There are two damning statistics about the Wallabies and Australian rugby. The first is that the Wallabies have not beaten the All Blacks in Auckland since 1986. That’s 32 years, and counting.
The second damning statistic is that the Wallabies haven’t held the Bledisloe Cup since 2002. That’s 16 years, and counting.
Hop on the internet and google all the changes that have occurred in the world since 1986. It’s a very different place today to when the Wallabies last beat the All Blacks in Auckland, or held the Bledisloe Cup.
Furthermore, the Wallabies have only ever won just four out of 28 Tests played at Eden Park, Auckland. The Wallabies record up to 1986 was satisfactory, four wins out of 11 Tests.
Since then the Wallabies have lost a further consecutive 17 Tests, all bar four of them in the professional era.
This is simply unacceptable, for both the Wallabies and the Australian rugby production line supposedly producing our topline players.
I will discuss briefly the structure of Australian rugby later in this essay, but this weekend head coach Michael Cheika has to pull something out of his bag of tricks, assuming he can find a bag of tricks, and pull out the shock of all shock wins.
Mike Cheika (Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)
Logic says he’s on a hiding to nothing. He says it’s important for the team to remain true to their processes. But on the surface, so many of those processes aren’t working.
The All Blacks, says their coach Steve Hansen, don’t want to repeat the mistakes of last year, whereby they basically took their foot off the accelerator after smashing the Wallabies in the opening BC/RC Test.
The Wallabies then jumping to a surprise 17-0 lead in Dunedin in just 15 minutes is unlikely to be repeated. So what can Cheika do?
Israel Folau’s injury and the mistake-riddled line out give him the opportunity to try something radical. The All Blacks are awake to the tired old Wallas routine. It’s too easy to read their game. It’s time to experiment.
Bring young Tom Banks in for his first Test at fullback and start Joe Maddocks in his first Test on the wing.
Drop Brendan Foley and play both Kurtley Beale and Matt Toomua. They can alternate between 10 and 12.
Now comes the biggie and it won’t be what you’re expecting. There’s been a lot of comment that the Pooper is not working, and I agree totally with this. The Pooper, for all their good work at the breakdown, are a liability at the line out.
But rather than drop either Hooper or Pocock to the bench, what can Cheika do that keeps two of his best players on the field?
The answer came via an ex-schoolmate of mine as we did our tri-weekly coastal walk this morning. “Move Pocock to hooker”, was his suggestion.
I agreed with him immediately. I’ve long held that the hooker ought to play as an extra backrower, so moving Pocock to hooker ensures the Wallabies still have an effective running hooker, or extra backrower, in their team.
Our current leading hookers don’t seem capable of finding their target. Tatafu Polota-Nau has struggled with this problem throughout his career. If he can’t get it right now, then clearly he’s never going to get it right. Tolu Latu seems to have caught the same disease.
Nick Bishop in an accompanying article has gone to his usual excellent lengths to forensically dissect the Wallabies line out. It’s not all the hooker’s fault, as the jumpers must also take some responsibility.
However, moving Pocock to hooker will allow Cheika to select a fourth specialist line out jumper, thus giving them more options.
But Pocock can’t throw, I hear you say. Well, we all know the kind of person Pocock is, he is determined to a fault. He will practice and practice his throwing until he becomes the best line out thrower in the game. You can count on that.
Australia’s David Pocock (AAP Image/David Moir)
Okay, that still doesn’t fix all the problems. But it helps present a whole batch of new challenges for the All Blacks that they wouldn’t have considered up to this point.
Before I move on, a quick comment on the fitness, or supposed lack of, the Wallabies. One other Roarer made a poignant observation that it’s not the fitness of the Wallabies that is the problem. If anything, they might be overfit. The key for the All Blacks is that their skill level is so much superior, that it allows them to conserve energy.
So there you have it. The ABs appear to be fitter only because they’re more efficient in the execution of their skills and game plan. I agree with this observation totally.
Now what about the structures of Australian rugby? How can we do things differently, but more importantly, more effectively?
I suggested to my mate on our walk that the private school comps need to be dissolved and the private schools join in competition with public schools, as I believe occurs in NZ.
He replied this would be too big a shock for them. He suggested an alternative, that the district clubs play a greater role in fostering juniors not only through primary school, but also high school.
This of course does occur now to some extent, but we need to ramp it up to a whole new level.
My mate has two sons who are on the respective periphery Sheffield Shield cricket squads in Tasmania and South Australia. He believes it was a mistake to keep his sons in the private school system, and further believes once they moved to a district club, their development accelerated.
His suggestion is that the schools have their inter-association comps mid-week, and kids play for their district club on the weekend.
This idea is of course not new. I remember back in the early 1970s, we had up to half a dozen guys who would play for our school rugby union first and second XVs on the Saturday afternoon, then play for their local rugby league club on the Sunday afternoon.
Whatever alternate system is arrived at, we can’t continue to keep doing things the same way, whereby the private schools remain a law unto themselves.
