It is often said that Australian rugby fans cannot stand losing, especially to New Zealand sides. This was true, to an extent, but only really for a brief period in the early 2000s.
Something struck me while watching the Brumbies go down to the Rebels in an utterly dire game: since then, Australian fans have simply got tired with the lack of basic skills, vision, creativity and consistency displayed by all of our teams.
How do the Brumbies go from the second half against the Reds to their match against the Rebels in one week?
Why would Aidan Toua – after finally running the ball and having a fantastic match, rather than kicking it and having an average one – return to his horrible kicking game?
Why would the Brumbies adopt a conservative game plan in perfect conditions against one of the worst teams in the competition?
These questions are just some of the many baffling questions that have plagued Australian rugby for the last ten years.
We may just as well ask why Robbie Deans moved away from the attacking, skilful gameplan that had served him fabulously in 2010 and to a conservative one in 2011?
Why would he continue to select Quade Cooper at fly-half despite adopting a conservative gameplan?
Why has Michael Cheika consistently dropped form players for out of form ones? And I am not just talking about Waratahs, players like Stephen Moore – and others – were kept around in 2016 despite a run of diabolical form.
Why does Cheika think that the ‘Australian way’ of playing rugby means a one-dimensional strategy of always running the ball regardless of the situation? Has he never watched the great teams of the 1980s, 1990s, and early 2000s?
The Wallabies currently have a number of supremely talented and powerful backs, but again and again we see them lacking in basic game awareness, catching, passing and kicking skills.
The only current players who consistently offer support when we make a line break are Michael Hooper, George Smith, Dane Haylett-Petty and Bernard Foley. Even when players are supported when they make line-breaks, the player who makes the break too often fails to get away, or even look for, the final pass.
There was a situation in the Brumbies-Rebels match on the weekend in which Wharenui Hawera made a line break, his support players were a little slow to react, but even when they eventually did support him, he failed to look to get away the pass.
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Possessing game awareness and the ability to play what is in front of you is grossly underrated by Australians, and vastly more important than simply being a good athlete. This is the reason I would take a Ben Smith, Isreal Dagg, Karmichael Hunt or Haylett-Petty over Isreal Folau any day.
Despite being a fantastic athlete, Folau has one mode: to run hard and avoid getting tackled at all costs. Too often he runs too far and isolates himself, turning over the ball, or goes for a stupid miracle offload and knocks it on rather than simply taking the tackle. Bismarck du Plessis has, on multiple occasions, given Folau nightmares by isolating him and then turning over the ball.
The Wallabies side that lost to England in the 2007 World Cup had the following players:
1. Matt Dunning
2. Stephen Moore
3. Guy Shepherdson
4. Dan Vickerman
5. Nathan Sharpe
6. Rocky Elsom
7. George Smith
8. Wycliff Palu
9. George Gregan
10. Berrick Barnes
11. Lote Tuqiri
12. Matt Giteau
13. Stirling Mortlock
14. Adam Ashley-Cooper
15. Chris Latham
It also had an injured Stephen Larkham watching from the sideline.
How can Australian rugby have gone so far backwards? Obviously, the answer is at least partially that other teams have improved. England, Ireland and Scotland are out of sight compared to 2007.
But that doesn’t explain the decline of the current crop of Australians relative to those of ten years ago. How many of the current Australian players would make this team? Will Genia over 2007 George Gregan is maybe the only one.
This is not to say it is all doom and gloom.
There are extremely talented players in the sea of mediocrity that is the Australian Super Rugby conference. These players could win us a Bledisloe in the next couple of years, or at least get a win over England.
The issue is that we have had false starts before. I would have said in 2010 that the Wallabies would win a Bledisloe in the coming three years. Unfortuntaely, they preceded to have a horror show at the 2011 World Cup and then fall apart.
The 2011 Reds were another false start. As were the 2014 Waratahs. Likewise, the team was improving under Ewen McKenzie, then collapsed again.
