Bewildered Brumbies coach Jake White believes Wallabies plans to strip Australian Super Rugby teams of their Test players for crucial penultimate round matches are blatantly unfair.
White has joined his Queensland and NSW counterparts – Ewen McKenzie and Michael Cheika – in opposing Robbie Deans’ wish to put his Test squad into an extended three-week camp before the British and Irish Lions series in June.
But the former South Africa coach believes it’s the Brumbies who will pay the biggest price if the ARU decide to quarantine Test players, even though he expects the Reds and Waratahs to have more chosen.
The Brumbies are scheduled to meet the Melbourne Rebels on June 7 in Canberra – 15 days before the first Wallabies-Lions Test – in their second last fixture match and desperately want the likes of David Pocock, Stephen Moore, Ben Alexander and Pat McCabe available.
The same weekend, NSW play the Western Force in Perth while Queensland, who have a Super bye, host the Lions at Suncorp Stadium.
Still tormented by missing last season’s finals by one point following a last-round upset loss to the Blues, White said every competition point would be hugely important to his team’s play-off hopes that late in the competition.
“Last year in the last round our whole season changed so I find it highly unlikely that in the last rounds this year that the expectations from anybody would not be to play your best teams,” he told AAP.
“We’re all happy to help (the Wallabies) but it’s making sure everyone wins. We can’t have this situation.”
McKenzie has said he’d be prepared to compromise by allowing Test players to start their camp on June 2 in the hope they’d be released towards the end of the week to play that weekend.
But that would not appease 2007 World Cup winner White who feels he needs his young, improving side together for a full week to prepare for their clash with the Rebels.
“Ewen is in a different situation because he’s talking about a Lions (tour) game and he also has a very settled team,” he said.
“It makes no difference if one guy (Quade Cooper) boxes one Saturday and plays the next Saturday – there’s not many teams who can afford that.
“The Waratahs have a Wallaby pack of forwards who play together every Saturday – if it’s not for the Waratahs it’s for the Wallabies.
“We’re in a very different situation.
“We can’t afford to lose four guys or five guys and then by Saturday they’re back to play.”
The Brumbies provided eight of 49 players to a Wallabies logistics camp this month and they have no issue with resting Test players from their Lions tour clash on June 18.
White confirmed Pocock would make his Brumbies debut this Friday night against his old Force teammates in a Darwin trial.
Former Wallabies winger Clyde Rathbone will also make his comeback, playing at centre outside playmakers Matt Toomua and Christian Lealiifano who will trial at 10 and 12 with McCabe (neck) sidelined until round four.
Dave
Guest
For my mind, CL and JOC should be the main contenders for No.12 at Wallaby level. With Toomua back on the field, that gives White (Larkham?) the ability to use two playmakers - hopefully leading to a new golden age of the Brumbies of old finally playing intelligent, creative and exciting rugby once again. In light of the above, Im happy to see Toomua at 10 and CL at 12 for the first few rounds. If its not producing, CL can be moved back to No.10 where he excelled last season. CL has been around the brumbies for a number of years but never looked more than an average super rugby player. With White and Larkham in charge, we have seen his true ability - its only fair that Toomua is given such a chance too. CL's passing is second only to Cooper's, but he also has the ability to find holes as a runner, and is excellent in contact. Thats why I would favour him at No.12 for the Wallabies. 2 genuine playmakers (Cooper and CL), with the ability to open up the width of the field between them. They would cause havock to an opposition defence - especially with the likes of Digby, Beae and JOC running good lines off them. As for Wallaby players going into camp early, thats a lose-lose for all involved. The longer Deans has players the worse they become. I mean seriously, 3 weeks in camp to practice a Deans gameplan of 'kick the ball and hope the opposition drops it?'. I suspect the ARU doesn't want the egg on its face of seeing a well drilled Reds side led by Genia and Cooper take it to a full strength Lions side...
Jerry
Guest
I also recall he had something of a stealth rest program during that year's S14. He didn't take players out completely like Henry, but simply asked that the franchise coaches give his key players 2-3 weeks off, at the coaches' discretion. Probably a better solution as the players were able to keep playing and the franchise coaches weren't disadvantaged too much and kept onside.
Jake didn't really have much demand on the Franchises at all during his tenure. If you might recall he rested his players during the Tri Nations in 2007, apart from that I can't really remember a time where he made any demands.
B-Rock
Roar Guru
What was Whites attitude to club vs country when he was Boks coach? I honestly can't recall/dont know. I hope he was as balanced then as he is trying to argue for currently
Justin2
Guest
Toomua isnt a 12 though, otherwise fair enough.