As for the NRC, while I support the concept of a national comp, and have done so over 45 years, but I don’t accept the implementation of this NRC.
The location of teams has chopped and changed far too often in Sydney, and the catchment area of some teams is difficult to fathom, again in NSW.
[latest_videos_strip category=”rugby” name=”Rugby”]
There must be a platform for NSW Country and Queensland Country but not in a comp aspiring to perhaps one day be the national comp.
The Country players come together from a very wide area and historically, have no central home base. Their charter is to play and be seen around their entire Country boundary over a period of time.
Why is the Fiji Drua part of the NRC? Very accomodating of us to invite them, but this is our comp, an Australian comp.
I don’t see New Zealand inviting Samoa or Tonga into the NPC. And New Zealand has closer geographical and cultural ties with them than we do with Fiji.
Last but not least, the point scoring was changed to accommodate 8 point tries. Clearly, RA didn’t trust the teams and players to be good enough to play attractive rugby under the current laws, so they had to mess with them.
This is the big difference between NPC and NRC for those trying to make a comparison. The NPC knows exactly what it is. It doesn’t pretend to be something else.
On the other hand, the NRC doesn’t know what it stands for, or RA doesn’t know what it stands for. There is too much messing with the structure.
So Roarers, over to you.
Timbo (L)
Roar Guru
I am going to have to stand up for Taf here. His wonky lineout throw is not a new thing, but it all but disappeared when he was at the Force... Well, kind of. Taf is the sort of player that puts 100% into his game and put in many, many stellar, man of the match performances over in the west. The key point is that Taf's throws go wonky when he is fatigued, Dave Wessels knew this and either reduced his load on the field, or pulled him before it became a problem. Cheikaball demands more from the forwards and you can see this in the second half of the game, they are dead on their feet, as the kiwi's give a masterclass on carving up a tired opposition. It is easy to blame the hooker, but with Ried, Retallick and Whitelock all primary jumpers against probably the least imaginative lineout structure in world rugby, they never stood a chance. Get Poey to suit up at 7 and set Hoops to the wolves. Let him compete for the #12 jersey, in the position he spends most of his time defending anyway. We need the best players for each position. Poey isn't a particularly good 8, Hoops isn't a particularly good 7. The solution is blindingly obvious if you don't have sky-blue glaucoma.
Graham E
Guest
The wallabies don’t have the whole of Australia backing them anymore, the 3rd largest playing state - WA - is no longer required by the FU R A and has been cast of by Eastern Australian Rugby. You reap what you sow..
Hugo
Guest
First class post, Sheek. Nobody's going to argue with your basic premise. I'm wondering after the Boks beat us in the RC, and they will - their front five will destroy our guys, they have two lightning wingers and le Roux is playing great FB - then the question has to be posed and it's this: is there time to bring in a new coach who'll sort everything out and get us to the semis in Tokyo? What do you think?
Henry Honey Balls
Guest
Seems to me that to some extent Australian rugby in the amateur days pretty much piggy backed on the professionalism and strengths of rugby league for players, coaching ideas and structures which may explain why Australian rugby enjoyed most recent successes in the days when rugby union was an amateur game and perhaps why given that union now is well into its professional evolution the ARU doesn't reap the same rewards as before from mining resources from the strongest rugby league set up in the world despite the odd poach from league like Folau etc. As such it seems obvious to me that governance that is the crux of the issue for Australia rugby especially since Australia culturally, economically and from a lifestyle and climate point of view is a place that seems set up to churn out fairly capable athletes across a range of sports including it appears in the greater Australia rugby squad and even under age levels.
Jdog
Guest
If you have to have hooper, play him @ 13!
Phil
Guest
Sheek,it's not as if the Wallabies are on their own in beating NZ at Eden Park.Nobody has since the French scored that miracle try in 1994.Even the much lauded '91 and '99 WC winning Wallabies didn't do it. I agree there is a lot wrong with rugby in Australia but sometimes we need to be realistic about our chances against NZ.I was lucky enough to be at the SCG when we beat them in "79 and what an occasion(and surprise)that was.Let's all enjoy the occasional win when it happens.
taylorman
Roar Guru
I think they discovered another fifty moons around Jupiter in that time.
taylorman
Roar Guru
Yea but I dont care if hes getting 100 million. Asking probably the best 7 in the game- and he isnt that yet- to play out of position is ridiculous. They get three tests a year against the ABs, and have learnt nothing from that. It will end up being Cheikas legacy... Pooper. Swell.
sheek
Guest
Thanks for that Ralph.
sheek
Guest
Tahnks for that Ralph.
sheek
Guest
Thanks Sage, With Cheika announcing his minimal change team, it's now irrelevant anyway.
