Australian rugby has always been blessed with quality coaches, from the fire-and-brimstone approach of David Brockhoff, to the intelligence and nous of Bob Dwyer. In the lead-up to next month’s 2011 Rugby World Cup, I reflect on some of Australia’s rugby coaches.
BRYAN PALMER (1962, 67).
Who is Bryan Palmer, you ask? Most people have never heard of Palmer. And I bet most administrators, journalists and researchers wouldn’t know Palmer’s unique role in Australian rugby.
Indeed, Palmer himself wouldn’t have given it a thought right up until his death in 1990.
Australian rugby has had coaches ever since the early days. The first official Wallabies coach, as far as I’m aware, was ex-Wallaby captain and three-quarter Stan Wickham, who accompanied the Wallabies to England and Wales in 1908/09.
Since then many more coaches have accompanied touring teams overseas, but this practice only became consistent in the 1950s.
Providing coaches for a home series was less certain, and less consistent, since there was an IRB ruling that home test teams could not gather together until three days prior to the test. This was after all, the amateur era!
In 1961, the Australian selectors placed unbearable pressure on the slim shoulders of a very talented, but young Ken Catchpole. Not only was Catchpole making his test debut at age 22, but he was also saddled with the captaincy-coaching duties. What were they thinking!
When the team took off for a short tour of South Africa, there was Catchpole, still captain and still coach. The tour was a disaster, with the Wallabies losing both tests heavily.
So in 1962, the selectors learnt their lesson, and opted for the 63 year old Palmer to coach the Wallabies in the two-test series against the All Blacks.
A bullocking winger in his playing days, Palmer never played an official test for Australia, although he toured New Zealand with the Wallabies in 1931. He was also chosen to tour Britain, Ireland and France in 1927/28, but declined the tour, with his wife about to give birth to their first child.
I don’t think it ever occurred to Palmer, or anyone else, that he was the first of a continuous line from 1962 to the present, of regular Wallaby coaches.
All Palmer was interested in, was getting his players up for the series against the All Blacks, and somehow stemming the tsunami tide of those black behemoths from across the Tasman. Both tests were lost. In an unusual situation, the Wallabies were to now tour New Zealand for three further tests, but Palmer was unable to make the trip.
ALAN ROPER (1962-67).
If Palmer enjoys the position of ‘accidental hero’ in being the first of a continuous line of regular coaches, then Alan Roper enjoys the distinction of being the first long-term coach of the Wallabies, holding the position both on tour and at home, from mid-1962 to early-1967.
I know very little about Roper myself, whether he was an ex-grade player, or what his rugby resume was before he came to the Wallaby coaching position. If anyone out there knows more about Roper, please share!
Roper enjoyed some great days in the sun, especially against the Boks. The series in South Africa in 1963 was squared up at up two-all, with the Boks needing to win the last test to win the series. In 1965 at home, the Wallabies won both tests.
The Wallabies headed off to Britain, Ireland and France full of hope for a successful tour. They had many great stars – Catchpole, Hawthorne, Brass, Marks, Cardy, Boyce and Lenehan in the backs, and O’Gorman, Davis, Guerassimoff, Heming, Crittle, Miller, Johnson and skipper John Thornett in the forwards.
The team was vastly experienced, talented and expected to do well. But the tour soon turned to mush.
Reserve hooker Ross Cullen was sent home for biting an opponent’s ear, despite severe provocation. This decision apparently fractured the team. Tjornett fell ill and only played the last international against France.
Just two of five tests were won, although the team also enjoyed victory over the Barbarians. Injuries, illnesses and unrest over the biting incident made it an ultimately unhappy tour for many of the players.
Roper himself was burnt out and retired as national coach. In 1967 the Wallabies had just two tests, one at home to ireland, and then a quick trip across the Tasman to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the NZRU.
Bryan Palmer returned to coach the Wallabies for a further two tests, ensuring that the line of regular successive coaches was maintained.
DES CONNOR (1968-71).
According to Spiro Zavos, Des Connor was probably as good a scrumhalf as Catchpole. Reading between the lines, you sense Spiro might think Connor was better, but is unwilling to say so publicly.
Connor, born in Queensland, had the unusual distinction of playing 12 tests each for both the Wallabies and All Blacks. Connor suffered defeat in only one of 12 tests in the black, but managed just one win and one draw from 12 tests in the then green!