PeterK
Roar Guru
I believe White has it wrong with Toomua at 10 and CL at 12. CL as shown last year has the complete playmakers game , a genuine long pass both sides, and puts players into holes. He and Cooper are the only genuine playmakers in australia. Toomua uses a good short pass and runs ok. IMO CL at 10 and Toomua at 12 would be the better option for the brumbies. Toomua has not had any very good games at 10 running a backline, not 1. At best a couple of good games. Brumbies do have a very good backline IF it is something like this 9 White 10 CL 11 Tomane 12 Toomua 13 Rathbone 14 Speight 15 Mogg Then when McCabe comes back he can go to 15.
Jiggles
Roar Guru
I agree. I think it can only be a good thing for the key playmakers being exposed to the Lions pack in the Reds game to get a feel for what its all about, and for the rest to keep match fit playing each other.
Jack
Guest
As a season ticket hoder I'm not keen on the Brumbies fielding a weakened side. The Brimbies could lose the whole front row. Won't impact the Warratahs because they will be out of contention by then and the Reds have the Lions game.These tickets are expensive and its S14 fans whose $ underpins the whole of professional Rugby. Imaging paying the Stones and then being told Mick is resting his voice for the New York gig.
nickoldschool
Roar Guru
As an aside, if you're a Tahs, rebels, Reds, WF or Brumbies member, tickets for the Lions tour are on sale as of today midday. Great price for the SR games with best seats at only $58 while the tests go from $150 to $295.
nick
Guest
oh Jiggles you kill me - best Deans impression ever
PeterK
Roar Guru
There is no way the players should be in camp for 3 weeks. Playing rugby is better than training. Since Deans had a lot of injuries last year and only IF he has a lot of new combinations in his preferred starting xv should they be in camp 2 weeks before. Otehrwise if they are mostly proven combos, ie Deans favourites, then 1 week is enough. However I believe the best of both worlds should happen. The players are released to Deans in the 3 weeks prior BUT they are released for the weekend to play for the franchises. This is a win/win situation.
nickoldschool
Roar Guru
Great news rl. Am a CL fan first but very happy to see Toomua perform at ten and help CL cement a 12 jersey with the Brumbies then wallabies. The ACT back line looks fantastic on paper and White will have plenty of options during the game.
Justin2
Guest
I agree about Lucas Jigs, he should have been the player the Rebels went after above any other...
Johnno
Guest
What i;m on about is this.The Lions tour is going to impact in who the aussy super teams finish. Why shouldn't they get a financial compensation for lost earnings, it has already been mooted. Now the All Blacks and wallabies will get one in 2015 from the IRB in lost earnings, as the RC or super rugby season will be compromised.
Jiggles
Roar Guru
Three very good schoolboy 10s came through the system in Queensland at around the same time. Lucas, Cooper and a couple of years later To'omua. of the three in terms of potential I ranked them as Lucas, To'omua & Cooper. To'omua was like Lucas in that he could control a game even behind a back that was struggling, which is something Cooper lacked at schoolboy level and probably does to some extent at Test level now. While Cooper has improved at every level and refined his game, Lucas was stuffed around at 9 by the powers to be. A mistake in my opinion. He is good enough to start at 10 at every other team in Australia besides Queensland right now. To'omua yes he has had the worst injury run of the three, but he hasn't, like you say, excelled when the opportunity presents itself. He should have been carving up the Shute Shield in 2011. Instead he was fumbling around and he looked almost out of his league at times.
JIM
Guest
Sorry, but this sounds a lot like Deans is preparing an excuse ahead of failure. He is asking for 3 weeks, knowing that he wont get it. Then when he fails, again, he will blame the Super coaches for not giving him the time he needed. He has been being paid to coach for the Wallabies for 5 years. He needs to stop making excuses.
cm
Guest
Johnno's just Johnno, J2. I haven't got the time to decipher his meanderings and suggest you don't try, either.
Gary Russell-Sharam
Guest
Jiggles well said in relation to Deans' selection. On the subject of Toomua he would seriously need to have a tremendous year to actually realise all the potential that he has had written about him. I know that injury has played a part in his curtailment of his career but when he has been on the field he hasn't really grabbed the opportunity that has been presented. He needs to do this, this season or he will be nowhere. Re the resting of the Wallabies from Super matches. I'm against it. for two reasons, 1 you need match hardened players not training players. 2. A well adjusted Wallaby coach can pull a team together with a week of training prior to a match. Just ask any Wallaby coach from the amateur days. Bob Dwyer would be a start and Alan Jones would be another. Coaches that have the respect of players and can get into the heads of players don't need 3 weeks of training to get their message across.
rl
Guest
The buzz was 2012 was going to be his break-out year (yes, heard all that before!), the 2011 year you allude to made him realise it wouldn't just "happen" for him on talent alone. Newfound attitude to training, his off-field regime, etc, etc. All that being said, we are obviously yet to see it realised on the field and, given the Brumbies heightened expectations for this season, CL's performances in 10 last year and the depth of options at White's disposal, Toomua will want to start very well or he'll quickly be on the outer.
Justin2
Guest
What the fa..rk are you on about?