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You don’t like to crow too early, because everyone calls you a nay sayer and you don’t want to crow too late, because, then you’re just a follower or an urger or an imitator.
I’m old enough to remember the 1991 Rugby World Cup team, of which our esteemed Wallabies coach was a member.
But importantly, I had the pleasure of being in Vancouver in 1989 when the Wallabies passed through and played a game at Victoria, the capital of British Colombia.
What a week, as we also saw the AB’s play – it was the centenary of BC Rugby and both the Wallabies and the All Blacks stopped off in Vancouver to help in the celebrations.
Bob Dwyer took away a development side – some of the guys who later went on to great careers were on their first tour, and the planning was very definitely about what was to go down two years hence, in 1991.
The team that took the field that night was largely the team that went on to the World Cup, but a lot of the blokes were fairly young and untested.
If memory serves, we beat BC reasonably well, despite a local referee who did his best for the locals.
I got to have a chat with the dirt trackers out the back at half time, and many of them went on to become well known Wallabies.
Point is that Bob Dwyer had a settled combination two years out from the Rugby World Cup.
Remember that we had hosted the first one in 1987 and had to settle for the Bronze Medal playoff in NZ. That stuck in a lot of peoples’ throats, particularly as the All Blacks won it.
From that team in 1989 (which had some famous victories and a couple of dubious losses) we went on to win the Rugby World Cup with virtually the same team for two years – the only major change being when Tim Gavin did his knee and Troy Coker came into the team from the squad.
We all felt for you, Tim, but at least the ABC did the right thing and got you there as a commentator
I am sure that Ewen McKenzie has seen and learned from that.
I’m sure that Robbie Deans would have liked to have been in the same position, but his personnel choices ultimately saw him off.
Can’t yet speak for the pigs, as there is maybe a bit of development in the pipeline, but we certainly seem to have the backline to do the job in 2015 – right now, you would have to say that it is one of the best balanced backlines that we have put out on the paddock for some time.
Matt Toomua and Tevita Kuridrani have been revelations, as has Israel Folau.
A few weeks ago, you would have said that Henry Speight and Kurt Beale would walk into the side – now not so sure.
James O’Connor, Beale, Speight, Jesse Mogg, Luke Morahan, Kyle Godwin, Mike Harris, Rob Horne, Saia Fainga’a, Lachie Turner, and one or two others have their work cut out just to get on the bench where Bernard Foley, Christian Lealiifano and Joe Tomane are sitting reasonably pretty.
What a wonderful conundrum…and that takes no account of some of the younger guys who might be impressing in the Schools or Under 20 who just might be bolters, and whose names we don’t even know yet.
Obviously, we have two more seasons yet, but the thing is that you want to put a combination together that clicks and that is what we seem to be doing
This doesn’t even address the forwards, where there probably is room for some more blooding – blokes like Scott Sio (unlucky to miss this tour) and Peter Kimlin, who might be an outside chance.
We still have David Pocock and Scott Higginbotham to come back, so it will be an interesting season in 2014, that’s for sure.
I, for one, are starting to believe that the seed has been sown and the acorn is beginning to look like a healthy Oak Tree.
Editor’s note: This piece was submitted before Ewen McKenzie stood down several Wallabies players for breaching team rules.
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.