There have been comparisions made between Rod Macqueen and Ewen McKenzie as the best Wallaby coaches of the professional era.
An interesting topic, but a bit too early to make a genuine assessment.
Macqueen’s magnificent CV reads like a who’s who, with a Rugby World Cup, Bledisloe Cup, Tri-Nations. and a once-only series win over the British and Irish Lions.
A perfect record.
McKenzie hasn’t achieved any of those Macqueen milestones – yet. And his squad is no match for Macqueen’s as individuals.
But when it comes to combinations, McKenzie has garnered together two combinations that could well match the Macqueen squad in the longer term.
The Brumbies starting backline combination did well in the first Test flogging of the French.
Half Nic White, centres Matt Toomua, and Tevita Kuridrani, played key roles, and when they were done, on came the Waratahs combination of half Nick Phipps and centre Kurtley Beale off the bench to join the three Waratah starters – Bernard Foley at fly-half, Adam Ashley-Cooper on the wing, and Israel Folau at fullback.
That was a massive Brumby punt by McKenzie. The Canberra-based franchise has a kicking-based game under coach Steve Larkham, unlike the Waratahs under Michael Cheika who run the ball at will – and do it superbly well.
The point being Cheika is tactically more like McKenzie than Larkham.
But McKenzie can take a bow by sticking to his selections on the spring tour that netted him four wins from the last four games.
That took McKenzie’s CV to six wins and six losses in his first dozen internationals. Now it’s seven-six, and should be nine-six when this three-Test French series is done and dusted.
Then real rugby life licks in with the Rugby Championship and the Bledisloe Cup.
Nothing matters more than the Bledisloe. In 2014, it’s far more important than even thinking about next year’s Rugby World Cup.
The All Blacks have won the coveted Cup 11 years in a row from 2003 to 2013, even worse than Queensland’s eight-year dominance over NSW in rugby league’s State of Origin.
The men-in-black weren’t that positive over England last weekends, and will be put to the test again tomorrow.
At the same time last weekend, the Wallabies were super positive over France and it was obvious they enjoyed the free-running McKenzie insists on.
It’s a damn shame Stephen Moore has been denied the leadership through injury – his captaincy lasted just two minutes.
Michael Hooper is the Wallabies best player, but that doesn’t automatically translate to the champion open-side flanker being the best captain.
He has the arm-band tomorrow, and it’s up to him how responsibility rests on his shoulders.
When David Pocock was in exactly the same position before his spate of knee injuries savaged his career, captaincy didn’t sit well with him.
Having said that, Hooper deserves the captaincy far more than any other contender, so let’s allow history to tell the story.
All we ask for, as lovers of running rugby, is that Ewen McKenzie and his Wallabies continue to play positive, attacking, rugby.
Mistakes will be made, and they must be accepted as part of “having a crack”.
Far better to make mistakes attacking than giving away possession by kicking to the opposition.
Then we can talk about Ewen McKenzie genuinely contesting the tag of the best Wallaby coach pf the open era.
But until then, it’s still Rod Macqueen by the length of the straight.
Dirk
Guest
Why do facts only seem to suit to you when you need them to, Tane? Fact is Wales were 6N champions last December regardless of what the rankings say. They had also recently thrashed the poms 30-3. Another fact; Ireland were the soon-to-be 2014 6N champions - They are the best team in NH not England. They even won a competition that decides who is the best team in the NH. EM inherited a rubble from Deans - a team that had lost all confidence after the Lions series and then had to face the Springboks and All Blacks in quick succession. McKenzie had no time to fix the mess that Robbie Deans left.
PeterK
Guest
FROM RWC onwards Deans had the Wallabies playing terrible rugby. He went away from an exciting adventurous winning rugby to a safe conservative boring one. Averaging 1 try a game etc. What stupidty to move away from what was working, the way that he did smash France to a mind numbing crashball style.
jeznez
Roar Guru
Ps Tane. Not sure if it will help explain or hinder your understanding of the enigma but my two favourite Wallabies at the moment are Fardy and Toomua (but only as blindside and inside centre - not a fan of them at second row or 5/8)
jeznez
Roar Guru
Liked winning the RC but could see the team heading in a direction I didn't like. Finally saw a return to the intelligent attacking play and harder edge at the breakdown that I want from my team at the tail end of last year and am encouraged by what we saw last week.
Justin3
Guest
The subject is Australian you numb nut
Justin3
Guest
Too much credit there Warwick
Justin3
Guest
Tame my entire point is that there is no point comparing. Only a Warren would do so at this point...
soapit
Guest
facts are fine, but you have obviously left out quite a few facts from you comparison and just selected deans best match so dont accuse others of facts not suiting them i agree tho, its still too early to make any call on how mckenzies going from a win percentage, it hasnt even been a full years season. that said i cant see how anyone can conclude he will be at the top of the pile at this point. theres even less evidence to support that than the opposite. its interesting tho to show how positive rugby matters in australia. even with a lower win percentage people clearly view it much more positively which will be better for the game overall in building it in this country regardless of results.
Argyle
Roar Guru
Have some respect Tane. If you knew anything at all about the bloke you would know he was a self less man who loved the game.
Jiggles
Roar Guru
Duuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuh
JimmyB
Guest
In answer to your question trippa, yes I have, it saddens me too.
The Bush
Roar Guru
There were tonnes of them. People have short memories. 2008 was a successful year and we all thought Deans had a great plan. It was 2009 and the endless losses to the All Blacks that started the anti-Deans sentiment...
Warwick Todd
Guest
Tane on a good day you come across as a lonely kiwi and the rest of the time you sound like a complete w4nker.
Bunratty
Guest
Wonderful vid....lovely to see those clips of former greats. Thanks!
Magic Sponge
Guest
I agree Tane I think we , I mean Deansy did great for the talent we had at the 2011 world cup. I was not disappointed apart from Qc performance. Deansy did the best he could but should have gone after the world cup
expathack
Guest
Hooper over Wilson or Smith? Not even on his best day .....
expathack
Guest
Well no, you clearly need to take both the margin of victory AND rankings into account. I understand the internationally accepted approach is to divide one by the other, to give a margin per ranking index (or MPRI as the professionals in this field like to call it) Link : +27 points against 7th ranking team = 27/7 = 3.857142857 MPRI Hasnen + 5 points / 4th ranking team = 5/4 = 1.25 MPRI Would make Link just over 3x the coach Hansen is on current form. Pretty inarguable facts here, Tane.
Tane Mahuta
Guest
What was wrong with 2011? Did you not like winning the RC? Beating NZ? Beating SA 3-0? Being ranked 2nd. What was good about 2009? The Australian rugby fan, such an enigma
Tane Mahuta
Guest
Clearly.
Tane Mahuta
Guest
Ah Justin, Im from NZ, should you care? Stop wasting energy on things that arnt Australian. I wouldnt say that if I agreed with you, so we are kind of the same in that respect.