Australia’s performance against Argentina confirms Ewen McKenzie’s Queensland Reds 2011 game plan is fast becoming redundant.
Historically, Wallaby success has hinged on recognisable game plans.
There was the flat attacking style of Bob Dwyer, and the innovation of Rod Macqueen. Eddie Jones kept Macqueen’s cornerstones in place, forging a high-tempo game that injected forward ball runners into the action, bending the line to give the backs opportunities.
Even the New Zealand game plan of Robbie Deans gave the Wallabies enough confidence in themselves to gap oppositions when their set piece worked.
Australia no doubt has the talent, but not the game plan to bring this talent to the fore. Additionally the balance of the side seems out of kilter.
Matt Toomua is a class player, but have him as a five-eighth or bench him. When McKenzie picked Toomua and Tevita Kuridrani against the French they went sideways on the back of solid forward momentum. Again there was this sideways tendency against South Africa and Argentina.
But Toomua’s provincial form is excellent. He was one for reasons for ACT’s success. McKenzie must work out a way to honour this but create a damaging backline.
Kurtley Beale’s ball play and finesse will create more one-on-one opportunities for Kuridrani. Beale is the most penetrating ball runner in the competition, and isn’t getting enough game time.
Sam Carter is a handy ball runner, but we still can’t see the value of him over James Horwill. Horwill is a better srummager and a more dynamic ball runner. Australia are sadly still counting the cost of Sitaleki Timani going overseas.
If Australia are to have success over the All Blacks they need the most dynamic back row. Scott Fardy is wholehearted but only seems to excel against the weaker nations, when pick and drive becomes an easier way to make ground. Scott Higginbotham could be selected as an blindside breakaway. The All Blacks genuinely fear Higginbotham’s impact and speed around the ruck.
Juxtapose McKenzie’s efforts so far with the genius of Steve Hansen and his assistants.
At Eden Park, the All Blacks launched their attaching style off lineouts. They moved the ball quickly to the outside channels and exploited the fact that opposition wingers stood deep and thus allowed the new Zealand outside backs to breach the advantage line. Then New Zealand’s back row and second rowers were unleashed as damaging off-loaders, as a result of the depth and compression.
Hansen’s game plan is similar to Michael Cheika’s, but it is more spontaneous. My bet is Cheika has borrowed more from Hansen than vice versa. In the Eden Park match the New Zealand players executed Hansen’s simple game plan, allowing them to play to their potential for crucial periods. Combine this with their excellent ethos with turnover ball and you had a flogging.
McKenzie must produce an undefeated period into next year’s World Cup for Australia, while innovating and reengineering his game plan. My bet is that he is not sure how to achieve that.
bennalong
Guest
Which points to a lack of confidence!
JB
Guest
early one international player of the year a few years ago, pre his Melbourne debacle and I saw an expert panel of horan, kafer and Sharpe had him starting for the wallabies at 15 with folau on the wing (only kafe had Folau at 15. Some very knowledgeable people tend to disagree with you. He is a 15 hands down, trying to fit him in to ten or 12 has been the problem. All his best football against quality opposition has been from the back
JB
Guest
Cooper are you kidding?
Play the Game
Guest
But that is typical Mc Kenzie...always talking it up! I am glad you picked it up.
Jeff
Guest
Ditto and I really admire your Gaelic.Only wish I was as fluent.
Argyle
Roar Guru
Yes & Yes!
Marc Dellapia
Guest
Were not playing well but still winning. We don't have our best players back either. Add Genia, cooper at 10. Put Beale at 12. Add JOC and Digby at the wings, and bring back Timani
Rouaan
Guest
I've been watching Australian rugby closely since the early 1980s and as a supporter I've been impressed by the way they do things. Yes, since Eddie Jones messed up the future of the team by not preparing any new players in key positions and neglecting the scrum, I've been very disappointed. The WBs have not recovered in the forwards since. I get that a game plan is important, need the buy-in, etc. but the WBs are not on the same page in terms of their own standards (pride) and game management. In rugby you want to 'win' every aspect of the contest, that's why you are on the field. The coaching teams and the senior players need to agree and monitor this. This EOYT can be such a great opportunity to nurture the basics of the 'game plan' and to value the basics as the cornerstone of success. Get Macqueen, Cheika and Dwyer on board as consultants for the tour.
