Wallabies need to call on Ella and Campese's expertise

Justin I think the game plan he had for the first forty minutes against the all blacks in the brisbane test was pretty good. The trouble is he hasn't got the players that could carry on with it in the second forty. His failing in that game was he didn't have a plan B when the blacks changed their game plan.. A lot of coaches have this failing look at the all blacks in more than a one world cup. To set the record straight deans isn't as good a coach as some people thought and he isn't as bad as some people think. I suppose the expectation of him when he was made the wallaby coach has been to his detriment. As for the ireland game it wasn't his full strength side he had Ioane, pocock missing and I think drew mitchel was gone as well. People say he should have had another specialist openside in the team, but who else in australia could have influenced the game in the way pocock could have. I've said this before you have the second best team in the world enjoy it.

That was a good backline with few deficiencies - strong, quick, aggressive, skilled, smart. Really didnt lack much at all.

Appreciate the insults sheek, really I do. Should I start calling you a dinosaur now or a romanticist? The point I was making above, which you clearly missed is that MB doesn't see now what he saw in the 70s and 80s because the game has changed not because the players are not capable of doing it. There is a difference... "And cooper doesn’t have enough talent to fill one leg of either Ella or Campese" And you think I am simple? Goodness me... I could argue that Cooper is as talented as either, not better, talented. His talents are extraordinary...

Ireland as well. The record is excellent against SA but then again look who they have had in charge since Deans has been coaching!!! What is his game plan? Tactically he is average, I think that has become obvious during his time with AUS.

All those ex players you mention didn't become wallabies and then learn all the skills that made them great players. They already had them. The coaces job is to formulate a game plan, fine tune the skills the players should already possess to execute the plan. Not teach them skills they should already have. So when a player gets to test level there shouldn't be much more to learn, he should be improving on what he's learned already

Neither has any other coach where the all blacks are concerned and that is where most of the critisism comes from. Who have the wallabies lost to in the last two years ( I'm talking about when he has his top side playing ) england, south africa, new zealand and scotland I think. If deans can have his top players fit and healthy, he has a game plan as good as any other.The trouble is the gulf between his best players and the rest . I thinlk the wallab ies don't get enough credit for where they are in the order of world rugby. But I suppose being a all black supporter I don't remember what it's like to be number two in the rankings.

That may all be true but Deans hasnt come up with a game pan the players can execute to consistently win.

Not just this regime but about three before it. I'll just put this out there could it be that the players are just not good enough. Until australia gets it's act together and find a comp between club and super rugby you'll will always have the odd wins in super rugby ( titles ) and against the all blacks. But in saying that if new zealand disapeared over night you'd have the number one team in the world. So that makes the wallabies the number two team not third not eighth but the number two team in the WORLD. NOT THAT BAD REALLY. wher were the wallabies ranked before deans took over fourth if my memerory is correct. So the wallabies have trouble beating the all blacks on a consistant basis, SO DOES EVERY OTHER TEAM. Deans doesn't need any help from those two arm chair critics.

The 1984 backline was before my time, but the 1999 Aussie backline was brilliant From memory it went something like this: Gregan Larkham Roff Horan Herbert Tune Burke That backline driven by the best running first five i have seen scared me alot as an ABs supporter

And the odds of JON employing Mark Ella would be? There's no chance of JON going there. Pretty much a wasted article.

hmmmm I think the wallabies already have more then enough ego's and individual brands floating around. They need input from some old school wallabies that played for their country and turning up on the field was all about pride and passion and not tweeting/branding. Not sure if campo has realised the game has moved on since he played :) and if he was playing today, with current defensive tactics, he would be going backwards.

Thanks DC - I'll try and remember to offer you some sympathies during the Super XV season :)

Yes Justin, as I mentioned the game has changed and I agree with you the defences have become much more sophisticated. But look at Wales using a combination of moving the ball wide and big guys (backs) punching holes, especially against Ireland. Like to hear what Les Kiss is thinking about his very structured defence being undone by a little old fashioned handling and offloading. I thought the Welsh forwards were conspicuously absent from the backline. Agree with Sheek that sometimes the way forward can be informed by the past, and it could be worth listening to the Campos, Ellas, O'Connors, Dwyers and Honans etc..In fact I thought that coaches at the Waratahs and Reds like McKay and Gaffney were sticklers for traditional backline skills. Basically agree with you Justin on backs, now Campo coaching or advising the forwards, that would be FUN!

the reason why, at least in Campo's case, they were on the outer for so long is that they didn't fit into the rugby/Wallaby mould, something I talked about in a previous article comparing Campo and Maradonna... Indeed, it was only a year or two ago that Campo was ALLOWED to present the jerseys for the first time. A pretty amazing and damning stat...

Agreed Sheek, their input should be utilised by a Coach as their ability to play the game is unquestioned. However that process is as much about the relationships as anything else and unless there is a solid relationship between the ex-great player and the now coach this process will be flawed with mostly negative outcomes. This is why I suspect that often, truly great players are not used by different coaches. This issue is not just confined to the Wallabies either.

The only period in my time of watching Australia (start of the 80's) when our Backs haven't been amazing was possible the period after Larkham-Horan when Giteau made the transition into 5-8 a bit more due to Larkham's on going injuries. Post lions tour till about 2008. For Much of the 80's, 90's and now we have had great back lines. today's back-line in-particular is hampered by its ability to get clean ball. hence my criticism that talking about our backs, and their coaching is not the issue, our forward platform is. The Discussion this week has been about Cooper's recovery and the ability of Harris, Beale & O'Connor dream team, the Force backline, and No Barnes this weekend. The Discussion should be about how Palmer is going to go in his start against the Force, Alexander's transition back to LHP and why Dean's plays him at THP. The potential 2nd row partner for Horwill and how they will go this weekend, and the candidates for the back row with Pocock.

Jiggles, Wrong - Australian backs haven't always been amazing. Quite often they've been ordinary. But not quite as often as our forwards, especially tight forwards. Today's Wallabies backs are incredibly fit, fast & strong. But in some ways they're not particularly clever, & in fact are very basic in their plays. We shouldn't confuse an athletic, cut-figure as also being dexterous. This clearly is not always the case.

Justin, Yeah, people like you were saying exactly the same thing before Quade Cooper demonstrated with his scatter-gun approach that even mildly thought out attacking can out-maneuver the best defences. And cooper doesn't have enough talent to fill one leg of either Ella or Campese. Superior defence & attack go in cycles. The very best players will eventually find a way to prevail. Ironically, sometimes, the way forward can be found in the past. But this might be enough mind-blowing info for you today.....!

Jiggles, No, I've criticized him before. But you guys are into stereotyping.

Unfortunately MB the sweeping backline moves of yesteryear would be smashed by todays defences. There was a lot of cross field running that would be gobbled up by a first grade defence now.