David Lord’s recent article on The Roar – “All Blacks relentless in winning the World Cup” – prompted thoughts that Australia must be relentless in their whole approach to Test rugby, not just on the field. Australia have to regain the Bledisloe Cup.
Australia must also retain the Rugby Championship.
Presently, New Zealand are deservedly number one in the world, but there is nothing that says they should remain so. When Australia regain the Bledisloe trophy and retain the Rugby Championship, in a clean sweep in 2016, they will deservedly be number one.
I have no connections within the ARU or Super 16 franchises, and know nothing of contractual obligations, timings, finances or details, but this is my outline plan for the relentless acquisition of number one status for Australia.
This year’s Rugby World Cup team
The current Wallabies are a very good side, very well coached and very well performed. The World Cup squad was stable, shared a common objective and kept to a goal of ‘improvement’.
Barring injury, retirement, contract breaches, deliberate selection changes or other unforeseen circumstances the coaching squad and 31-player group should remain in constant contact with coach Michael Cheika.
The group performed wonderfully well and is best maintained. Contact should be by any means but it is important that Cheika is in communication no less than fortnightly, preferably face to face.
The team must maintain the goal of improvement from the present until its next match. Contact with each other and the coach is crucial to this. This is not to say that an underperforming player is retained, though emerging talent must be brought through.
Routine team training sessions
To maintain constant improvement routine team training sessions need too be factored in and around the players’ other obligations, not necessarily extra though. Sessions must work principally on additional strength and fitness and drills determined by the coaching staff on team expectations and tactics. I assume that this will depend on the arrangements that can be made between the ARU and Super franchises, but should not occur less than every month, year round.
Super Rugby support and liaison
Given that effective cooperation can be achieved with Super Rugby coaches, individual player training and game expectations should be the same in the Super Rugby side as they are expected to be in the Australia team.
For example, if a hard running, no kicking five-eighth is required for Australia, then he is not expected to be a silky hands, golden boot for his Super team. The idea seeks to have players playing well with particular skill sets, rather than the Australian coach having to pick the best available and then moulding a team from contrasting styles a few weeks out from a match.
Training matches
Cheika very cleverly had two sides available in his 31-man squad, and they played against each other in training. How do Roarers sit with the notion that before Test matches the Wallabies squad plays training matches against, say, NRC teams, each of whom play the game differently? This would give the Wallabies experience at absorbing different pressure and making decisions how to play dissimilar opposition.
Yes, there is potential for injury. On the up side there is the chance for an NRC player to attract Cheika’s notice. Nick Farr-Jones was selected from Sydney second grade after all. These games could present another revenue raising stream for the marketers. I’m not sure how all that could work, but I imagine that fans would turn out to see Wallabies versus Brisbane City at Ballymore.
Study the All Blacks
Imitation is the most sincere form of flattery, though we shouldn’t be aiming to flatter but to defeat. What do the All Blacks do that we don’t but should? I defer to the experts here but the All Blacks’ have an ability to play any sort of game. They can play a tight ball-in-hand match, develop play out wide and use kicking strategies to play for field position, for example.
They are tactically astute. I agree with Spiro Zavos’s Weight of Winning hypothesis. That needs to be broken and Australia must to develop its own.
Recent articles have cited the importance of Wayne Smith to Steve Hansen, while team psychologist Gilbert Enoka is frequently mentioned. What else have the All Blacks got?
Do we need this sort of input to the Wallabies? Yes, and we should have more.
Hopefully this article provokes discussion and some of it gets through to people who can make it count. It is terrific to have featured in the Rugby World Cup final, in a great match.
We should not be content with second place into the future, however. A relentless approach to becoming number one starts here!
