I used to hate the Wallabies, especially in the late 80s and early 90s.
I used to hate Phil Kearns, Tim Horan and his mate Jason Little, Willie O, George Gregan, Mathew Burke, George Smith, Stephen Larkham – and don’t get me started on John bloody Eales.
I read his biography and at the end had a sense of respect and admiration for an Australian sportsman. I won’t do that again.
Laying it out on the table, I am a Kiwi who’s been living in Melbourne for the last 30 years. So, in the early days, seeing rugby on TV was a treat.
Even if we had to listen to Gordon Bray prattling on during commentary with things like, how when one of the Wallabies was at a posh high school his grandmother, who was a lacrosse champion from Wagga Wagga used to bake lamingtons for the team at half time. Or some such twaddle.
Seeing a Test live in Melbourne was like finding the lost Ark of the Covenant.
The Rebels arrived, so there was something to go to, however don’t get me started on them – that’s another whole article.
Back to the hate, I used to hate those guys and their teammates because they were tough, talented, uncompromising and were regularly beating the All Blacks.
Every Wallabies-All Blacks Test match would make you nervous in the days leading up to it, anticipating the challenge. Before the match you would find your spot, wait for the national anthems and then the Haka. After being suitably fired up after the Haka, you’d be feel ready to take on the world and settle in to watch.
Even though it was Gordon calling (every second word seemed to be “Larkham!”) there was sense of excitement and nervousness throughout the whole game.
If the Wallabies were winning the frustration would start. The yelling at the TV would commence and the smug looks from my mates and my wife would push me further to the edge. As a Wallabies win got closer, I would regress into shell wishing a meteorite would wipe out Gregan and his jabbering, or an errant seagull would hit one of Burkes or Eales kicks (especially that kick).
After the win I would sook for about a week.
If the AB’s were winning I would still be tense and frustrated. I would only feel comfortable of getting a win over the Wallabies if it was;
• 5 minutes to go
• All Blacks were 15 points up
• We had a foot on the Wallabies throat
• Had shot them three times with silver bullets
• Driven a stake through their heart so they were pinned to the ground – you never know when those bastards will get up.
George Gregan of the Wallabies – in better days for Australia. (Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)
All those guys above and their teammates fell into that category. You could always rely on them to play a tough talented game. The hatred was based upon respect for them as fearsome opponents who would always give their lot.
It was; “Oh no, not these blokes again”.
This current lot fall well short. I can’t even begin to mildly dislike them. It’s all a bit “meh”.
They have a smug, “Oh well, bugger, we lost again” attitude, which annoys me.
I don’t know who half the players are, except for the usual big names.
I’m not sure what the backline is or how it works or which player is in which position.
It’s like they line up and Michael Cheika asks “who wants to play centre this week?” Hands go up and it’s “Okay we will try you; played there before? No? That’s okay, I think its jumper number 13, try it on.”
There seems no structure or continuity in their setup – it’s like a different team shows up each game.
I don’t mind Cheika’s histrionics or his passion but it seems to stay in the box and never gets transferred to the field.
The Wallabies do have some talented players and some who give it their all. I don’t mind Michael Hooper, but he is like an energiser bunny with batteries the wrong voltage. He is all over the place and not doing what he should.
Kurtley Beale is hot and cold. Israel Folau needs some help, he’s talented but has low rugby nous.
Bernard Foley is much maligned and I don’t think is that bad, but can’t seem to take that next step up.
I want the Wallabies to succeed; I want the hate to come back. I want them to start playing like their predecessors.
However, I can’t see it with this current setup. Bring is some new blood, guys like Jacks Maddocks and Tom English – at least get a team not the bunch of lost souls in the current arrangements.
If I see some heart and effort and results, I might even start cheering them on, until then – “meh”.
Tim
Guest
I have hated the AB's since 82 when as a young lad my dad told me of the horrors of being a wallaby supporter in the 50's-70's... the odd wins the mirage of hope with each generation passing that it may just change one day.... And then it did slowly at first then that wonderful decade of the 90's. The glorious years of winning, what a feeling. Finally, finally , we bested those bastards, revenge for Ken's Leg all those hammerings over past generations eclipsed by winning, a full trophy cabinet, kiwi coaches get sacked, navel gazing galore across the ditch. That wonderful tonic that warms the sporting fans soul WINNING. Yes that hatred was passed down from generation to generation and now my young boy sits on the couch with me and the first thing out of mouth is i dont like that Black team daddy and i respond well it give another thirty years and you'll like them even less. i hate everything about them. Their Dominance their arrogance, their desire to win more than anyone else, their skills, their drive, their passion, some might call it Envy and they might be right. But here we are back to the 20th Century average performance; the result = getting hammered by the mystical AB's to our east. its cyclical i hear you say... i say that's BS Its war and we are finding the soliders to fight the battle! The AB'S treat it as a war that must be won, for to fail is certain death, they have created the SAS of rugby and our boys are regular infantry. If our nation doesnt pull the finger out, the misery will continue.... my support will never wain until my last breath but we must get our next generation ready for battle, where are our bloody thirsty killers and treat it as a battle to the death, our opponents do.
