Over the past couple of weeks I’ve been down on the state of Australian rugby, with good reason. But this week I want to run through a few players who I think do have some flair and show vision on the field.
For a start, I really like watching Hosea Gear playing.
The younger brother of Rico, Hosea runs good angles, is capable of off-loading, and is able to create opportunities. Every time he gets the ball you get a sense that something is going to happen.
Then there’s Patrick Lambie from The Sharks. He’s a very good young player, who takes a few risks in his game but balances that by having a calm head on his relatively inexperienced shoulders.
He’s playing at 10 for The Sharks, but might slot in at 15 for the ‘Boks, which is all part of this modern trend to have players be able to cover a number of positions. I don’t think that this has been a good development for the game.
Digby Ioane can light up the field with his hard running. He is a very dangerous player, and would be even better if the players around him created more space for him.
Australian backs generally tend to run too far across the field and start too deep on attack, making it difficult for them to change the angles around them.
By the time the outside backs get the ball, they’re already 10 or 15 meteres behind the advantage line, meaning they’re using up a lot of energy just to make a bit of ground up the field.
The Australian Super Rugby teams should follow the lead of the Hurricanes and the Highlanders, who move the ball quickly, putting numbers out there, changing angles, and using their feet.
You’ve got to stop the opposition player from drifting in order create space out wide. But when was the last time you saw a fullback chiming into the backline for one of the Australian sides or a team executing a dummy switch play?
Francois Hougaard, the Bulls halfback, is a live-wire with a great step. You’ve got to watch him all the time as he can really create opportunities.
And then, of course, there’s Dan Carter. I played against Grant Fox for many years and Carter is a different style to Fox. But he’d have to be up there with the greatest All Blacks of all time.
That said, Carter comes from a Crusaders background, where the emphasis is on running the ball, and he is surrounded by skillful players, which gives him extra confidence.
James O’Connor is always entertaining to watch, but really, he belongs on the wing. O’Connor can create things, but he needs players around him to find space for him to move in.
As for the past weekend’s action, well, the Waratahs kicked the ball away when they should have run it, the Reds scraped by in a low-scoring match, and the Force showed once again that they just don’t have the quality players.
If you watched the Six Nations, you’d see that they’re at least trying to play open rugby. In Australia, we need to get rid of the league coaches who have infiltrated the game. They’ve brought their defensive approaches. But rugby is a different sport.
We need entertaining players to get the crowds coming back.
Look at the Welsh fullback Leigh Halfpenny, for instance. He’s only a small guy, but he takes on the line. He’s great to watch. Small guys like him can often create more opportunities through their footwork.
There are no good steppers or swervers in Australian rugby. They all run straight and hard.
Tom Carter is a good example. Why would you put him on the field with only a few minutes to go when he can’t create anything? If you bring reserves on late in the game, they need to be impact players.
But instead, with the clock winding down, the Waratahs panicked and kicked the ball away. You simply can’t win the game without the ball. Why do they keep doing this? Because many of the players come from Sydney University, which is known for its conversative style of rugby.
I’m very passionate about the game of rugby. And I would love to pick a team and show them how to play an entertaining match.
Rugby league and Aussie Rules are dominant now because of the entertainment factor. Rugby has developed over the years, but, with a few exceptions, the skill levels amongst Australian players sure haven’t.
Ben S
Roar Guru
British Empire... Are you for real? Sweet mercy...
Lorry
Guest
I think great rugby comes in waves. As far back as my knowledge stretches I remember being early90s-96 being good, then again early 00s being good then 2011 was an improvement, hopefully this continues,,, And to those with rose-coloured glasses: wasn't the early 70s really dull, with 5/8s just hoofing it down the field with their boot at every opportunity?!!
TahMan
Guest
I agree entirely- This idea could catch on if we had a few 100million dollars and the ear of the IRB- I'm gonna take the 13 a side message straight to the top!
Matt
Guest
I'm still an advocate for culling the flankers and going to 13 a side Rugby, just look at all that space back in the amateur era. There's a reason the game is filled with monsters these days where teams are scared to play ball in their own half. There just isn't enough space! Open the space up and then watch steppers/swerver/jinkers and all other kinds of exciting runners flood back to the top level of the game. Rugby used to be like something between the current games of 7's and 15's. A contest for possession at each phase, but more space to throw the ball and still plenty of scope to attack other ways if you so wanted to.
Matt
Guest
Put me down as well, very excited! There's almost enough for a Roar field trip at this rate.
Bakkies
Guest
The ball not being allowed to be carried back in to the 22 law is responsible for the box kicking. It is much safer than try to kick the ball out from a tight angle and not risk kicking it out on the full if the ball is outside the 22.
rl
Guest
an addenda to my previous post - Michael Berne (former Australian player) is today being credited with the new crop of NZ U21 players now making an impact in S15. Berne probably had a lesser career than Scotty Bowen, but he's turning out the next crop of NZ RWC contenders. So what is his secret? Not a "decent, amiable chap"?