After the 2015 World Cup, we had a decent chance of winning the Bledisloe, and then we all saw how 2016 panned out.
As Australian rugby fans, we need to stop the state bickering and demand more of our administrative and coaching structures nationally.
No longer can we allow the old boys to promote each other or hire incompetent coaches. Neither can we give Cheika a free pass in playing an awful style of rugby or selecting undeserved players.
Until we unite with a clear vision of what we want Australian rugby to become, we will continue languishing in a sea of dropped balls, tackles gone missing, and passes and kicks that go unexecuted.
We need to demand that we play a running, but dynamic and varied style of rugby. We don’t need to become the All Blacks, simply getting back to 2007 Wallabies would be enough.
David C
Guest
I'd have to say that the AFL would be an exception to your statement that great players rarely make great coaches. You chose two (Voss and Hird) to support your assertion but I give you Ron Barassi, David Parkin, Leigh Matthews, Kevin Sheedy, Bomber Thompson, Paul Roos and Malcolm Blight who were all terrific players in their playing days and they turned out to be premiership coaches too. Current coaches like Chris Scott, Adam Simpson and Don Pike were handy players who are proving to be pretty handy at the coaching game too.
Bfc
Guest
Jeez...may get worse before it gets better... Just read on our cable sports network that Cheika has 'anointed' his successor as Wallas coach. One S. Larkham.. Larkham was a great flyhalf...he did stuff that was akin to "making a silk purse out of a sows ear" but his coaching credentials are less obvious. The Brumbies are hardly playing great, and the Wallas backline is so 'one-dimensional'. As many have noted...great players rarely make good coaches...in any code (eg Maradona in soccer/football, Voss or Hird in AFL...).
Hype
Guest
Cooper aready resembles those guys He can disapear into thin air in defense?
piru
Roar Rookie
I thought the booing had more or less stopped? If it hadn't appeared to have worked during the RWC I don't think it would have taken hold the way it did - still it's a dick move and if people are still doing it then they need to wake up to themselves imo/
Fionn
Guest
I guess I'm more forgiving because I know everyone would permanently loathe me if they didn't forgive some of the things that come out of my mouth! You're absolutely right though. Especially with the way the media works - they'll report the controversial stuff, not the good stuff, even if the controversial stuff is out of context. There's no excuse for the Kiwis to still be booing him constantly though, and they are.
Bakkies
Guest
Coaching courses are necessary so that the players are insured and coached safely. As for the rest of the coaching it is up to the club and individual after the course. I see too many use up an awful lot of space doing useless drills often spending 30 minutes to set up and the kids barely have the attention span and interest for 3 to 4 minutes. If you want to go longer than that it needs to be Rugby specific and game oriented.
piru
Roar Rookie
You are what you do Fionn, and unfortunately it takes a lot longer to craft a good rep than it does a bad one.
Jock Cornet
Guest
TWAS the ostrich.
Jock Cornet
Guest
Qc has amateur defence . He can't tackle , either could Beale
sheek
Roar Guru
Hi CS, Just getting our thoughts in before The Donald & Uncle Kim destroy the world as we knew it, & super rugby in the process.....
Ray1973
Guest
I have to say that while I dont think your hanging everything on Cheika there are some glaring differences between the periods you talked about and what is available today . Guys like Alex Evans , Bob Templeton and even Knuckles Connelly were around coaching at state level . Then you had Macqueen and Fast Eddie also . Lets not forget Bob Dwyer and there are a few others . Right there are names of solid coaches who knew there stuff in terms of rugby skills and forwards structure . Now Australian rugby is in array , its junior system which also during these periods was churning out unbelievable schoolboy players and U21s players at the time is no longer the standard it once was . These things are vitally important to developing the next level talent required to compete consistently with the top sides . I remember when players were being lured away from rugby by the League clubs , Oconnor , Fairfax , Burke and the Melrose brothers but now the NRL wouldnt come near the up and coming players . The system at alot of levels is struggling and it is shown week in week out by Australian S18 teams . I am not saying its dead but its on life support , all the experts here ,might pan what I have written as dinosaur news but currently there are problems . Rugby is and will always be won up front , have a solid tight 5 and uncompromising back rowers and you are always heading in the right direction . Add to that backs who can hold the ball and execute simple plays and that is the system that wins . Where are the centres that Australia produced en mass , Horan , Little , Herbert , Mortlock , Ella , Slack and so many more . I am yet to see an Aussie centre with the vision that was ingrained in Australian back play once the envy of the world and now spluttering along . The funny thing is players like these were being found even when the NRL was poachibng everything . I hope for rugby sake it all changes soon . But I wont hold my breath
Oblonsky‘s Other Pun
Roar Guru
Oh, he's the best option at present, no doubt. I just hope he has the confidence to continue running the ball as much as possible. He can be electric with the ball in hand.