Some Kiwi scribes considered him the best number nine to wear the black jersey. However, many more consider it heresy that an Australian born player could be better than any other NZ scrumhalf.
Consequently, Connor has been booted back down the pecking order.
His Wallaby coaching record was abysmal, with just two wins from 14 starts. But it wasn’t his fault. In his first test as coach in 1968 against the All Blacks, he lost his captain and best player – Catchpole – to a wicked ruck injury.
Many players had either retired or defected to league in 1967/68, and the national team was entering the ‘ice age’ of abysmal results that would reach its nadir in 1973, following the brief sunny period from 1963-65.
But Connor was an innovator. He is credited with introducing the short lineout to test rugby.
We don’t blink an eyelid these days when a team calls for a short lineout, but in 1968, the Kiwis were furious and called the practice “cheating” (fancy that)!
By 1971, having lost the home series to the Boks 0-3, lost all seven tests against them over three years, Connor quit.
BOB TEMPLETON (1971-73, 76, 79-82).
Fellow Queenslander Bob Templeton was asked to take the Wallabies to France at the end of 1971. Tempo, as he was universally known, was the “polly-filler” of Australian rugby coaches during the 1970s.
He was the guy the Australian Rugby Board turned to when no-one else better wanted the job.
Tempo was a far better coach than many people appreciated, as evidenced by the rise of Queensland rugby in the mid-70s onwards, of which he was an integral part.
Just a quick note that the Wallabies played no tests at all in 1977, apparently because the Australian Rugby Union was flat broke. How things change, or perhaps how they stay the same!
The series with the French was split, and Templeton coached the Wallabies again in 1972/73. If 1972 was bad enough with the team in NZ tagged the “Woeful Wallabies”, they hit rock bottom in 1973 when they lost to Tonga.
Two further heavy losses on tour against Wales and England, and Tempo was out of the national coaching job. But he would be back.
Tempo coached the Wallabies gain in 1976, and yet again from late 1979 through to the tour of Britain and Ireland in 1981/82.
Later in his career, Tempo became a much valued assistant coach to successors Alan Jones and Bob Dwyer, and a mentor to Rod MacQueen.
DAVE BROCKHOFF (1974-75, 79).
Another ex-Wallaby, this time a flanker, Dave Brockhoff was a fire-eating, brimstone-talking kind of coach. He didn’t mind mixing up his phrases, and depending on your viewpoint, he either understood or mangled the English language!
Brock was big on discipline, and he was big on forward power. As far as he was concerned, the ‘nancy-boy’ backs didn’t get the ball until the forwards were well and good finished with it!
Beginning in 1974, and developing further in 1975 and 1979, the development in the Wallabies play as espoused by Brock, became apparent.
In 1975, perhaps Brock took the hardline attitude too far. In the “Battle of Brisbane” against England, there were running brawls throughout the match.
England prop Mike Burton was unlucky to be sent off, and some Wallaby forwards were seen putting the slipper into English players on the ground.
It wasn’t pretty from either side. On the end of season tour to Europe, the Wallabies’ forwards lack of size and technique was exposed on British and Irish rugby fields. And against British refs!
Brock’s greatest achievement was preparing his team for a one-off test against the All Blacks in 1979. This proved to be the Wallabies first series win against the All Blacks since 1949.
The forwards, led by new skipper Mark Loane and old skipper Tony Shaw, were magnificent, while the backs, with Paul McLean and Tony Melrose orchestrating deep kicks, kept the All Blacks unbalanced for much of the match, and in the end won the match 12-6.
Part 2 tomorrow – Darryl Haberecht, Bob Dwyer, Alan Jones – and the modern coaches compared.
Andy Tribe
Guest
No mention of Bob Davidson? I am sure he was both captain and coach of the Wallabys at some stage before John Thornet. He was my physics master at North Sydney Technical High School
Pete
Guest
Great article. I found it whilst looking for some info on the California Bears' tour in Australia circa 1965. I think that Jim Boyce was involved and I saw a very good game at North Sydney Oval. Can anyone tell me who the teams were on that day and what the result was?
