On very few occasions since Stephen Larkham’s retirement after the 2007 Rugby World Cup has the Wallaby backline looked fluid and professional in both attack and defence. Since 2007 Australia has been searching for a world class flyhalf to take Larkham’s place.
There were periods when the backline has looked great in attack. The best example of this was in 2010 from the tour of South Africa onwards. However, the team’s defence was too weak when running a backline with Quade Cooper at 10, Matt Giteau at 12, James O’Connor at 14 and Kurtley Beale at 15.
There were periods such as 2011 when the backline was rock solid in defence, but the team lacked a powerful attack at this point.
During the entire period the Wallabies have lacked a consistent goal-kicker, and have lost many games over the years through an inability kick its goals.
Aside form a brief interlude during the 2013 End of Year Tour, Australian fans have suffered through watching many talented backs squandered in medicore backlines.
I have been saying for the better part of a year that the criticisms about Larkham as attack coach have been unfair and overstated. The team’s attack has functioned well over most of 2016 and 2017. I believe the Wallabies’ results in attack have finally started to sway public opinion on this.
However, Cheika’s Wallabies still suffer from three major problems in the backline: defence, goal-kicking and tactical kicking.
At first glance Bernard Foley’s kicking statistics are not too bad, at around 75 per cent. Unforatuntely, however, Foley is a very streaky kicker. There are times – often when the team is too far behind for it to matter – when he will kick over 90 per cent of his goals, a good example of this is Bledisloe 1 2017.
There are other times, however, in which he misses a huge number of straightforward kicks. The world cup match against Scotland, the first match in the England series last year and of course Bledisloe 2 2017 are examples of this. In addition to this, Foley has a limited range and so will not attempt more difficult penalties that other kickers would, thereby boosting his percentage.
Foley is simply a too-inconsistent kicker for the Wallabies to hope to be able to win the world cup or to beat New Zealand, England or Ireland consistently with him kicking.
Foley and Kurtley Beale are both poor defenders. Foley had a heroic effort in defence in the Dunedin Bledisloe Test, but since then has fallen back into the old habit of slipping off easy tackles.
His miss in the first ten minutes of the Argentine Test was very poor and was lucky not to concede a try. Beale also suffers with defence. As a result he has returned to often being hidden in the backline since Dunedin.
A 10-12 axis of Foley-Beale is simply too much of a liability to be successful consistently.
Tactical kicking has been the Achilles heel of Cheika’s Wallabies since Giteau departed the team. Foley has a poor clearance kick, often failing to get sufficient distance or accuracy. He often misses touch when kicking penalties.
Beale is a better clearance kicker than Foley, but does not seem to be as accurate or powerful off the boot as he was in 2010.
Reece Hodge has a huge boot that is useful for touch-finding. He takes a long time to get ball to boot, which lessens his value in terms of exits and tactical kicking. He is also fairly inaccurate at times off the boot.
I believe all of these issues can be rectified with coaching, but it simply has not happened yet.
This brings us to Christian Lealiifano. The Brumbies flyhalf’s comeback is going very successfully with Ulster, continuing the positive form he showed in his cameo for the Brumbies in the quarter-final and club rugby. Assuming his current form continues he simply must be in Cheika’s 23 from next year.
Lealiifano’s running game is not as dangerous as Foley’s and his passing and playmaking is not as good as Quade Cooper’s. But on the other hand, Lealiifano is by far the most accurate Australian player off the tee, has the best tactical kicking game of any Australian flyhalf and is by far the best defending Australian 10 (perhaps as a result of playing most of his early career at 12, which he is very adept at).
He is also blessed with a good pass off of both sides and, while he will not set the world on fire like Cooper, decent playmaking skills.
Lealiifano’s presence will not return as to the days of Larkham, he is simply nowhere near that good. However, in order to shore up the Wallabies’ issues of defence, tactical kicking and tee kicking Michael Cheika simply must consider Lealiifano at either 10 or 12 in 2018.
Replacing Foley at ten would likely relegate Foley to the bench, while replacing Beale at 12 would relegate Beale to the backfield.
That would result in the Australian backline likely resembling one of the following two:
9. Genia, 10. Lealiifano, 11. Naivalu, 12. Beale, 13. Kuridrani/Kerevi, 14. Hodge, 15. Folau, 21. Louwrens, 22. Hunt, 23. Foley
9. Genia, 10. Foley, 11. Naivalu, 12. Lealiifano, 13. Kuridrani, 14. Beale, 15. Folau, 21. Louwrens, 22. Kerevi, 23. Hunt.
Neither of these would by my first-choice backlines, but I believe both fix a lot of the issues currently displayed by Cheika’s Wallabies in 2017. Failing this Lealiifano must at the very least be on the bench in 2018.
Given the quality of the backs that Cheika currently has available, plus Larkham’s coaching, I believe that if he uses Lealiifano correctly that Cheika can get the backline functioning at its best since at least 2013.
Terry
Guest
So only 3 games in 4 years..I was close..He was rested in those 3 games, all in 2015 too.
Terry
Guest
Rob9 , Foley Folau and Beale are woeful defenders and are picked, so what is your point ?
Terry
Guest
^ Rob9 Foley hasn`t got a tactical kicking game.