TahMan
Guest
Campo has given alot to Australian Rugby and no one can deny his passion, but sometimes the heart wins over the head a little too much. The days of touch footy like ball juggling are over. This is a professional sport, little is left to chance when securing a win because the pay officer is counting your yards, line breaks, tries offloads and tackles made. The statistics are objective, not nieve Grandstanding dribble..."playing too much of a defensive game". To win in the modern game you must play strategy, because to leave it all to chance would be madness. Just look at the Highlanders recent success. Gone are the days when the forward pack drink 12 schooners after the game, no longer are they fat men, plodding their way to the next ruck. These guys are fit and fast and the backs are now heavier much more powerful. It is easy to criticize the game, but I would be really interested to see all the " light on their feet " wallabies of the 80's up against the players of today.
Jiggles
Roar Guru
I am going to the 7s to Neil! can't wait!
Jiggles
Roar Guru
Sheek you have even admitted you didn't watch any Super Rugby. How on earth would you know they are on the money or not?
bennalong
Guest
I remember, Campo. ! Thanks for fabulous memories mate. I can't say I rate your writing any where near the heights of your rugby but so what. I love you still being part of the scene! We owe you!
trakl
Guest
"The rival code has pillaged all the rest" - like Campo himself, you mean, who has written how he played rugby league exclusively between the ages of 8-16 years (sometimes he says 17) before playing his first game of rugby union? You give the impression too often that rugby league needs your express permission merely to exist...
Sprigs
Guest
In the RWC Quade stopped the Boks scoring a try that would have won them the game.
Kuruki
Roar Guru
I like watching Owen Franks he is an absolute animal.
Neil
Guest
I'm going to HK next week for the 7s. I have great memories of Campo playing in that wonderful event. I trust Campo will be there.
rl
Guest
Spiro - Campo does have honour in Australia, as a player. One of the game's greatest players - yes, undeniably. Greatest thinkers - where's the evidence for that claim, even in this article? No French players in his list? No Pacific Islanders? No Argentinians? Not a single forward? NFI. "When was the last time we saw a fullback chiming into the Australian backline?" Probably just before he was stretchered off the field, having been ironed out by one of the Franks brothers, or another of the mobile monsters that now freely roam the field, that weren't there in Campo's day. All the aspects of Campo's game that made him a great are (unfortunately) uncoachable. Is that why he hasn't gained traction anywhere, either here or abroad? I'd be interested to know if Bob Dwyer thinks Campo would be a good coach. I admire your passion Spiro, we all want what you want - running rugby. But I just don't think Campo is the answer.
Bakkies
Guest
Campese has coached the Sharks backline. Kafer has at least been a senior coach in England
Nicol'arse
Guest
I think the league style defence structure in rugby now makes broken field running of the past (as witnessed in Campo's highlights reel above) much more difficult to achieve. Just have a look at how much space thiose outside backs had in those days with forwards still getting across from the last breakdown. It is hugely different now. Having said that, as mentioned above by a few... QC, KB & JOC in particular are all great broken field runners. Are they better, same or worse than Campo? Who cares? All 4 of them are/were exceptional. I said in a previous thread that "I don't believe rugby (even in the pro era) is as complicated as some of these coached make it out to be". And the simple (and currently very successful) game plan of the Highlanders proves it. They play hard at the breakdown to win as much ball as they can. Their counter-rucking is exemplary. They seem to know when to commit 3-4 players together to go for a counter ruck and when to leave it alone and commit maybe 2-3 players total to a lost ruck. In short, the forwards are all thinking and they are are all on the same page. Add genuine aggression to this and you have an effective forward pack. In the backs, they choose to run the ball mostly. Sometimes they see an opportunity to kick for territory (mostly long and into touch) but they generally treasure possession and use the Hosea Gear's, Robbie Fruen's & Rene Ranger's to full effect. I think we do this far less in Australia. We are often guilty of taking too long to clear the ball from the ruck (which allows the defence to set itself properly) and/or we spend too much time with the aimless kicks (box, mid field bombs etc). There's no doubt the Tahs played a great defensive game last week. But its a crying shame we didn't spend more time asking questions of the Highlanders defence by hanging on to the ball more instead of always kicking it back to them. To hang your hat on a strategy of "attacking kicking" is doomed to failure. You CANNOT score tries unless you have the ball. To see Berrick barnes grubbering the ball in to touch when on the attack (inside the Highlanders 40m) is not going to win you games period. I'd like to see some smarter play from the Aust sides and I reckon that's what Campo is crying out for too... even if he has a slightly critical way of saying it.
King of the Gorgonites
Roar Guru
oh yes thats right.
Justin
Guest
MikeG - there are a stack of players who can do it. I know yo know this also. To insinuate this is a skill of days gone by is one of the more ridiculous things I've heard on here...