waxhead
Guest
Good article PJ - i enjoyed it :) After many trips to NZ (which I love) I've noticed PJ's view of Aust rugby is pretty common. It's only when your average Kiwi really hates any Aussie player or team that you have begrudging respect from them. Those great aussie teams up till end of the Robbie Deans era did have Kiwi respect and hatred. Only guys like Pocock and Folau are respected and hated now. Now the Wallabies are just "irked" at like PJ says. Kiwi's look at most of our squad and think ..... wtf these guys would not make the squad in any of our provincial teams and............ they're right :)
Carn Reds
Roar Rookie
What a well written article PJP , I could see every bit of it.. Thanks for sharing
PJRatpatrol
Roar Rookie
Hi All, Thanks for reading and the comments. To clarify a few things, I never really hated the Wallabies. Generally, blokes from that era have limited vocabulary and there were not too many options of expressing yourself, so we went for the easy simple option. Good= Love Bad= Hate Nowadays with Microsoft Word and Shift F7 for the Thesaurus you can wax lyrical. There is a general mood across the Roar that Rugby in Oz is not working and there is clear proof in the state of the game and the yardstick of International Results I genuinely feel for those out there in Club land The old quote that the sign of Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result is quite prevalent (I got that word from Shift F7) so things need to change. I really want the Wallabies back to what they were and I want to be able to go to a Test and see it as what it should be, a Test not a flogging or an honourable defeat. But a game where they execute basic skills, win the lineout, make good decisions and do what we all expect them to do…Play like Wallabies
charles.gamon
Guest
Im sitting here bored out of my brain waiting for something interesting on the web and your brilliant bloke. I feel the same way about the all blacks as you feel about wallabies. But your right they have a rugby IQ well below great teams of the past. They stuff up line outs, get pinged for everything and foley chokes penalty shots. Something is really wrong, they lack confidence and nous to make the important plays on the field which they have the talent to do. Basically it comes down to leadership, both Hooper and Chek. Hooper is not a capatain and Chek I dont no?
ForwardsWinMatches
Guest
Sign of the times Allan. You only have to have a passing interest in cricket, for example, to know big bash 20/20 rubbish is taking support away from test cricket. The spectators these days have much shorter attention spans and are easily distracted by a flippant comment or that shiny thing over there. Most don’t seem to be interested in the technical/true calling of the game.
Amcd
Roar Rookie
Well done PJR... I thought I was alone in my assessment and I am not a Kiwi. There are serious problems in team selections and strategy which are down to the coaching team (dominated by Cheika). So many basics seem to be missing such as.... Constant shuffling around of positions. The team has little stability from game to game. NOT playing to our strengths (e.g. Pocock is the best open-side flanker by far but only gets that role when Hooper is injured - Folau is his best at full-back - Beale nor Foley are the best fly-halfs) - too many substandard forwards. There is an evident lack of rugby smarts and motivation. There is a mind-set not to strategically develop younger players (for goodness sake Adam Ashley Cooper {mid 30s} is now being talked about and even James O' Conner thinks he can make a run for selection???). Why do I have a horrible feeling that short-term tactical selection will happen again at the next World Cup. The Wallabies player culture is also a big problem with too many "auto-selections" and favorites. What happened to fighting for your place? Many of the so called stars seem not to care much about defeat, so long as they get paid (some have guaranteed mega$ contracts anyway - what about performance based payments?). By way of contrast: the recent motivation within the Pumas and the Boks has been noticed! I also agree with stillmissit. LITTLE WILL CHANGE UNTIL THE ADMINISTRATORS FINALLY GET IT - THAT MAY REQUIRE CHANGES AT THE TOP There has been a worrying lack of strategic focus on the development of rugby by the ARU from schools, right up to Super Rugby and the Wallabies. A good example was the "Giteau Clause" which was specifically engineered to sign Cheika in the aftermath of the Ewen McKenzie debacle. Another pathetic example was the axing of the Western Force from Super Rugby. Pure short- sighted expedient measures which usually fail. Sometimes I wonder who really owns Rugby in Australia. We are highly unlikely to win the next World Cup. Let's start building now for the future!!!!!
