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Six Tests into the rugby international season, and the inevitable comparisons are surfacing between Robbie Deans’ last three appearances and Ewen McKenzie’s first three.
The only two common denominators are the number three, and roughly the same two squads under each Wallaby coach.
There are 13 Wallabies who have been in all six squads – Will Genia, Israel Folau, Adam Ashley-Cooper, Christian Lealiifano, James O’Connor, Rob Simmonds, Michael Hooper, Ben Mowen, Stephen Moore, James Slipper, Ben Alexander, Saia Fainga’a and Sekope Kepu.
And four more have been in five of the six squads – James Horwill, Kane Douglas, Liam Gill and Jesse Mogg.
So a total of 17 Wallabies served under both coaches, which is a fair comparison.
Where the odds differ, are the opponents.
Deans had the easier road; his Wallabies should have beaten the Lions 2-1, instead of losing by the same margin.
Had he been successful, Deans may still in the Wallaby job.
Replacement McKenzie had a brutal initiation to his international coaching career with the first two games against the All Blacks, the undisputed world’s best side by the length of the straight, and then to tackle a Springboks line-up that found an extra leg against the Wallabies.
Between them – one win; the second Test against the Lions 16-15.
The coaches’ fault, or the fault of the faltering Wallabies?
The following stats make absorbing reading, but they don’t tell the true story of failure.
For example, there were really positive stats under both coaches where the Wallabies out-ran the opposition across the park.
But they don’t show the vast number of times there were poorly directed passes, putrid handling, the support player over-running the ball-carrier, or the senseless no-look pass to the grandmother in the stand.
All of those failed fundamentals were negatives that cut deep into the positives, and didn’t show up in the overall stats.
What the stats do show is the constant repeats of inexcusable Wallaby mistakes under both coaches, which proves to me both Deans and McKenzie are not at fault, and the Wallabies should face their own consciences in the mirror.
The proof is in the reading:
Accumulated scorelines:
Deans – 53 for, 79 against.
McKenzie – 57-112.
Tries:
Deans – 4-5.
McKenzie – 3-12.
Rucks/mauls:
Deans – 249-216.
McKenzie – 254-171.
Runs:
Deans – 311-251.
McKenzie – 291-187.
Run metres:
Deans – 1996-1333.
McKenzie – 1898=1192.
Kicks:
Deans – 57-71.
McKenzie – 52-79.
Kick metres:
Deans – 1819-2364.
McKenzie – 1840-2509.
And the telling stats that do recognise the Wallaby failures:
Missed tackles:
Deans – 62-74.
McKenzie – 64-62.
Turnovers:
Deans – 48-32.
McKenzie -59-39.
It is inconceivable international standard Wallabies can average around 20 missed tackles and 20 turnovers a game.
Stark stats that cannot be attributed in any way to Robbie Deans, nor Ewen McKenzie.
Time for the Wallabies to stand up and be counted.