Alex L
Roar Rookie
I just grabbed the numbers from wiki, interestingly all the links are dead; however from a NZRU media release on the 23 April 2015 titled "Strong year for New Zealand Rugby" there are over 150k registered players -- the wiki figure for Australia comes from 2012 and using web archive it was 86k; so even if the participation rate has gone up dramatically since then it won't be taking effect at senior level yet.
moaman
Roar Guru
'The total playing registered playing numbers in NZ are far higher too." Stats to back that up?
moaman
Roar Guru
Dru; Just a minor correction.Think you will find NZ population in the region of 4.5 millions at present...around 1,000,000 being foreign -born I think.http://www.stats.govt.nz/browse_for_stats/snapshots-of-nz/nz-in-profile-2015/population.aspx
Alex L
Roar Rookie
Outside of the north shore of Sydney and some parts of Brisbane, those states are league areas where for the most part nobody cares about Rugby Union with the exception of people with NZ or Pommie families.. The total playing registered playing numbers in NZ are far higher too.
dru
Roar Rookie
Population NZ 5.2m Population Sydney and Brisbane 7.0m Population NSW and QLD 12.0m Rugby playing populations are also similar. Then add the additions from ACT, and everywhere else. Australia at least matches NZ on the basis of available talent. This is different to the marketing and finance issue where NZ has no effective competition and Australia is 4th in the football code. At the same time Australia is a much larger "pie" on population and national economic basis. There is a logical argument (though not the only one) that the financial base in NZ (and RSA for that matter) is at saturation. Which means, without looking to other nations, the best SANZA return opportunities are to compete in Aus. Either way, the problem is not the base stock that is available.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
They should absolutely not just maintain the current 31. The best teams are consistent because the players are. Consistent selection is a luxury for winning teams, it's not a path to success, it's a by product of success.
RobC
Roar Guru
thanks la bas. I reckon Oz Rugby admin would do much better, by emulating Eng's priorities, before trying to become more like NZ ie grassroots first. The little inroads that Oz Rugby has done on lower tiers / grassroots is the reason WBs have lifted their form
Those same sweat glands you possess us Bok fans have them work overtime against teams they should nt. It is frustrating being a Springbok supporter.
Bazza
Guest
Not a chance in the world we will get near the AIG`S!! ..Have you seen the muppets we have in that backline and pack??.. FOLEY PHIPPS HORNE SPEIGHT TOMANE DOUGLAS MUMM have been pathetic ?? The only decent players we have are.. Pocock Simmons Sio Slipper Fardy TK Holmes Beale ( juries out ) Folau ( horrible world cup, shoud have been dropped ) Toomua Hooper ( not as a forward, play him 12) Mccalman T Smith not internatinal standard
shrink
Roar Rookie
Tis a strange one B. Often watch the Boks play other teams and think they're not playing well at all - this will be a cake walk for the ABs. But every time.....every time damn it, when the Boks play the ABs - it is a titanic battle with micro-thrillers scripts littering the playing ground. Bizarre, but the Boks have made me realise that I have sweat glands in parts of my anatomy that shouldn't.
Bazza Allblack Supporter
Roar Rookie
Maybe that is why we are most afraid of the bok.... Take your point though.
South Africa once believed their path was open to take the number one spot. They focused so hard on beating the All Blacks they forgot about , Ireland, Wales, Argentina, Japan, etc. etc. etc.
Kohatu
Guest
Hi David, I really don't think the improvement required to transform the Wallabies it is as simple as you have described in your article. To add my two cents worth on the Wallabies winning tests consistently against the All Blacks, the Springboks and other major rugby countries IMO will not happen until there is a vast improvement to the way the game is structured in Australia. Of course for the aforementioned scenario to come into fruition will depend on the ARU to create, implement and lead the transformation. Sadly, can anyone tell us if the suits at the ARU are competent leaders to bring such a major change (Chieka notwithstanding) especially after the Three Amigos & more recently the McKenzie/Beale fiasco!? Does the ARU have any positive ideas to markedly improve the game of rugby in Australia? I mean do they even have a recognised strategic plan or any plans for that matter to effectively implement positive changes to grow and improve rugby in Australia? I for one haven't heard of any apart from the current NRC competition which if it keeps going will probably drain the ARU financially. As you said David; the ARU could imitate New Zealand however before that the ARU must look at their strengths i.e. Qld & NSW and build their business & playing model from those two states. The ARU (for future players) need to restructure the game to maximise player identification, development and pathways and financially to look at major commercial partnerships to continually grow the Wallaby brand so they have the capacity to monetarily compensate players and unions. When the two strongest states (QLD & NSW), are in sync with a comprehensive strategic plan to revolutionise rugby (other states to follow) only then will Australia (with player numbers similar to NZ) come close to imitate NZ in terms of having a strong rugby base to select future stars from who grow up wanting to be a Wallaby.