rodney wadling
Guest
orrection on spelling Darryl Haberecht
rodney wadling
Guest
i find it strange that there is no mention of Daryl Hardbright who was the wallabies coach from 1977 to 1979 who instagated one of the most famous plays in rugby history against the all black , which caused the rules to be changed , when in a scrum all the wallabies came out with there arms in there jumpers and no one new who had the ball and they scored a try , He also spent time in a new zealand hospital and wasnt aloud to watch the game beacause he had a heart attack over there. An amazing man , one of the best people i ever remember from my childhood ... he is also my god father ..... lost touch as i grew up .. always wondered how he and his family are . If anyone knows anything it would be great to hear something back
Jim Boyce
Guest
Sheek - I remember the golf course at Westport. One green was in the shadows most of the day and the surface seem to be mainly composed of moss. Your description seems to confirm the climate remains the same.
sheek
Guest
Tissot Time, Thanks for that, very interesting. I think Connor was also selected as the best halfback for the 75th anniversary of the NZRU in 1967, which was only a few years after he retired. The next year he was coaching the Wallabies against Allen's ABs! However, in the 80s & 90s, the Kiwis became conscious of selecting one of their truly own - either Chris Laidlaw, Sid Going, Dave Loveridge, Justin Marshall or Graeme Bachop - as the best halfback in their history. My personal favourite Kiwi halfback is Loveridge.
sheek
Guest
Johnno/Uncle Argyle, In my part 2, I only give the stats of the professional era coaches - Greg Smith, rod MacQueen, Eddie Jones, John Connolly & Robbie Deans - since their story as coaches ought to be relatively well known. Smith's brain tumour started to alter his personality at some time during his tenure (1996-97), which is most unfortunate, since he was from all accounts a very decent human being & very capable coach. And his win % ratio is quite good. Also, for a 'caretake' coach, Connolly's record as Wallaby coach is very good indeed. There is this ongoing debate about Robbie Deans - is it him or the players - that contributes to his low win-loss record? He was a winner before he came to the Wallabies. I guess the truth lies somewhere in the middle, as it often does. Even the great rugby league coach Jack Gibson couldn't perform miracles with every team he coached. While he won 5 premierships between Easts & Parramatta, he couldn't get St.George, Newtown, Souths or Cronulla to win a premiership. And his brief tenure of NSW's state-of-origin in the late 80s was disastrous. Perhaps when we write the eulogy of deans' coaching career, we will need to look at the whole of it, rather than just the time at the Wallabies. For what it's worth, I wouldn't want to be coaching this current Wallabies team. They just strike me (maybe many of them) as a bunch of guys who just don't want to listen.....
sheek
Guest
Jim, I recall driving along the West Coast of NZ's south island about 5 years ago. I vividly recall two things. Firstly, the constant gale that blew. Secondly, & more fascinatingly, the vegetation, especially trees, all bent inland from years, & decades, & centuries of constant strong westerly winds.
sheek
Guest
Thanks very much for that info Jim, I came upon Bryan Palmer as our "first continuous" Wallaby coach by accident, reading Peter Jenkins wonderful "Wallaby Gold". From there I've kinda "read between the lines". Reading the Rothmans Rugby Yearbook editions, the 'assistant manager' described in touring lists was almost always the team coach. The coach was referred to as assistant manager in order to circumvent the strict amateur applications. It was just another example of the double standards of the application of amateurism. Great Britain ventured south beyond the equator for the first time in 1888, visiting Australia & NZ. France was the first european nation to venture south in their own right - visiting South Africa in 1958 & NZ & Australia in 1961. For the 'home unions', Scotland (perhaps surprisingly) was first away to SA in 1960, followed by Ireland in 1961 & Wales in 1964. England chose to visit NZ & Australia first in 1963. In all these circumstances, & all the tours to follow, the 'assistant manager' was invariably the team coach. As was the case with most Wallabies, All Blacks & Springboks touring teams by the 1960s.
Pockman
Guest
Eddie Jones won a Super 12 title as did David Nucifora the only person who has won a ''Super 15'' (It's actually called Super Rugby these days) title is Ewen Mackenzie, get your facts right or I'll stab you in the face with a soldering iron.
Jim Boyce
Guest
Atawhai Drive - Thanks for the memory. I see Ken fairly often as he lives nearby and I will pass that on to him, he will be chuffed. If memory serves me correctly, Westport had a tremor everyday and rain was a constant. I think West Coast played in red and white stripes but I could be wrong. The rail trip to Christchurch was the best I have ever experienced.