Tee Rexx
Roar Rookie
Do you think Australia should gamble on luring Pete Samu and Alaalatoa back home? I know they're not starters for the Crusaders but I think they'll be great for the Wallabies depth right now, more game time in Oz and hopefully see what they're really capable of?
Oblonsky‘s Other Pun
Roar Guru
'What do you mean how many years on do we remember this? Do player comments have a statute of limitations?' Fair to say, Piru. But I think it's a real shame if you're permanently condemned and hated for a few poor comments you make in your youth. As TWAS says, for the past 4 or so years (if not the last 6) he has been much more mature. Yet people still remember his attitude from when he was young. It's the same attitude I found unfair when some Australian fans continued to hate Lleyton Hewitt when he was in his 30s (and at that point very mature) for the horrendous attitude he showed a 16-21 year old.
Rhys Bosley
Guest
Toua has a far better kicking game than Folau, I have seen him pin Folau on the sideline with his left boot for a 25 metre game and an attacking lineout. He steps up to first reciever and creates opportunities better too. Clearly Toua is a work in progress but he has improved out of sight since last year, especially his defence, so I think he should keep the Brumbies 15.
Tee Rexx
Roar Rookie
Piru, It's the same set up as the beep test, difference is it starts at level 8, skips to level 10, then starts at level 11.1 onwards if I can remember correctly. All rep teams use this now to measure fitness levels along with other new tests. Kind of explains why a lot of Nz forward packs go the distance nowadays.
Boomeranga
Guest
"The one big issue with Australian sports fans is they want ‘immediate’ success." What about Richmond fans, or Carlton, St Kilda, Western Bulldogs fans? They support their clubs for decades without winning anything and still turn up in bigger numbers than any kiwi sport teams. We have 47 or 48 football clubs and are only ever assured of 1 title per year. That's a lot of people supporting despite winning nothing. My three teams (Carlton ('95), Raiders ('94), Waratahs ('14) have won 1 premiership between them in 20 years.
piru
Roar Rookie
TWAS - he just had a hole dug for him and responded by digging it deeper. Plenty of us have done stupid things when we were young that followed us into adulthood - unfortunately for high profile people they tend to stick around longer. Tbh I don't pay a lot of attention to him, but to me it seemed the attitude improvement coincided with him coming back from Europe. I wonder how much of the perceived arrogance was a result of the people around him? Anyway good on him, I hope he's wallaby 5/8 and it would be nice if they'd trust his tackling enough to play at 10 in defence
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
I can understand why you felt that way about Quade at a time. I felt that way. Couldn't stand the little mulleted p---- when he came on the scene. But that time was seriously about a decade ago. From 2010 there was a pretty big shift in his attitude. From the whole "toxic" remarks in 2012 there was an even larger shift again in the right direction. What many in NZ seemed to take as arrogance was him daring to try to project confidence in 2011 leading into the RWC. Probably a good indication of his character is that he seems to have no probably striking up friendships with NZ and players from other nations, and it's been like that for quite a while.
piru
Roar Rookie
Rebellion - Ripia? All I know of him is that he apparently stole from his mates and is therefore not worth thinking about - good riddance