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Australia’s recent shellacking at the hands of a rampant Samoa outfit solidified what many people, experts and fans alike, have known for years: Matt Giteau is no longer an international standard fly-half.
His contributions and and commitment to Australian rugby over the past decade cannot be questioned. He has been a focal part of great Australian victories, and win or lose he can be relied upon to bust his gut every time he plays.
At his best he is a deadly ball runner with a crisp pass and tenacious defence. At his worst he is a selfish distributer with a sloppy pass and a sideways running style. For a long time these positive attributes were far more prevalent than the negative.
However, it is an inescapable fact that for the past few years his performances are consistently veering towards the latter.
Giteau has lost his nimble, fleet-flooted, direct running style and has instead opted for a crabbing, sideways pattern. Running straight and hard takes the pressure off your support runners, giving them the freedom to run a variation of speeds and lines which correspondingly puts the opposition defence in two minds and allows gaps to open up.
Giteau’s recent method makes the attack much more static, giving the defence the luxury of sitting back and hammering whichever poor soul receives the next Giteau hospital pass.
This happened countless times in the Samoa match. Of course he was not helped by the insipid efforts of his forward pack, who were utterly dominated in every facet of their play.
Playing behind such a pack cuts down the fly-half’s options dramatically. However, his Samoa performance was just one example among many.
During this year’s Super 15 Giteau once again tried hard (which is more than can be said for some of his Brumbies teammates) but his directionless, crabbing, flustered style was still evident for all to see.
It placed a huge amount of pressure on his outside backs, and the much vaunted Brumbies style of free flowing rugby was never allowed to be unleashed.
I put this down to a lack of confidence. I don’t know how and I don’t know why, but Giteau seems to have lost the ability to back himself. He still has the nimble feet and the sharp pass, but he lacks the ability to put them into action in an effective manner.
With this lack of confidence and purpose, he is simply not fit to run an Australian backline.
Of course, Quade Cooper is an absolute lock for the 10 jersey come Tri-Nations and World Cup time. But should he be injured, Giteau’s pedigree in the role would give him inside running for the replacement role. Not a very comforting thought.
So where to from here for Kid Dynamite? Many punters believe inside centre has always been the position best suited to his abilities.
Indeed, it seems the only person who doesn’t believe this is Giteau himself. And given our lack of depth in this position, such a placement would not be a bad idea.
He is defensively sound, and the removal of the playmaking pressure may allow him to return to his nippy, free running best. He’d have to play second fiddle to the incomparable Cooper, but if his ego can handle such a demotion it may do wonders for his game.
Others believe he is the perfect bench player. Such is Giteau’s adaptability that he can fairly easily slot into a number of backline positions and perform to a decent level. Even scrum half is not beyond him, though his effectiveness in such a role can be the source of much debate.
Finally, there’s that most dreaded of sporting positions: left right out. However, one thing we have learnt over the past few years is that coach Robbie Deans does not discard established veterans easily, so such a move may prove unlikely.
Of course much of this decision will depend on the players around him. How will McCabe progress? Can Fainga’a continue to link well with Cooper and Genia? Will Mitchell return and push O’Connor infield?
And what happens if Barnes is fit and firing?
I know what my ideal combination is. What’s yours?
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.