The Auckland debacle has put Wallabies coach Ewen McKenzie in the cross-hairs for, unfortunately, legitimate reasons.
The Wallabies looked a dispirited lot from the start of the game, with a disorganised feel about them, some bad dropped ball and poor defence. Why would that be? In Sydney the previous week, they also started poorly, but didn’t look dispirited.
Both matches did show a lack of general cohesion and disorganisation at times. Nic White was desperately looking for someone to pass to at times, and quite often chose someone in a worse position than himself – a cardinal sin.
But where were the runners? Wycliff Palu and Matt Toomua crashed together in Sydney while both were attempting to field a restart, where neither had obviously called ‘mine’.
There is only a short time to get the team together prior to the first Bledisloe, but that applied to both teams. One more week, and the All Blacks upped the ante with commensurate response from the Wallabies. Why?
I have a suspicion that there is a crisis of confidence among the Wallabies about the strategic and management capabilities of their coach. A damaging public disciplinary incident in Ireland looked to have been overcome through the evidence of good subsequent performances, notably against Wales.
Quade Cooper, a player that McKenzie believes in, was at 10, Toomua at 12, and the backline functioned well. Cooper is currently on the injured list, and in the meantime we have witnessed the rise of the Waratahs and the fluid and effective functioning of their backline, with Nick Phipps at nine, Bernard Foley at 10, Kurtley Beale at 12 and Adam Ashley-Cooper at 13.
The selection of Beale at 10 to replace Foley, who played the June Tests against France, was very mystifying, but perhaps it was going to be a masterstroke. The first Bledisloe showed that it wasn’t going well, but also that when Phipps and Foley came on, the team looked more settled and organised.
The continued Beale experiment in Auckland was perhaps too obvious a mistake for McKenzie to make for the Wallabies players, and their dispirited performance was the result. They are professionals, however, and surely they can still do what is required of them, can’t they?
I don’t think they necessarily can. At the top level of any sporting contest the result will go to the player or team that can deliver their absolute best under pressure. In rugby, the team must be united as one to have faith in each other to make the necessary tackle and clean-out the ruck in time to save possession. They also need to have absolute faith in their coach and his strategic judgements, selections and team skills and training management.
Steve Hansen has proved since 2011 that he is a master coach and man-manager, along with his coaching team. His team believe in his abilities to manage the process to give the All Blacks the best possible chance of winning. Winning helps a lot, of course, but there is more to it than that.
The most important part of the process is the man-management. Players have to be individually managed to bring out their best and convince them buy into the processes in place. Players need to know everything about their necessary skills, why they were not picked, what they have to work on, what is their path forward and what their potential future in the team is. Where and how do they fit in?
Our most successful recent coach has been Rod McQueen, a businessman and employer of people. He is a man who had experience in dealing with employees with competitive interests and agendas to bring out the best in them for the betterment of the company and its bottom line.
Michael Cheika has now emerged as a coach with a similar background in business management and employment and management of people. He has people skills. The Waratahs showed the value of that, and the players were fiercely loyal to the coach and team direction.
Is it too late for Ewen McKenzie? Has irreparable damage already been done to the fragile trust between the coach and players? I think we are right on that edge, and the only way forward for McKenzie is a new start with the team, via a mea culpa admission regarding the selections at nine and 10 in the first two Bledisloe Tests, and a personal style transformation to enable him to accept advice, listen and learn, be more inclusive and change direction as required.
He has shown himself as extremely pig-headed and determined that he knows best. There is a disturbing element of macho head-butting behaviour in the way he does things, which is a major negative to any organisation at any time.
His challenge to Steve Hansen for the All Blacks to bring their “A” game was stupid and unnecessary. The lack of sportsmanship by the All Blacks towards the Wallabies shown after the Michael Hooper try – when the ball was left sitting behind the goal-line and Beale was waiting on the 22 for an All Blacks player to kick it to him – was a direct result of McKenzie’s bull-at-a-gate attitude. He’s a risk taker where no risk is required.
This is a massive moment for McKenzie. He has to realise that the public and all the resources of Australian Rugby would be behind him if he could show those personal attributes of seeking and accepting advice. His personal silo of information is tainted, and he has to get out from under his own stubbornness. With that change, he could very well succeed in bringing the players along with him.
Here’s hoping anyway.
B9
Guest
Personally I think Ew'macs problem is that KB saw how he had politicked his way past Deans and White and thought he could get himself a start at 10 in the same way, everybody in the WBs saw that for what it was and responded with the kind of performance you would expect from players who know they are being played! Select a team of good rugby playing men and treat them like men, select a team of "x-factors " and you get... well I'm not sure exactly, but it looks awful skittish when the pressure is on.
Rugby lover
Guest
If you look at McKenzie's coaching record it is not that crash hot.Yes, he won one super rugby title but that is about it. To be an international coach you need a much longer cv, with results to match.McKenzie just does not cut the mustard and other coaches know it and will show little respect to him and as a result to his team......THE WALLABIES.It not looking good towards the World Cup because McKenzie needs a lot of help .......the man is clueless! Hopefully the Bok's game will provide McKenzie a opportunity to show he can coach and win with creative flair and he picks the right players and show he does have a game plan or ask someone for one at less.
Bakkies
Guest
Written warnings wouldn't of come out with no ARU support http://www.rte.ie/sport/rugby/international/2013/1118/487369-six-wallabies-suspended-for-dublin-drinking/
Bakkies
Guest
Cheika has a very short fuse. You wouldn't go out and p..s him off by acting the clown if you want to go far in his teams.
