“Baseball is 90% mental, the other half is physical” – Yogi Berra.
My summers as a teenager were mainly spent on a baseball diamond.
For all of its hand-eye coordination and physical requirements, baseball is best enjoyed for the tactical and mental side. ‘First and third plays’, bunt or sacrifice plays, knowing your signals, trying to distract runners on base or confuse them as to who might have the ball when they go to take their lead.
Pure joy could be exacted from the mental warfare. Knowing the play and how to exploit the rules beat athleticism every day of the week!
But I still remember my first season of rugby.
My mates had convinced me to come down and pull on a jersey for the local club after I won the 100-metre sprint at school. I was quick, had a childhood of soccer on my side, and so could kick well off both feet. And so was put on the wing, where I likened myself to a young Joe Roff!
I can’t remember the tries I scored – although I scored a few – but what I distinctly recall was that, for all my worth as a speedy, evasive runner with ball in hand, I was a complete liability and penalty magnet.
Because I didn’t know the rules. I was a rugby simpleton!
Rugby is a complex game and in my first season, I definitely cost my team more points than I scored.
I look back and laugh at the 12-year-old me, making a tackle, only to pinged for ‘not rolling away’ or ‘not releasing’, standing up looking bemused at the ref, “What does that mean?” I wondered. “Was that against me?”
Saturday night was a night to forget for Australian rugby fans, players and officials alike, but among the rabble that was an international Test match, there was a moment that will stick with me.
The Pumas had overcooked a high ball slightly and their usual target for the evening, Israel Folau, caught the ball uncontested inside his own 22. He then went on to make a classic error – walking off his mark in an attempt to gain a run up for his kick into touch, not realising he was now back in play, and a charge-down almost resulted.
Israel Folau (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)
This concerned me deeply. How can he not know that rule? How can anyone on the field be seriously playing this sport without knowing all the rules?
Now, I don’t want to go pillorying poor Izzy, he actually had a pretty reasonable game up until the 80th minute. He is also not the only example I could give of a Wallaby in recent Tests not knowing the rules – it appears normal for even our captain to be misinterpreting a law while discussing it with the ref!
But for the Wallabies fullback for the last five years not to know the rules around taking a mark seems beyond belief!
Richie McCaw apparently sat the referees’ exam every year and studied so hard he attained a very high mark – I’m inclined to believe this, although I cannot find the appropriate source to confirm.
What a great rugby man he truly was – not because this is so remarkable a feat but because it is so straightforward. He worked hard, yes, but this is something every professional rugby player in the world should be doing. No wonder every referee in world rugby let the All Blacks skipper have his say – the man might impart on them some sub-clause of a law that they may have missed!
I can take the losses, the inevitable slide down the world rankings, the bizarre selections, tactics and a coach whose passion spills out all over the floor and into the press conference.
But when players don’t even know the rules, you gotta wonder why you bothered wasting your night watching.
Sam
Guest
I think perhaps the more likely scenario is that the coaching staff have explained this rule to him on a few occasions in his 70 cap Wallaby career; but that he simply isn’t capable of retaining the information. Might explain a few other pretty fundamental problems across the team as well.
Hazzmat
Guest
Apart from the glaringly obvious, one of the problems I see in Australian rugby is the elitism that rugby perceives itself to be in. Take the last OZ B&I Lion tour as an example. Before the start of the B&I tour, the Wallabies FB page splashed photos of player kit bags, sponsors handing out free phones and tablets to the players, said players lazing about with their free phones/tablets and all in the confines and comfort of one of Sydney's GPS school grounds. There were no photos of players training, coaching sessions or anything that even resembled actual rugby. Just a lot of photos of sports people enjoying free gifts. Unfortunately it shows in some of the players' attitudes and subsequently is only reinforced by ridiculously large pay cheques. Also note the cost of attending a test match and/or a super rugby match in Australia. Punters pay a premium for no entertainment and no atmosphere to watch their team show a general lack of skill and nous for the game yet somehow price will rise every year.
Hertryk
Roar Rookie
A journalist who reported on the ABs v Ireland game at Soldiers Field wrote - In 2 hours during an ABs training session the ball NEVER touched the ground.. that is practising the basics, and perfecting them...