RobC
Roar Guru
Thanks for the article It hasn't been pretty. but WBs delivered results. Some background: I think he tried to reinvent the game plan, starting last year's TRC. It led to a disaster - He has since 'dumbed it down' and delivered - I believe he has to evolve, leveraging on successful systems - instead of re-engineering - If there is something he has to change - that is injury prevention / management The final assertion is he has produce an undefeated period whilst innovating. Im unconvinced the WBs must be undefeated. Im also curious as to what the implication is, if they are not (undefeated)?
PiratesRugby
Guest
Players don't lose their fitness in a couple of weeks. They've all come through a whole season of S15 and a domestic test season too. By the time Link gets them for the TRC, they're either fit or they're not.
Nigel Imrie
Guest
Heavy handed attacks there, relax, it's a forum for discussions, so someone gets a couple of facts wrong not the end of the world cuz.
Rugby Tragic
Guest
100% agree .... quoting stats just to win an argument is misleading .... why not just quote the last two games, both wins.. does that make the record look better?
HARRY
Guest
Hear hear!!!
Squirrel
Guest
Who is their conditioner and fitness guru. Sack him
Rugby Tragic
Guest
And thus far he hasn't with the Wallabies ...... unless berating them publicly or having them sitting is plastic chairs at half time is 'man management'. As I had pointed out on other threads, the style he is adopting is "it's all about me"... not the players....
Buzzard
Guest
Not Cooper or Pocock!
Buzzard
Guest
Cheika didn't have to play the ABs!
Gray-Hand
Guest
Beale was chosen to play based on his super 15 form at 12. Although playing at inside centre, his actual play style was more like a five eigth. Towards the end of the season, he took on more and more of a playmaking role. He played well. McKenzie may well have gone with Beale at the start of the tournament because he ultimately plans to have both Beale and Cooper in his World Cup Team. Cooper at fly-half and Beale on the bench. Given that fly-half is one of the positions that Beale would be expected to fill in the event that Cooper is pulled, and given his previous experience in that position at international level, giving him a couple of games in that position was not an unreasonable decision. McKenzie probably also sees Toomua as a likely member of the World Cup team both because he is a proven performer in that position and because he has a proven partnership with Cooper. If Cooper is (rightly or wrongly) destined to walk back into the number 10 jersey, then it makes sense to keep Toomua in that position for the sake of stability (both for the individual player and the team). Even when he has an off game, he isn't too bad. Toomua might not be the most dynamic player in attack, but he's among the best defensive players in the backline. Defence is half the game, and this wallaby backline can't afford to swap a strong defender like Toomua for their worst defender in Beale. Certainly not in the first 60 minutes, at least. Beale might very well have got the nod for the French tests too, but at that stage he was still feeling his way back into professional Rugby. There were sound reasons for selecting Beale as fly-half at the start of the tournament. It may not have ultimately worked out, but that doesn't mean it was a dumb decision when it was made.
Zero Gain
Guest
Hear, hear.
Die hard
Roar Rookie
Maybe go back to 1905. Played 35, won 34, lost 1, points for 976, against 59. Between then and the Don All Blacks played running rugby. For a time they played 10 man rugby. Than things went back to normal. Here are some figures from statsguru starting from 1901 for all of history NZ Played 519 for 1775 tries @ 3.42 / game Aust Played 566 for 1459 tries @ 2.57 /game Eng Played 607 for 1317 tries @ 2.17 / game You make very sweeping statements that don't reconcile with the facts of the game.