Bakkies
Guest
The ARU are still the employers and McKenzie has superiors. He is not in charge as I said Pulver and the board would have got on the line if they didn't agree with what he was doing. Being on tour is irrelevant and the coach doesn't have carte blanche to take over the role of the employer. Did AAC even take the issue up with his coach and his superiors? Yes players can go home if they don't like how things are run (see Shane Watson), opt to not play for the Wallabies like Cooper threatened to do and there are options to play abroad. Stop being so narrow minded.
Bakkies
Guest
In the real world I agree totally but these guys travel the globe and in camp together when at home. There can be no divisions, players not showing respect. All though they are a bit of fun there are reasons why the court session is a tour tradition. Players who turn up late or stuff around get named and shamed in front of the squad and staff.
Rugby Tragic
Guest
Bakkies, I accept your view, fair enough but I just don't agree with it in terms of the treatment of 'subordinates by McKenzie. This is not a McKenzie 'bash' though it might appear so. I would have the same view of any person in a position of authority. I believe in the method of praising your subordinates in public, admonish then if deserved in private.
AlsBoyce
Roar Guru
" I get the logic that Link didn’t think just doing the basics would be enough against the All Blacks." is a major problem I think. By thinking that, LInk has basically said to the team and the world that the combinations that went well against France would not be good enough. But he didn't make the obvious change, if that was what he was thinking, i.e. Beale for Toomua at the start. He goes for the X factor at 10, as a hoped for masterstroke. What that showed was a lack of faith in the ability of his own team that had performed well v France, and a lack of respect for the Waratahs Super 15 title-winning efforts. Major backward step in building team confidence going forward on the back of 7 straight wins.
AlsBoyce
Roar Guru
The 1st English try ressulted from broken play from the English fullback fielding a Wallaby kick to touch with his foot on the line .. ergo line-out required, not a try up the other end. The 2nd English try resulted from a blatant obstruction. Go check all the general comments at the time .. even the English commentators. Wallabies lost 20-13, and could have and should have won anyway. Definitely unlucky, but also definitely a loss.
Ball'n'all
Guest
Em is the employers senior representative in the touring party. The boss. How can you not understand such basic things? Are u trolling now? If you remember, Aac did complain at the time.
Ball'n'all
Guest
Would of walked... are you serious? where to? They cant play for another country. What a ridiculous statement.
Ball'n'all
Guest
"Forget the real world". I will leave that to you as it is a key reason for our differences of opinion on this matter.
Bakkies
Guest
My recollection of the matter is - Mowen and a few players did the right thing and went back at a reasonable hour. Others chose to stay out much later which p....d the blokes off who did the right thing. This is the same thing that has been happening for years. Potentially causing another rift in the camp. McKenzie had to deal with it. - This was kept inhouse until the test squad for the following test was announced with players dropped. Drop that many players after a win and questions get asked. - McKenzie is not the employer the ARU is. If there weren't happy with him they would of taken on the matter. - McKenzie said that the players were allowed to go out on tour and encouraged to do so but they should be smart enough not to go out till 3am. - They played well and until last Saturday were on the right track with a better attitude. - If they were truly unhappy with how McKenzie dealt with it they would have walked. - McKenzie does thing his own way so what if his team talks are out on the pitch.
Bakkies
Guest
They got dropped and went out and performed on their return. That's enough and they responded well. This nonsense goes beyond the Deans years like the Henjak, Tuqiri and Sailor incident and the Rogers nonsense in Scotland. As I said Cheika would have gone beyond what McKenzie did. Forget the real world this is Rugby and they are paid significant money for the privilege.
Bakkies
Guest
RT Robbie gave them enough chances particularly the amigos which created a divide between them and players like Moore and Mitchell. What more do you want? It makes it to the public regardless. Privately didn't cut it and O'Connor had his contract torn. The public pay good money to watch them play. This is test Rugby not Geordie Shore. Enough of the slaps on the wrist and matey nonsense with the ABs. Play like they give a s..t about playing for their country and smash their opponents. Then they will have earned the public's respect.
James
Guest
Unfortunately I feel your right and had these same feeling s back when McKenzie chose Nick White over Foley. Think there is a lack of humility to accept that a man who has crafted a team into the best in Super 15 should have it wrong for the international arena is short sighted pride in McKenzie's own position.. Not sure about coach/player confidence? McKenzie should have ran with the winning 9-10-11-12-13 formula and not change it at all. The Wallabies we absolutely humiliated and they don't need to carry another mans errors out in the firing line like they had to. I truly don't feel it was all their fault - correct selection will work best.
Ball'n'all
Guest
What does 'unlucky loss' mean? That Wallabies shoulda-woulda-coulda won but for bad luck?
Ball'n'all
Guest
Toomua wasn't all rubbish. He made alot of good tackles, particularly early on. Having wached the game a number of times now, he wasn't that bad. You don't like people pointing the finger at beale yet are comfortable doing it too Toomua?
Ball'n'all
Guest
The 'me' generation is the baby boomers.
Ball'n'all
Guest
EM is responsible for the current team. What happened with Deans is not important, unless a year into his stewardship you are suggesting that EM is so ineffective as a coach that the ghost of Deans is still running the ship? He can't buy a game against NZ, Eng or NZ. The team has looked good against everyone else. Conclusion, the Wallabies are good but are not the best team in the world. All the hand wringing and 'if only we selected the right team we would be the best' type articles post a flogging at the hands of the best team in the world are a bit pointless. His record speaks for itself. TWAS you clearly have an optimistic view about EM's results at the helm , but if they continue at this level he will be regarded as a failure.