Cole
Roar Rookie
Thanks Geoff! Had a bit of fun writing this and it is interesting to be the author for once. I'll look forward to your next article next week. In regards to the dead ball saga, I remember SBW doing that, it wasn't that long ago either. To be fair to him though, I feel like that was a rugby league reflex, could still be called a bit brain dead or lacking in rugby smarts though.
Ralph
Roar Guru
Good balance there Cole and good article.
Geoff Parkes
Expert
Hi Cole Thanks for identifying an interesting topic. If I remember correctly, this wasn't Folau's first basic law transgression, didn't he throw a ball over the dead-ball line once? Although to be fair, so did SBW. Almost certainly reflective of the amount of time these guys have spent conditioning and training versus actually playing.
Loosey
Roar Rookie
Usain Bolt is a remarkable athlete but needs training to become a football player, Folau's been playing for yonks. I too, don't get how he can be so poor at some aspects of rugby. The ABs definitely get it, they know exactly what the laws are and exploit them fully.
Cliff Bishkek
Roar Rookie
Jameswm - I am certain that the egos within the team are a problem. Can never prove it but just look at the "no improvement in skills" in 3 years, being kind and even before 2015. Players can improve their passing, catching, tackling, throwing, jumping - on their own. They do not need to be coached. Get out and do it. Practice makes perfect. The Wallabies are in an ego environment and their ego cannot be busted as there are very few to replace them!!
Peter Ascough
Guest
Totally agree. I have set up a "man cave" down stairs with a large flat screen but I don't have Foxtel down there so I have taken to watching the Test matches on Channel 10. I am enjoying the commentary team of the doyen Gordon Bray, Matt Burke and Nathan Sharpe. They are not sycophantic Wallaby/NSW supporters like the Foxtel team. They commentate the game critically and call out players' poor form and decisions.
Brizvegas
Guest
Soon the Wallabies will be below everyone go figure
jameswm
Roar Guru
I wonder if the Wallabies would consider it beneath them?
Cole
Roar Rookie
100%
Jockstrap
Roar Rookie
If rugby does not die it will take 10 years for us to turn this around . Why do Roarers think we are a superpower in rugby. Get use to losing to sides above us and sides like Fiji and Italy. When you spend $0 grassroots you get well and truly Rodgered
Ryan
Roar Rookie
Richie McCaw = GOAT
Cole
Roar Rookie
As a rugby kid of the nineties I really arrived at the peak. I took it all for granted and it took me a long time to realise how extensive the problem really was. Realising that a lot of the juniors clubs I played for and against don't exist anymore was an eye opener. But there is just no reason why our national team can be so brain dead in their tactics and game awareness and understanding of the laws. Bringing in a class session a week where the laws are discussed amongst the team appears necessary with the current mob.
Old Bugger
Guest
At the height of their rugby prowess in the 1990's-early 2000's just after pro-rugby started, the WBs were at the top of the heap as one of, if not the smartest international side, in global rugby. Geez, so unbelievable to see their stocks fall, to its lowest depths. Oh and for those WB supporters who take shots at the current CEO, just know that this fall from grace, started long before she arrived and by the looks of things, its gonna take longer still, to turn it around.
Cole
Roar Rookie
I could probably stand Kearns or Kaffer on their own, Kaffer has some good insights, but the mix of Marto, Kearns and Kaf does not work well at all. Why don't they mix the nationalities like they do with the cricket commentary? Having a mix keeps them all honest.
Cole
Roar Rookie
Thanks Cliff. The article was just a persistent thought I had post match, mixed with an anecdote and a bit of help from the Eds at The Roar and that's all there was to it. Hate to pick on Folau, he is truly a remarkable athlete but he can't compare with guys like Latham or Burke and that game awareness they had is so crucial, that instinct for the play! It seems a bit lacking in a few of our current men in gold.
Cole
Roar Rookie
Interesting aye. I'll have to give it a read. Thank for the tip!
Cole
Roar Rookie
Thanks Ethan. TJ earlier this year with Gardner reffing was an example of how switched on he is. Garner to his credit realised he was getting a bit schooled by TJ but took it all on board without losing control of the game. Exactly what you want from your halfback and your ref!