I am all for Ewen McKenzie being the coach of the Wallabies. While we are definitely struggling now, I believe there is a light at the end of the tunnel.
Unfortunately that light has moved significantly further away due to some early mistakes by the McKenzie team.
When McKenzie came into the top job earlier this year he had the opportunity to come out with a strong statement about the style of rugby he wanted to play and the ‘clean slate’ ethos he desired to promote.
That statement was comprehensively made and ethos clearly promoted with his first team selection against the All Blacks on August 17.
It was fantastic to see McKenzie reward the successes of the Brumbies by giving Mogg a start at 15 and Toomua at 10, even more so with the following match’s selection of Fardy at 6 – the best decision of McKenzie’s short Test coaching career.
This statement had to be made with a level of support for such players and a plan of consistency. Toomua did not set the world on fire in his first two starts as Australia’s No. 10, but he did what he had done all year for ACT – played reliable.
In his first game he was stoic in defence and distributed the ball across the backline, despite his over-distributing in the second half leading to the All Blacks moving up quickly on his centres and shutting down the ball.
Toomua corrected this error in his game in the second Test against the All Blacks in Wellington, having a fine game. He took the ball to the line more, distributed when needed and was a force in defence as expected.
He clearly outplayed Tom Taylor, a fact I believe was overlooked due to the end result.
On the downside, we did lose those two Tests. Still, scoring 45 points in the first two games as a starting No. 10 under a new coach against the best rugby team in the world is nothing to be scoffed at.
Then came McKenzie’s mistake.
Pushing Cooper to the starting role and demoting his two game rookie was a rushed decision to add ‘spark’ to a side that really wasn’t ‘sparkless’. If the definition of ‘spark’ in modern rugby is represented by the Wallabies’ last three performances then I find ‘spark’ hard to watch.
I am not blaming these three losses solely on Cooper, and I do think he is playing much better than his 2011 and 2012 seasons, but he adds nothing to the side that Toomua cannot provide.
Our forwards have been dreadful in our last two games against the Rugby Championship’s ‘heavyweights’, slow to the breakdown and outmuscled when they get there. Hooper hasn’t been able to play like a No. 7 because the tight five are not laying a dominant platform in previous rucks.
Ben Alexander is time and time again defying logic by getting selected as he has no competitive edge. He used to be able to get away with his shocking scrummaging ability because of his mobility around the park and effectiveness with ball in hand – attributes he now lacks.
A Slipper/Moore/Ryan or Robinson/Moore/Ryan would act as a much sturdier front row in the set piece and in general play. Robinson and Ryan are both excellent around the park, while Ryan brings the bit of mongrel that we desperately need against packs like the Boks and All Blacks.
Two other players that just seem to be along for the ride are Rob Simmons and Joe Tomane, as both lack any eminent talent or deliver performances that scream “select me!”
To cut them some slack, they are selections made in circumstances of extreme injury.
If Higginbotham was fit, Fardy would be moved to second row where he has played all year for the Brumbies. And if we had our full complement of wingers barring Ione (overseas) and O’Connor (suspended), then Cummins would be in for Tomane on a straight swap.
I would personally rather a big, good-finishing winger with a boot on him like the Waratahs’ Cam Crawford rather than Peter Betham in the squad as well. The latter’s inclusion really shows the extent of injuries and other selection issues the Wallabies have at the moment.
When fit, this Wallabies squad has the ability to become highly competitive with the All Blacks and Springboks – not this year, but next.
Higginbotham and Pocock’s inclusion will be massive, because as good as Hooper has been for us he is merely keeping the seat warm for Pocock’s return.
Their inclusion will add that lack of mongrel and dominance in the breakdown that Horwill, Moore and Fardy couldn’t provide by themselves despite trying admirably.
A Slipper, Moore, Ryan, Horwill, Fardy, Higginbotham, Pocock, Mowen forward pack is a world class one, but alas injury is our biggest enemy.