Amcd
Roar Rookie
As far as commentators are concerned, this is another area where Australia lags the Kiwis. I very much enjoying watching the NZ 2018 Mitre 10 competition. Great rugby with excellent, knowledgeable and fair commentary. Then we come to the NRC. The rugby itself is enjoyable but the commentary stinks (I turn the audio off). What we get is a "tabloid" style of commentary full of hype, hyperbola and rubbish phrases emanating from "Seaney"; who seems to think his comedian style covers his lack of expertise. Well, his antics ruin the enjoyment for me at least. I have no problem with his support staff like "Hoilsey" who is rugby knowledgeable even though he had to apologise to Eddie Jones for a Fox Sports style tabloid lapse a couple of years ago.
Gloria
Roar Rookie
Gee, do Kiwis live in hate? That impression is very easy to get reading these pages.
Redsfan1
Guest
About 100 times more Kiwi fans who are only too eager to let you know about their dislike of the Wallabies... I think the Roar can survive with occasional pro Wallaby and Anti All Black comments.
Jacko
Guest
I desperately want the Wallabies to be better....In fact I want them to improve so much that the ABs only win by 1-9 points every game.........No more improvement than that tho otherwise I will start hating them......LOL.....but most of all.....I hate kearns....hehehehe
Ex force fan
Guest
Spot on, however Clyne would have left already if he had any self and situational awareness. It needs to get much worst to a point where the sponsor say they had enough as the NSW powerbase has no interest to release their sufficating stranglehold on the game.
stillmissit
Roar Guru
PJR: Sorry mate you cant have that team until we get the right administrators to organise the joint and then the CEO picks a coach with some serious rugby brains. Then a selection panel who can see beyound the media headlines regarding players. I feel incredibly lucky to have been around to watch first; Jones the better, then Bob Dwyer the great selector and then topped off with McQueen and the best team Australia ever had! Then the rot started, Jones the lesser just kept McQueens team until they needed walking sticks and played politics as opposed to rugby. Our scrum went arse up, the breakdown was forgotten, the lineout was hit but mostly miss and we lost a whole generation of young players overseas. The mantra at all rugby clubs became 'dont over commit' to anything especially the breakdown and the scrum... Don't commit = Don't compete. I have been in a state of anoyance ever since...
JP Bogers
Roar Rookie
As a kiwi in sydney and I feel for the wallabies as we as roar readers and commentators vent our frustrations when we've seen how good they can be but it's the odd occasional game. They used to be world 2 or 3 and now 7th? I don't know what Chieka is doing and I can't see any proof he knows himself apart from emotional and excuses like blaming the ref. I want the fear of ABs v Walkabies back, I want the this will be a f'ing game back... I don't want the wtf are the wallabies doing frustrations or the coach on post match presser comming across as almost um yeah we lost but "out enthussed" and curiosly never once have iI herd him mention respect for the oppersition?
Ben
Guest
’ive hated the All Blacks since about 1990."....really!!..it doesnt show in your comments on here...much...
Redsfan1
Guest
All Blacks fans have it easy. Supporting a mainstream sport with a team that never loses. Try supporting the Wallabies- a boutique sport here with a team that loses. It's tough. But I feel the opposite to this article. I've hated the All Blacks since about 1990.
Jockstrap
Roar Rookie
The players are too rich to care
PJRatpatrol
Roar Rookie
Hi Steve thanks for reading. I don’t really hate them just want them to be the team they were. Even after 30 years I’m not sure if it’s biologically or technically possible to support the WB,s against the AB,s. System overrides would come on and I would probably self destruct
Lannash
Guest
I can’t say I hated those guys. As a Kiwi i certainly feared their huge skills. Perhaps I had a slight grudge against Gregan with his gamesmanship and biting sledges. “Anther 4 years, boys”. I’ve been in Melbourne for 44 years and still back the All Blacks, but I miss the fierce, competitive, Wallabies. The Game needs them! Come on boys, don’t just turn up, earn your pay!
Inyo
Guest
Great article. Agree with every word. I also am a kiwi and have lived in Aus for 35 yrs. I support the Wallabies against every team except the AB's and I used to hate it when the Wallaby teams laden with world class players like the ones that you have mentioned consistantly outplayed and out mongreled the AB'S. Those days are long gone. Folau should be dropped. He cost the Wallabies the game. Cheika should be dropped. He has not produced the results. Hooper should be on the bench. Pocock should be the Captain and the starting open side flanker. He is their only World class player. Players need to be selected in their positions and if they are young and inexperienced they should be blooded asap.Cheikas selections and tactics are appalling he should be sacked. .