Dontcallmeshirley
Guest
Good article - thanks However I think Cheika has got the most he can get out of this playing group. They have over achieved. To go to the next level some of the good young players around Australia will need to step up and fill a few weaknesses in the team. The Wallabies need a strong ball running loose forward, another top lock and a new halfback (Genia is great at his best but this is infrequent, the other two are poor). There is planty of depth in the backs though.
Shrink
Guest
To follow up on your NZ school comment CB NZ primary schools (from age 5 to 13) only play 7aside- touch rugby with tournaments etc. If a student intends playing rugby – the parents will meet all the costs, kit and travel etc. Any primary student wishing to play rugby has to register with a Rugby Club and play in junior age grades and are named smallblacks aged 6-7, and they start with 7 aside rippa rugby –snatch a velcro streamer off the opposition ball carrier forces him to pass the ball to his team mate. Tackling is introduced at age 9 or 10 with 10 aside, and eleven year olds play on a full field with 15 players. Tournaments are held for all ages, with age and weight tournaments available throughout the season for the Rugby Clubs, which are all managed by volunteers. Once getting to High Schools or college – the secondary school has first rights over the young rugby players from about the age of 13 to 18, - with the school having a top rugby team of their very best players regardless of age - the first fifteen. The High School rugby teams play each other each Saturday and attend age graded tournaments. Gosh….the Under 15 tournament I attended last winter had kids built like pizza ovens, bearded and deadly with the ball in hand. After finishing high school the young rugby player goes back to club rugby, for senior grades. Open to correction but think its a reasonable summary, as I think its important to realise that rugby is not a 'de facto' sport where a child enlists due to their immersion at school. Kids playing rugby is entirely a choice and involves significant funding from parents, and huge support from a dedicated raft of volunteers who coach and referee etc. Some may even call it an investment.
Brisbane boys
Guest
For my two cents worth we need to get all the players playing more often. We need a bottom up approach currently fringe Super 15 players do not play club rugby so the quality of the pool is reduced over time. The fine players are not executing skills under pressure so when they come into the Super 15 team they are not up to speed. From a junior perspective I heard about a Junior Gold Cup Coach who told a group of 14 year olds that if they had not been identified at 16 they were wasting there time. Not very helpful particularly when all these coaches pick is a big player for there age who is not going to get any bigger rather than a player who is skilled but is a later developer. Rowing does well they actually identify players who are not necessarily in the first eight but the tall kids who are in the seconds as they grow to be bigger men.
scrumma
Guest
Wake up and wash your tero tero out of your eyes. I can't see that happening any time soon.
Cliff (Bishkek)
Guest
Lindsay - there is one slight difference that the numbers do not pick up and that is this: Take Queensland & New South Wales - the major two likely states where Rugby players are generated. The other states are mainly AFL - with Rugby at some private schools in those states - Victoria, South Australia, West Australia, Tasmania and Northern Territory are predominately AFL - and from primary school through to high school - AFL is the football code in those schools (both private & public/Govt.) with Soccer as an addition. I am not aware of Rugby being played in any schools in Western Australia the home of the Force. In Qld and NSW - the state schools are predominately Rugby League and AFL and Soccer from primary through high school. Rugby Union has, from time immortal, never been played within a State School confine - although if done so is like a 1 month or 2 month intervention of some teacher's. Rugby Union is all private school. NZ has the advantage that all school kids have the advantage of playing Rugby from primary school onwards and start at a young age - as Rugby is the predominant football game played at all schools in NZ. Soccer may be getting a foothold but Rugby is dominant. Therefore a more favourable means of introducing all kids to the one and only Rugby Football Game. This is NZ's advantage. Cheers
Felix
Guest
One of the best "FOreward thinking" articles written. Hope the ARU & the wallaby coaching staff readthis & take on board these suggestions. LETS START NOW to win the WRC in 1919!! On the way lets win the Bledisloe & all other available trophies!! Good Luck MR Cheika!
Lindsay Amner
Roar Guru
Surely that's a defeatist attitude most unlike Australian sporting attitudes? I'd have to call that very unAustralian! Remember that in spite of rugby in Australia being down the pecking order in football codes, NZ pick from a similar sized pool of senior registered rugby players to Australia, and both countries have the same sized pool of elite professional players. There is no reason why Australia can't compete with NZ on at least an equal footing.