All we can do now is what we can control, and the inclusion of Toomua back at starting No. 10 will add a lot more control, structure, stability and reliability to our backline than Cooper does.
Players like Morne Steyn, Jonathan Sexton and Dan Carter don’t have to be unpredictable to be world class; they are world class because they do their jobs well.
In a nutshell, a five-eighth’s job is to distribute the ball to his backline, and defend the inside channel.
Cooper can distribute on occasion, but more often than not he holds onto the ball for too long resulting in the opposition backs moving up and limiting his options.
Alternatively, he runs so far across field that he physically blocks off the holes his backs could have potentially run through.
On top of that, his defence is hopeless. I don’t care that he is ‘improving’ or ‘showing promise’, if you watch Strauss’ try in the opening 10 minutes of the Boks/Wallabies game in Cape Town you will witness Cooper going for an intercept on the line instead of tackling man on man.
His man… have a guess? Strauss.
I don’t want applause every time Cooper makes a tackle that is a basic part of rugby that every Test player should have learnt by the time they were nine years old.
I am not claiming we would have won in Newlands with Toomua at No. 10, but he wouldn’t have let that try in so softly and that is good enough for me.
Maybe I am from the old school, or perhaps I am just sick of us playing under our potential because of this ridiculous media driven stigma of the need to play ‘the Australian way’.
If the Australian way is soft defence, structure-less attack and hit and miss in the set piece then I don’t want the Australian way. I want a winning way.
Matt Toomua is a stepping stone in that direction, but we have to be patient. It’s time to put the faith in him that other coaches have so doggedly put in Cooper.
EXSAF
Guest
Im an unashamed Matty fan having watched him since U13 at School rugby playing with my son - I guess its not everyone who gets to follow someone year in and year out every Saturday morning and watch them become a Wallaby and its been a privilege - He has become more defensive which I dont like and I see a trend for the backs now to get involved in loose scrums - he had a great flare for breaking and sending off the line when he was younger and that flair has been drilled out of him - he breaks well and my hope is that with a few more caps (4 now plus a try) he will settle down into a maturing role , relax and the flair will come back - he captained every side he played in as a schoolboy and I can see him captaining the Wallabies in 2015 for a long time - he will be a Wallaby of Rugby legends... QC - his exciting but dangerous passes are too risky to be allowed - and with his past he is too controversial - I dont like him as a Wallaby.
Nigel Imrie
Guest
Bula Biscut, I met Speight at the U18 Tri Nations Fiji vs Aust game where he was helping out with the Fijian team and I asked him whether he would be on the Spring Tour and as usual he was fairly humble answering, but like you I hope so!!
formeropenside
Guest
Yeah, because Toomua's strength of "not-width" was really effective in games 1 and 2 against the AB's. Oh, wait...
formeropenside
Guest
Foley is useless as a 10 - maybe a running 15, but he's another JOC in terms of game managements and using outside men. Its a shame Ewen picked him in a Wallaby squad, and even worse, gave him a test cap. Then again, maybe it was part of the deal the ARU did with him to get him to stay at the Tahs and renege on his Rebels deal.
Dru
Guest
+1 red kev The Toomua fans just don't see what I see with his positional play. Hiding way too deep. It's fundamental to the role, more than the defence thing. Defence can be bolstered with strategy (not that I believe this is necessary with Quade) but being flat just needs a player with balls who is prepared to be brave. And then you need the passing skills to make it work. This person is not Toomua (at the moment). and the squad with Quade, Toomua, Foley and Lea. Something doesn't gel for me. At least one of those names shouldn't be there.
