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There has been a lot of speculation about the fullback role of recent, mainly because of the key attributes of the two standout fullbacks of the moment, Jesse Mogg and Israel Folau.
Throw in the return of Kurtley Beale and James O’Connor’s various forays at the back and you widen the intrigue.
All of these players bring with them strengths and weaknesses that could be useful or detrimental to any team.
It is the source of hot debate among Wallaby fans and brings up many valuable points. We shall try to look at each skill set and work out what it is that we want in our Wallaby XV, or any XV for that matter.
Note: For the purposes of this article we are assuming that Folau is staying in union.
This is a positional analysis as opposed to a eligibility issue.
Point 1: defence
While Israel is probably the best man-on-man defender he is still learning his defensive positional play. James O’Connor can be solid, Mogg has had defensive lapses but an improved year and Kurtley, while improved, has had a history of turnstile defence in the past.
I think we can all agree that fullbacks are the last line of defence and need to be able to tackle.
Point 2: attack
These days we see fullbacks as anything from extra wingers, to extra playmakers. We require speed, agility and an x-factor. All three offer their own brand of attack which, in my humble opinion, is best suited in broken play most often seen from the back.
Each of these players would be wasted on the sideline (with the proven exception of JOC) and operate best popping up all over the park, not limited to anywhere in particular, but at most effect between outside centre and wing.
Point 3: under the high ball
I see bomb diffusing as one of the most important traits of a fullback, particularly against a team whose strength relies on their kicking game.
If you have someone safe under the high ball then you open yourselves up for counter attack or offensive reset to bring the game back under control. I have seen a nation, once proud of their high ball prowess, bounce too many off the chest in recent times.
Point 4: kicking
I’ve left this to last because this is where a lot of the arguments seem to boil down to particularly comparing Mogg and Folau.
Mogg has an absolutely booming left boot and Folau hasn’t appeared to have confidence enough to get that part of his game underway.
However, that does lead me to ask one question – does a fullback need to be able to kick?
Now before the knives come out, let me elaborate on the question. If a team has a five-eighth, inside centre and winger who can kick, does the fullback need to have this in his armoury?
How often these days is the fullback the only player in the back field?
My point is that the requirement is dependent on the team as a whole. I personally think that a backline needs at most three kicking options, including one in the backfield.
If you have two kickless wingers then you need a kicking fullback etc.
If you look at the Waratahs, Cam Crawford has covered this back three clearance kicking role with aplomb. I can’t remember a single time in the Tahs since Cam came on board when Folau has needed to rely on his boot.
There was a time when positional attributes were more cut and dry. These days the lines are blurred and we expect a wider range of skills.
We move five-eighths to fullback in defence and wings in to cover. Different strategies for different skill sets is becoming more common. This is bound to increase argument for and against and that’s a good thing.
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.