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Enough. I haven’t seen this much negativity from a rugby loving nation (if Australia still is) for quite some time.
So you have a new coach, you’ve had a poor year, and yes, your players are playing poorly.
But the reasons, apart from injuries clearly showing a lack of depth comparable to South Africa and New Zealand, are all issues that can be remedied.
As a neutral observer, my opinions aren’t tainted by state preference, individuals or sucking up to any ARU official.
The panic-stricken media and supporters are currently debating (even if only due to frustrations and disappointments) the merits of Ewen McKenzie’s appointment as head coach and whether Jake White should rather have been appointed.
Meanwhile, the pro Robbie Deans camp is smarting in an “I told you it won’t be better with Link” manner.
Everyone needs to calm down and take a step back. Some of you are too emotionally involved and not reasoning with your mind, but with your hearts.
Before you proceed to once again debate the positives and negatives of Australian rugby, sit back and remind yourselves of The Serenity Prayer.
“God, give me grace to accept with serenity
the things that cannot be changed,
Courage to change the things
which should be changed,
and the Wisdom to distinguish
the one from the other”
It is with these principles in mind that Australian rugby can be remedied.
Each of the areas of concern for Australian rugby must be assessed using the same question: “Can I change it?”
If the answer is no, then find the individual who can change that specific area of concern.
With that in mind, let’s have a look at what Ewen McKenzie can change in the short term. The biggest areas of concern for McKenzie should be the approach to the red zone, their set phases, the breakdown and how to gain momentum ball.
He cannot change the injury woes Losing players such as Pocock, Higginbotham and Ioane is an unfortunate result of professional rugby, and something that is never going to go away.
The decision to run the ball out of the 22 in its conception is flawed. The reasons are obvious and we have seen more than enough evidence of it this year.
Defences (apart from kick return runs) are set. When teams start or restart a match from the halfway line, they know how to shut down an attack from the red zone of the opponent. Chances are that if you try break out of your 22, you’ll more often than not fail.
New Zealand tried the same thing against South Africa in 2009, to their downfall.
So a basic, simple execution of an exit strategy should be entertained. If you disagree, just look at how many tries have been scored against Australia from turnovers due to their strategy to run from within their 22.
Although we will all agree that the Australian pack lacks grunt and physicality in the current season, there is a lot that can be fixed with execution of the scrum and lineout.
Fellow Roarer Scott Allen has produced a very detailed analysis of the scrum, and exactly what role each player plays in its setup and execution of the scrum.
Suffice it to say there is no need for me to go into detail in that regard, but the fact is that the Australian forwards are simply not doing their jobs or executing the scrum in a manner that will gain parity for them.
Go have a look at the first scrum of the match against the Springboks last weekend. The Australian forwards had their body positions set up well and it was an eight-man shove, but from then on, it got worse from one scrum to the next.
The Australian lineout has done fairly well, however two aspects that cannot be ignored is their setup in defence of the maul, and their willingness and execution of setting up a maul.
When Coenie Oosthuizen scored in the fifth minute of the Test, only Simmons and Douglas joined the maul. Genia stepped in behind the maul to retire behind the goal line, Hooper at the back of the maul stepped out, and the rest all went into the line to await further proceedings.
The body positions of Douglas and Simmons were so upright that they had simply no effect. With Australia’s maul defence low in numbers, Beast and Bismarck du Plessis had no trouble in rolling to the left, which gave Tendai Mtwarira no face on defender on his way to the try line.
Hooper had to tackle him side on to bring him down, by which time the momentum was gained and South Africa was a metre from the line. A quick pass to Oosthuizen sent him over the line.
Having Quade Cooper in so close to the forwards didn’t help matters either, as he had no chance of stopping Oosthuizen.
A better setup of forward on forward, committing a few more to the maul and lower body positioning, might have changed the outcome of the try.
Australia themselves rarely use the maul as an attacking option either. I’m not saying they should use it as a primary weapon, but setting it up as a ‘dummy’ will at least pull in some defenders to create more space off the lineout.
Scott Allen also showed how South Africa ‘gave’ the front of the lineout as an opportunity for Australia to attack from, and I cannot recall any evidence of that.
What Ewen McKenzie should do is get a few forward consultants in pronto to assist him with the execution of the set phases.
The breakdown is the facet of play that occurs more often than any other phase of play in rugby union. On average a team will have 80 to 100 attacking breakdowns and a similar number of defensive breakdowns in a match.
It is the one area where Australia has completely failed, and in my mind it is not necessarily about the individuals but the execution by the collective.
Rucks are set up for three reasons, but it is there primarily to create momentum of go-forward ball. If the forwards do not provide momentum ball, it is difficult for any back line, no matter how talented, to break the defence.
When under pressure from a backwards pass, an up-and-under, or securing possession, the ruck can regain control to restart a phase of play.
The breakdown is also the most common manner of turning ball over from the attacking team with a well executed pilfer.
To gain ascendancy at the breakdown, you need to match the opponent, and the first requirement is numbers. If your opponent is more physical than you one-on-one, then you need to assess the situation and commit an extra body, until you find parity and gain control.
When you look at the Australian forwards these past few games there aren’t enough numbers. They’re also guilty of poor body positioning, not being intelligent at the ruck, and trying to get to the ball to play it before it is being secured, only to be turned over.
First secure, then play the ball. Standing in no man’s land, they aren’t committed to the ruck, or effective as a pillar. Again, a breakdown specialist can sort this out.
Only if Australia can gain control of their breakdowns can they gain momentum and go forward.
Quick clearance at the back of the breakdown is of paramount importance. One thing Genia has been overdoing this year is drifting across the field and taking a few steps before passing. It has become predictable and there is no evidence of quick ball.
Even Cooper this past weekend drifted too much with ball in hand and never really hit the line with pace or from quick ball.
These are the fundamentals of rugby for any side. There’s no need to dumb down Australian rugby, but there is a dire need to fix the fundamentals, get forwards playing under the proverbial blanket, and backs getting momentum ball because the forwards are doing their job as a collective unit and not as individuals.
If you want to show us the “most dangerous” back line in the world, then do the basics righ. Otherwise the only time your “most dangerous” backline will be evident is against weaker teams.
As far as player depth and the development of players depth goes, that is the job of the ARU.
First, they must recognise the fallibility of their current structure. Without recognising the need for a next tier, in whichever format, they will simply plod along in ignorance.
I don’t think Australia is in as bad a shape as some are making it out to be. But I do think the team’s core values must be questioned. There is no “i” in team, and I see a lot of “i” evident in Australian rugby.
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.