Ralph
Roar Guru
Just some of what has happened since 1986: * U2’s Joshua Tree Album released (1987) * The first Simpson shorts (1987) * Disposable contact lenses (1988) * Powerade released (1988) * Computer viruses (Morris worm 1998) * Public email (CompuServe in 1989) * Berlin Wall torn down (1989) * Magnum ice cream first appeared (1989) * World Wide Web invented (1990) * Hubble space telescope Launched (1990) * First web site (1991) * First computer notebooks (1991) * Answering machines (1991) * In vitro fertilisation (1992) * Playstation (1994) * Genetically modified food (first tomato 1994) * Global GPS network (1995) * Google starts indexing the WWW (1996) * Dolly the sheep cloned (1996) * Playstation 2 (2000) * Human Genome Project started (2001) * iPod & iTunes released (2001) * Shuttle Columbia explodes (2003) * First OLED camera (2003) * Gmail launched (2004) * Mars Rover lands on Mars (2004) * YouTube started (2005) * Playstation 3 (2006) * Twitter starts (2006) * iPhone released (2007) * Kindle released (2008) * Bitcoin (2009) * iPad released (2010)
bluffboy
Guest
Yes T I agree with you. From the outside looking in, with Cheika being sole selector, the Wallabies have suffered players out of position for far too long and even worse is the selections IMO are not based on form and or potential. The best thing for Australian Rugby is for the Wallabies to get thumped leading up the WC. Then and only then will RA have the bits required to piss him off. For Sheeks and all the diehard WB supporters that need/want consistency, they need to change to a centralised system such as New Zealand, Scotland and Ireland. The benefits are unquantifiable. When though the club levels junior/senior to provincial levels are all building the same skill sets and patterns of play with sole purpose to represent their country. Long term fix...... Short term, as you say, pick the best/inform players in their numbered position that are proficient in their trade firstly and foremost. Do the core 1% well and you are well on your way. As for Pocock at Hooker, I’m not sure if he has played there at a lower level and it is absolutely too late to change now. Sheeks plan B is the better option, but he will need to get experience there with the Tah’s before that should be considered. For me all the problems lay with the Coach, Game Plan and Selections. We hear the term of cattle being used a fair bit. It’s more of a case, some of them need to go to the works and some restocking needs to happen ASAP.
Rugnut
Guest
I've only ever heard of one loosie moving to hooker and becoming a sucess - Keven Mealamu. Pocock on the other hand would become nullified as an effective 'loosie' type if he transferred to the front row, due to the extra exertion required during scrum time. Hooper will not be moved anytime soon, even though he should be, due to the fact that RA need to ensure that they get a return on investment from the $6 million man. Plus he's part of Cheika's favourites, which nclude Beale, Foley and Folau. Why is the Fijian Drua part of the NRC? Another team that RA can select from as not all the players have represented Fiji.
Rugbyfan in WA
Guest
I personally transferred from Fullback/Wing to Hooker but this was senior reserve grade or 4th grade and we were short of Front Rowers. And they other teams agreed to make allowances in the scrum due to my inexperience. I don't think International level against the All Blacks is the place to put someone in the front row of a scrum for the first time. But i like the idea in principle. Many good flankers have shifted to the front row in NZ from school boy to senior rugby. Sekope Kepu and Kevin Melamu are two players of i can think of. But this position change needs to be developed at club level before moving up to professional rugby in the interests of player safety.
mad mick
Guest
Good luck getting the schools to change when they play. Why should they. They generate more passion at there games then all the Australian super teams put together. But their main focus is education not helping the ARU.
Sage
Roar Rookie
I think we all share your pain Sheek but this isn't the answer. Pocock to hooker is crazy. It's such a specialist position he'd get eaten alive or worse seriously injured. I agree he's a fantastic and committed athlete but he isn't a miracle worker. Even the lineout throw in - very practised and specialised discipline and hard to master even over the long term and you're talking Eden Park? I'd have Pocock 7 and put Hooper in the centres before I'd do that & it's a crazy idea too. Just less crazy. Nobody has beaten the blacks at Eden Park for 24 years so don't get too bent about our record. I think our expectations are just too high most of the time. We will win the Bledisloe back and we will win at Eden Park eventually and it will be the sweetest thing. Until then it's hard work, discipline, respect & overwhelming desire.
bojo
Guest
Good read Sheek, As a keen rugby follower and critic I agree in principle with most of what you say. All my mates (me included) reckon Hooper should play hooker as an extra loosie. He is the right build for it if he puts on a few more kilos. Australian sport has always included the Kiwis into our system. Look at NRL, Netball, Soccer, Basketball and others. We are too accommodating. But when it comes to the one sport the Kiwis dominate being rugby, they wont include Australia. Interesting !!!
sheek
Guest
If WR is going to be technical about this, Cheika should play Pocock at hooker anyway, & have uncontested scrums. That will take the sting out of the ABs pack. Won't that be a hoot! Hey, tongue in cheek, BTW.
sheek
Guest
Peajay, Australia has hade four football codes since 1908. Nothing new here, we have to deal with it. As an aside, I think it fantastic we have four footy codes to follow & appreciate. As for rugby, it's not about being better than than the other codes, it's about being the best it can be. On the evidence now, recent & in the long past, Australian rugby has rarely been the best it could be. Time we changed that, don't you think?