You may think the best thing about Australian rugby this year has been the continued improvement of Israel Folau, Michael Hooper and Matt Toomua. Or perhaps Scott Sio and Will Skelton’s development into probable Wallaby starters.
But, no. The best news story for Australian rugby is ‘The Other Guys’.
Within the Wallaby squad there is a bunch of guys against whose name every armchair critic in the land would have marked in bold red ink “Never to play for Australia again”.
They were failed Robbie Deans experiments or guys considered not really capable of that step up to national honours, due to be shunted back to Super Rugby and never to return to the international stage.
Ben McCalman
Debuted for the Wallabies in 2010. Has 29 caps and was considered a Deans project that ended up back on the drawing board.
Let’s face it, the big dog was more like a big puppy, considered to lack the physical presence to make it in the Test arena. But before this season started he shed the puppy fat, munched down a bunch of dog biscuits, bumped on five kilos of muscle and has become a mongrel.
Everybody thought that with a fit Wycliff Palu and Scott Higginbotham on the scene that McCalman would be back in the kennel on the chain, but he has demanded release with a bunch of tough, intimidating performances for the Force.
Great news for Australian rugby.
Pek Cowan
Wallaby selection in 2009. One of many selected in Australia’s continual search for ‘the’ prop.
Not unfair to say he was consigned to the scrapheap, making his the most remarkable resurgence of all of these selections.
One thing the Australian front row needs is consistency. Our props play at a different level week to week, inflating our hopes with one performance and deflating them with the next. This can even happen within the course of a game.
But Cowan has been plying his trade week in, week out, scrummaging well, tackling hard and running the ball into contact making yards. What more can you ask of a prop? A deserved recall.
Matt Hodgson
Again debuted in 2009, he was too old, too slow, not big enough.
A trier but with David Pocock, Michael Hooper and Liam Gill around, Hodgson was not what Australian needed.
Wrong! He is exactly what the Wallabies need.
Most tackles in Super Rugby. Most consistent Australian player. An inspirational leader. Probably just outpointed ‘Sir Ruchie’ against the Crusaders this week.
Fantastic player to come off the bench for those vital final stages of a Test match.
Rob Horne
I like Rob Horne – four words I was certain I was never going to utter in my life.
A Deans favourite and also the favourite photo on the armchair-critic dartboard. A poor man’s Nathan Grey, his 15 caps for the Wallabies were considered by nearly everyone as 15 too many.
Yet he has reinvented himself as a hard-running, hard-tackling winger who is honest, dependable and consistent.
A ‘Honey Badger’ clone if you will, but now a deserved selection for the squad.
Pat McCabe
From Australian rugby’s punching bag to national hero and legend, Chuck’s transformation from villain to hero has only been topped by his transformation as a rugby player.
‘Runs straight, tackles hard’ are the only four words that could be used to describe his play.
Highly courageous yet ultimately a resounding NO with the Australian public in the role Robbie Deans wanted him to play for the Wallabies. Well, the man they couldn’t root, shoot or electrocute and with with more broken bones than Evel Knievel has changed.
I nearly swallowed my can of beer watching a game earlier in the season when a man who resembled Pat McCabe seemed to swerve, step, and actually ran around an opposition player.
This was compounded when this same phantom actually passed the ball. They reckon you need two miracles to be considered for sainthood. Arise Saint Pat.
Pat McCabe is faster, stronger, runs great lines, swerves, steps, passes the football and still tackles like a demon.
There is a God.
You may be an Israel Folau fan or think Michael Hooper is what Australian rugby is all about, but spare a thought for those players who are not so fashionable and put in the hard yards, week in, week out and could be what gets the Wallabies where we want them to be in world rugby.
The Other Guys.
Bakkies
Guest
Clarke is retiring too many concussions.
ols
Roar Pro
Good point Tommy Red. Rob Horne is outbadgering the Badger this year. No qualms with me if he got a gig After seeing the team today I am disappointed Hodgson isn't there as backup fetcher. I prefer when Wallabies go down this route. I know Hooper is a v-c but if they put TPN on for Moore for the last twenty and needed to give Hooper an early night (injury, wear & tear) I really thought it would be great to have Hodgson there. if we win on Saturday I'm sure some of the expanded squad will get a go.