Magic Sponge
Guest
Foley will be the man at 10 in 2014 but not now
Magic Sponge
Guest
Great article agree with the selections . I like Ryan in and Fardy2nd row. Toomua was sent to the lions while Cooper was protected by Ewen. QC defence will be exposed and Toomua or CL should be the 10 for sure. QC strength is width but it is ineffective against ABs
Nigel Imrie
Guest
Ta for that but we are infect playing with a first and second five, they could be swopped around, as I said JW played them together so that if one was caught at the breakdown the other could take over and kick the team into position or take it to the line etc, if EM really wants to play a riming game he dosen't need two 10's he could pick a attacking 12 instead, but he is hedging his bet with two 10s, some want Folau at 12 to open the game up more, all depends how you want to play the game!
Nigel Imrie
Guest
Ok Colin! so it is an average article and you don't agree with it, at least I attempted to compose one, why don't you share your thoughts with us, would love to see how you think, rugby wise,I challenge you to put up!
Rotuma Island
Guest
any chance Henry Speight will be playing next Sat?
Pete
Guest
+1 mbgrice -1 for the article... Have you seen the latest game. Cooper was outstanding and toouma missed as many tackles as he made. Although I do think toouma would make a good 12 with his tactical kicking...
mbgrice
Guest
Is Lilo out for the next test? Because if he is I would like to see Toomua at 12. He would be our tactical kicker as we have been lacking one for a while now. He would also firm up the defence and he's not a bad hole punching runner.
30mmtags
Guest
+1
30mmtags
Guest
Clarification,: that's a +1 to agree with Red Kev, not Benny A's.
30mmtags
Guest
+1
Nigel Imrie
Guest
It all depends on what sort of rugby you want to play, EM wants QC because after the first two tests v the ABs, he did not get any results using Toomua so he panicked started believing the press went back in his hole and opted for Cooper, someone carted Toomua tradesman like, I agree, that is the sort of 10 we need not a high risk like QC, Lapp it up, he looked great because he had heaps of time to perform his little trucks, it was Argentina not the ABs. In a fortnights time you will see the real QC play in Dunedin and the ABs will be glad it's him because they will squeeze him and shut him down, our forwards will be dominated giving him zero good ball to play with, not to mention they will be tuning at him all game. Toomua was chosen by Jake White in tandem with CL to play a territory game, two 10's pushing the team down into enemy territory and pressuring them into mistakes and kicking wining penalties, JW is one of the best coaches in the world and he was building his Wallaby team at the Brumbies and how they would play and success was fast coming with a final in season 2, Toomua was an integral part of those plans. QC is high risk as opposed to tradesman in Toomua and now that the forwards are finally lifting their game bring back Toomua and Foley, we should be building with these chaps but unfortunately EM will go to his grave with QC which is a crying shame, we saw the debacle v the Boks in test 1 at Suncorp, that was Cooper!
ben
Guest
Crudens debut was against aus in sydney when the abs won in the last few minutes. Vito i think might have debuted too. Both were average. I rememver greg martin in the match washup saying "well cruden wont play for the abs again and vito was useless". If either played for aus that would probably be true.
Benny A's Tackle
Guest
Passing game is average at best? Obviously not familiar with the Brumbies 2013 season.
Chan Wee
Guest
@ Jarryd LOL Relax , OZ bloggers need to one-up on NZ somewhere , somehow, so who better than the MIB 5th choice fly half making his debut :) But no one bothers to say that Tom Taylor plays fly half as second option , becoz at Crusaders DC is first choice fly half and Tyler Bleyendaal is backup. TT was used more at 12/13 and sometimes 15 in the Super games. Basically it shows the versatality of these young guys Taylor Barret Ben Smith ....
Chan Wee
Guest
@ Jarryd LOL Relax , OZ bloggers need to one-up on NZ somewhere , somehow, so who better than the MIB 5th choice fly half making his debut :) But no one bothers to say that Tom Taylor plays fly half as second option , becoz at Crusaders DC is first choice fly half and Tyler Bleyendaal is backup. TT was used more at 12/13 and sometimes 15 in the Super games. Basically it shows the versatality of these young guys Taylor Barret Ben Smith ....