Fionn
Guest
How much do you think Kurtley's (and all of the Three Amigos') development was harmed by premature hype and being thrown in the deep end before they were physically and emotionally mature? I think we are in agreement in almost all of that, my friend :) >Ah well, I guess we just hope that either Foley or Lealiifano has a great season at 10 next year, and that Cheika selects whoever is demonstrating better form... The thing that concerns me most is the possibility that McKellar could persist with Hawera at 10 and Lealiifano at 12. Regardless of whether Cheika selects CLL at 10 for the Wallabies, Australia absolutely needs more 10s playing in that position.
Fionn
Guest
That's a pretty fair assessment, Rhys. There are times when he just endlessly throws the ball to his 12 or 13 for one ups. I hope he works on this aspect of his game a bit in 2017. Cheers.
Ken Catchpole's Other Leg
Guest
Great article, Fionn. And reference to our last great 10 in Larkham, and how we all keep looking for another one, reminds me of how I used to think before Larkham came along - like others, I was looking for another Ella. Back when Kurtley was playing at Joeys I thought we might have found the next Ella. But alas, as brilliant as Kurtley is, and he has had some great games at 10, he does not tick all boxes. One sad thing about Cheika's 'welded' selection choices is that Bernard will not get a chance to do what he should have been doing for the last 2 years - running at tired legs off the bench. A made to order utility, with improvisation skills honed in 7's he would be a great cover for 10,12 and 15, meaning we could potentially run a 6/2 split on the pine. An extra meaty backrower might have helped us over the line on more than one occasion. And of course we also could've used Quade or Jono Lance, or another young bloke threatening to bring 5 out of 5 of the core 10 skills. I remember Christian's breakout season at the Brumbies. He had the ball on a string before that injury. I forget the year, but he was brilliant. Without that injury, (and the following illness) he may have been the incumbent gold 10. The Cheika stubbornness (around Foley and a couple of others) may undo him. Cheika is good. Foley is good. Good is the enemy of great.
Rhys Bosley
Guest
I rate CLL, he is s bloody good defender and goal kicker and his running game is undrrrated. There is very seldom a game where he does not make a subtly deceptive step and wrong foot a defender for a substantial break. Backed up by decent support runners he is lethal. The only thing I will say is that if he plays ten he needs a creative 12 like Toomua, Hunt or Beale outside him, because he sometimes doesn't engage his outside backs well by himself. I hope he has a cracker SR season next year though and gets another shot in 12.
Rhys Bosley
Guest
As an ex-New Zealander I concur.
PiratesRugby
Guest
Wallabies cannot win Bled, RWC or number one rank with Foley at 10.
waxhead
Guest
Good article Fionn - I totally agree with you. Australia needs Lealiifano (or Toomua) at No 10 urgently imo. Foley is a major weakness. But......no way Cheika will drop Foley for anyone so it's all academic unfortunately.
Andrew
Roar Guru
Playing for Ulster in the Pro 14 is an ideal situation for him to get his confidence back. A strong, proud province in a competitive league with European games on top. Hope to see him in top form by the time SR kicks off.
Bluffboy
Guest
To funny Mitch. Nice to see some humour on this page. We will take Mummy we need someone to keep Aaron in check now Jens joined the side
Crispy Duck
Roar Rookie
10 Beale 12 Kerevi 13 Kurindrani 11/14 Folau and Sefa 15 Hunt Hodge/Foley and 6 forwards
MitchO
Guest
Fair swap. They are both pretty and Jennifer Hawkins would make a great AB centre. I reckon she'd score some tries with teams just hanging around watching what she does. But I expect Smith would insist on handing her the ball personally not throwing it to her so that may slow things down a bit. And I'm giving you back Dean Mumm anyway.
Tooly
Roar Rookie
Lealiifana perhaps at 10 but I can't find anything wrong with the Foley , Beale , Folau combination when the forwards get on top or as happened last week when the opposition ran out of will or puff . Don't get too excited by that the opposite happened the week before against the Bokkies . The candidates for 10 after Foley are Cooper but not beside Beale and Lance and Lealiifano who provide solidarity and better defence . I was disappointed to lose McIntrye who will become another Brock James in Europe wasted . What is needed now in the backline is no changes other than on the bench .
Fionn
Guest
Cheers, mate, I agree with most of what you said. The most pointed observation you made was that even at their best many of the old guard weren't up to it. I can't see CLL being an option much past 2019, but he fills an important gap until at least after the WC.
bluffboy
Guest
Ill give you Sonny Bill for Jennifer Hawkins though.....
bluffboy
Guest
The funniest thing is I bet none of these guys would ever even consider themselves to be New Zealanders. In fact if you asked them directly if they were Kiwi's you may just get a thick ear.
MitchO
Guest
Do you reckon it is too late to send Mumm and Cooper back in exchange for Scott Barrett or Akira Ioane? I will throw in one of our spare 7s if that sweetens the deal and let em keep Mike A.
Rob9
Roar Guru
Yea poached by the ARU as a 7 year old. And then of course, as mentioned we have Uelese (moved at 11), Cooper (13) and Mumm (2). Given the success of the All Blacks, to have hang ups on these just speaks volumes.