TommyRed
Guest
Great article Andrew. After seeing the Wallabies squad that was announced today, I was surprised that some of the guys you named in your article weren't picked for the team. Rob Horne (never thought much of him before) has been on fire for the Tahs this season. He's a changed man. I would have thought that if McKenzie was picking players based on form, then the first wing spot should have gone to Horne rather than the Honey Badger. If anything, Horne has been doing a better impression of the Honey Badger than the Honey Badger himself. Give the guy a jersey and just watch him run through the defense. Matt Hodgson is another whom I would have picked; he at least warrants a spot on the bench. He would make a huge difference in the last 15 minutes coming off the reserves to give the team a lift. Another guy who is in the best form of his career and hasn't been given a go. I would have picked him ahead of McCalman in the 23. We'll see how the Wallabies go this Saturday and whether McKenzie will tinker with the team after then...
Mike
Guest
Some of these players aren't doing anything new. its worth looking at the reality of what McCabe was doing in 2011 Tri Nations, versus the propaganda put out by some fans ("wouldn't pass", "just crash ball", "no creativity" etc). A look at even the first half of the first game of that season (which I think may have been his 3N debut) against South Africa will disabuse that notion. He was a hard running inside centre, and he was not a "second five". Many people found that hard to cope with, because it wasn't the trend at the time. I also don't think Hodgson is doing much new, its just that people appreciate him more now.
RobC
Roar Guru
Depth makes for a good team. At all levels The sooner we work on combinations, not just player highlights, the better. This is the difference between Rugby and most sports.
Mike
Guest
Robbie is equally criticised for using his bench too soon, or in the wrong way, etc ,etc. If only he had done things my way, we would have won all the tests we lost. Everyone's got an opinion.
Mike
Guest
ols
Roar Pro
Probably Robbie Dean's biggest fault as Wallabies coach. Too little, too late with use of the bench. Lost us Tests I reckon and led to the excellent points mentioned above. With probably Skelton, Hodgson, Beale and White on the bench we would be crazy not to take advantage of them.
Daz
Guest
If you listen to some fine rugby minds in NZ one of the biggest losses to the Chiefs this year and one that has been detrimental to their hopes has been the loss of Craig Clarke. Unsung, unheralded, uncapped by the ABs yet so important to the Chiefs. Funny how team dynamics work.
ols
Roar Pro
Thanks for the kind comment MiB. I think Hodgson has a very important role to play. Our Vice Vice Captain if you get my drift. Moore and Genia (if selected as v-c) can't play eighty minutes every test. I can see Matt coming off the bench, making crucial tackles and pilfers, and leading the team if necessary if captain and v-captain are not on the paddock.
Who Needs Melon
Roar Guru
Here's to the other guys. So good to have genuine contenders in many positions putting pressure on incumbents. What's more I hope we make good use of the bench this year. Too often in the past the guys picked on the bench and in the broader squad were there just to cover injuries and rarely used. It demoralised them and gave rise to a sense of entitlement in the incumbents.
MiB
Guest
This is a brilliant piece. I would love to see Hodgson get a run-on and wear the (c) during the French series. I also believe that McCabe is the Wallabies answer to Ben Smith and should be starting on the wing. (The AB's love selecting a fullback on the wing and I consider McCabe to be a genuine fullback).
mikeylives
Guest
I Love watching McCabe this year. Can't believe he isn't getting regular starts this year at the Brums. He has electric pace and can change his line as he receives the ball a la Mortlock. So good.
Al
Guest
Gosh this is a spot piece, exactly what is bubbling through the chatter in my lounge room every weekend. Horne is a new man. McCabe gosh we are all dumb founded in how we are taking a shine to the lad in headgear.
Pete McAloney
Roar Pro
Thanks Andrew, good call on these players picking up their respective games. Australia has always struggled for depth in comparison to the other rugby heavyweights (I blame AFL quite frankly, when I'm Dictator-for-Life that code will become strictly amateur) so to see these blokes bounce back is heartening stuff.