Ewen McKenzie wears three hats – he’s the Wallabies coach, he must select the best side to win every Test, and he must mentor attractive, open rugby to keep the turnstiles clicking.
Hat one is obvious, but hat two has a major question mark over it, while hat three is a direct result of hat two.
McKenzie has pulled some stunning selections so far in the Rugby Championship.
For the first two Tests against the All Blacks, when the Wallabies had to be at full strength to stand any chance, McKenzie dumped fly-half and goal-kicker Brendan Foley to the bench for inside centre Kurtley Beale.
The results were a 12-all draw, and a 51-20 flogging, the Bledisloe gone for another year.
That draw should have been a drop-goal win for the Wallabies. In the last six minutes, there were four golden opportunities to break the deadlock, and none were attempted.
Whose fault was that, captain Michael Hooper as the decision-maker on the spot, McKenzie from the coaches’ box, or dumb rugby from the backline?
Whatever the reason, or whoever was to blame, it was a win allowed to rot on the vine.
Then the flogging, and the less said about that the better.
For the next two Tests, McKenzie dumped Beale and his original first-choice halfback Nic White to the bench, promoting the Waratah pairing of Nick Phipps and Foley.
Stunningly, he left out behemoth lock Will Skelton altogether.
Result, the Wallabies won 24-23 against the Boks in the last minute, thanks to McKenzie injecting Beale into the game at the 73rd minute. He couldn’t have left it any later.
The Rob Horne try and the Foley conversion did the trick from 23-17 down, but the coach sure cut it fine.
Hat three – the Wallaby fans aren’t turning up in droves. At the Boks game in Perth, where there are thousands of South African residents, and the Force have drawn good crowds, only 25,718 bothered in a stadium with a capacity of 43,082.
The fourth Wallaby appearance will be tonight against the Pumas at Cbus Super Stadium on the Gold Coast, the home of the NRL’s Titans. It has a capacity of 27,000, so far only 15,000 tickets have been sold.
The Pumas have been in the Rugby Championship since 2012, and have never won a match. Their best result was a 16-all draw at Mendoza against the Boks in their inaugural year.
The full stats – the Pumas have played 15 games in the Rugby Championship for 14 losses, and that draw. They have scored 214 points and let in 464, a deficit of 250.
But they will be a handful for the Wallabies tonight. Don’t underestimate the men from Argentina, they boast the best pack of the four nations in this tournament, but haven’t the backs to make capital out of that fact.
Nonetheless, Ewen McKenzie will have to up his ante on hats two and three to make sure the Wallabies are playing to their capabilities, and the fans are clicking the turnstiles to be entertained and proud of their national team.
There’s a way to go.
So tired ofbmhjbb
Guest
Why do you post this guys articles?
dahl
Guest
Mick O'connor a qldr?
CHT
Guest
Two points about Perth, the weather was shit that day AND most fans hate watching rugby at Subiaco, it's a bloody oval stadium.
Ruckin Oaf
Guest
The Queensland Reds player of the year wins the Pilecki Medal, he's one of ours and a legend north o the border
Gasparin
Guest
We'd all have Test Caps if they were handed out on the basis of post match antics. Bob would have reached his century.
Gasparin
Guest
Very true, Zero Gain - a wonderful performance against Nudgee College from the young Cornelson to win the GPS Premiership, no less. From memory, playing NC at home and trailing substantially at half time. Has he kicked on from there? As for the great Stan - smoking bungers before the game and at half time - magnificent stuff.
Sportstragic
Roar Rookie
Hi! I am a newbie to this site and am enjoying most of the articles so far but am unsure what to make of this. David Lord seems like a nice bloke but I am not sure why he has an expert title next to his name. To state that Beale won the game for the Wallabies after coming on in the 73rd minute and being stunned by Skelton being left out of the game is obviously incorrect. I dont know many people with a basic understanding of the game would agree on this. Does he have an ulterior motive?
Zero Gain
Guest
Naa, don't agree. He makes a lot of valid observations. Especially overlooked, as David points out, is Foley's failure to drop over an easy goal to take the first bled.
Zero Gain
Guest
Well, he hung round with a lot of Queenslanders and his son made the Australian Schoolboys side from Brisbane Grammar.
Zero Gain
Guest
Stan played 100 games for Queensland so I think we will accept him.
Hambone
Guest
pretty sure the atrocious weather in the perth test had something to do with the number being down maybe?? as for tonight's test, pretty sure there is a competing NRL finals match where the cowboys are looking the goods, and the choice between watching either, im sure most have gone with the cowboys as finals footy adds a little more unfortunately...
Nigel Imrie
Guest
The Pumas are going to push the Wallaby scrum around all night and they are going to kick themselves into our half and force mistakes, turnovers and penalties. They will drive their lineouts, they will be playing for that push over scrum which will come and when that comes,back to the stone age we will go and let's see how EM explains that one away, something like this perhaps, "our forwards are a work in progress, TPN has just come back from injury, blah, blah, here's hoping we can hold our own against this rampaging forward pack...
almark
Guest
Surely it is a coaching team, not just one man, although with Aussie rugby they always present the image of a single coach.
Existentialist
Guest
Baha! Multiple palms to faces of multiple Argies on the way to try line will be intimate enough for me ;) Go wallabies!
Argyle
Roar Guru
I can I add to that, Stan Pilecki was actually born in Germany, but considering he was at least 38 and still playing test rugby just might make him an honorary one Gasparin ;) Bob Gower, was born in Wales, but he has proven to be a tireless performer for both Queensland & Australia in various bars and establishments globally and just might make an honorary one also mate :)
Woodsman
Guest
He constantly gets names wrong, to the point where I'm not sure whether his mental faculties are damaged or he just plain doesn't watch rugby.
Gasparin
Guest
Cornelson is not a Queenslander, although his four tries against the All Blacks just might make him an honorary one.
Simon Bedard
Roar Pro
Well said. 1000 shades of grey is the world we live in.
Zero Gain
Guest
All Queenslanders? No surprise there really. The founding fathers of modern Australian rugby.
Zero Gain
Guest
The third hat doesn't exist. He doesn't have to play attractive rugby, he only has to win and if he does no one will care what sort of game they play. I won't even though I much prefer a fast open game, like the Tahs plays this year.