Argyle
Roar Guru
Johnno, mate can't agree with you on the following; Eddie Jones has won a Super 14 Title, Bledisloe Cup World Cup runner up in 2003 and was an assistant to 2007 World Cup Champions. That is not a hopeless resume. Ian Kennedy was a very sucessful Australian U 21 Coach who fostered many players into the Rep Scene. 1 season at the Waratah's did not give the man justice but i you ask any of the guys who played for him, they rate him highly. John Connolly was argueably Queenslands best ever coach. Won Super 10 Final in South Africa and trounced all NZ teams along the way. Far from hopeless. David Nucifora has won a Super 15 title, Greg Smith beat everyone except NZ. He beat the World Champion Boks in 1996 with a very younf Wallaby team. Not hopless. Mick Chieka has won the European Cup and ok he is sruggling but so did john Hart, Grizz Wylie and even Graham Henry during parts of their careers. The rest are not good.
Argyle
Roar Guru
Thanks for clearing that up for me. Thank God for Addidas then or Greg Cornselson may have never got those 4 tries in 78. Look forward to your next piece.
Jim Boyce
Guest
Sheek - Roper played for the Army during WW2 and for Manly. I think that was at first grade level but probably in the late 1940s and certainly a fringe First Grade player. I started playing First Grade in 1960 but when he was appointed Assistant Manager in 1962, I had not heard of him. To be appointed Asistant Manager on a tour, you had to be able to get time off. Roper worked in the State Government in something like the Stamp Duty Office and this was not a worry for him. Upto 1966 , he had a 5-6-1 record and 4 -2 record against S Af. I think he was well connected inside the ARU but there were better coaches around such as Dick Tooth, who were not prepared to be away from their profession for 2 monthes in the case of the 1962 and 1964 NZ tours and 4 monthes in the case of the 1963 S Af tour. Until 1995 professionalism, this factor needs to be considered and there were many non-sport considerations that determined an Australian coach. I am interested in your project as it is quite difficult to work out if there was a coach. Upto recently, many ex-players agreed with Shane Warme that a coach was something you went to the game in.
Atawhai Drive
Guest
Great piece, Sheek, and great to see the first response came from Jim Boyce. Aged 11, I sat in the rain at Victoria Square, Westport, in 1962 and watched Jim go round for the Wallabies against West Coast-Buller. If memory serves, he played in the centres that day, alongside Beres Ellwood. Believe it or not, the final score was Australia 9, West Coast-Buller 0. Ted Heinrich scored the only try. After the final whistle, I ran through the slop and asked Ken Catchpole for his autograph. He was exhausted, soaked through and covered in mud, and I feared rejection. But he signed happily enough and a young Buller boy became a Wallabies fan for life.
Johnno
Guest
I question the point quality I DISAGREE WITH THAT. More hopeless coaches than quality in my opinion. New Zealand has produced far more quality coaches. List of Hopless Aussie coaches to support my opinion. Eddie Jones Matt Williams Chris Hickey Ian Kennedy Andy Friend Laurie Fisher Phil Mooney Jeff Miller Mark Mcbain John Connolly Scott Johnson David Nucifora Jim Williams The late Greg Smith Micheal Chieka is struggling now in France
sheek
Guest
Uncle Argyle, No, there were no tests in 1977. The ARU was stone motherless broke. It couldn't send the national team anywhere, & it couldn't afford to bring anyone here. Adidas came onboard as the new playing kit supplier in 1978, plus providing funds for other things. I also believe, although others might have to back this up, that the NZRU basically funded the Wallabies to NZ in 1978. In 1978, we had two home tests against Wales, winning 18-8 in Brisbane & 19-17 in Sydney (where Finnane broke Price's jaw). The series in NZ was so close in the end: 12-13, 6-22, 30-16.
sheek
Guest
Thanks Pablo - I especially love hearing these kind of stories.
sheek
Guest
Jim, Always a pleasure to have first hand info. BTW, what was Roper's background? Was he a Sydney first grade player, for example?
Argyle
Roar Guru
Sheek - enjoyed your article. Mate didn't we play Wales in Australia in 1977? Is that not when Steve Finnane broke Graham Price's jaw and JPR Williams actually played blind side flanker for the Weslh due to injuries? or was that 1978? Either way I am looking forward to the rest of the article. For my two cents i reckon Peter Crittle was the best coach the Wallabies never had. He had a good track record with Sydney and NSW and could have been a good Wallaby Coach.