high ball. Drew Mitchell is nearly a 50 cap winger and he is still one of the most erratic players in Australian rugby. Ashley-Cooper is a fantastically powerful carrier, but the ball often dies with him because he takes route one every singly time. The same applies to Ioane. He is a good athlete but not a good rugby player. The Australian captain, Rocky Elsom, is one of the least skillful ball handling back rows in Test rugby, and Richard Brown isn't too far behind. It's no coincidence that no Australian Super side really fired on attack. The Australian attack has basically been crummy since Deans took over, and there's no escaping that fact. It's no surprise that Quade Cooper is being offered such a contract from league.