When Napoleon was threatening to overrun his defences on the battlefield of Waterloo, the Duke of Wellington declared: “Night or the Prussians must come.”
At the moment of crisis, he drew every fit and able fighting man back into the centre of his position and awaited events.
At the centre of the centre was the farmhouse of Hougoumont, which had been fortified and studded with crack riflemen and men of the Guards regiments.
“No troops but the British could have held Hougoumont – and only the best of them at that,” said the Iron Duke ruefully afterwards.
The derelict farmhouse was restored back in 2015, in time for the 200th anniversary of the battle. If you go there now, you will find that nature does not disturb the silence of that memory.
The chestnut trees which frame the South Gate still bear the scars of musket and grape shot on their trunks, and the memorials to the fallen – a French infantry Brigadier and an English officer of Hussars – jut out of the long grass.
At the North Gate, two life-size figures cast in bronze continue their unending war for the heart of Wellington’s position in Vivien Mallock’s sculpture. At the moment the Coldstream Guards sealed that gate once and for all, the battle was won.
Bringing all available troops back into the centre is exactly the medicine World Cup-winning Wallabies coach Bob Dwyer has prescribed for Australia’s ailments ahead of the World Cup.
Less than three weeks ago, Dwyer suggested that Rugby Australia should dump Giteau’s law – whereby only overseas-based Wallabies with more than 60 Test caps can be considered for national selection – in time for Japan 2019, or at least ease the restrictions.
“We’re not that well off in depth that we can afford to lose top line players,” Dwyer told AAP.
“We probably need to look hard at who we can pick who is not playing in Australia, I know at the moment we’ve got the 60-Test rule.
“For me, we can change that any time we want to.”
Dwyer is right. At the moment of crisis, all the best troops have to be recalled to the centre. Right now, that means Sean McMahon and Will Skelton up front, and Nic White and Luke Morahan behind. All four would undoubtedly be worth their places in a Wallaby matchday 23, and at least two would probably start in the best run-on side.
Will Skelton would be a welcome addition for the Wallabies. (Photo: AFP)
It’s not just a matter of getting the best players back, it’s also a way of tapping into the successful cultures of which they are now part – particularly White at the Exeter Chiefs (the West Country’s home for unwanted Australians) and Skelton at Saracens.
Dwyer went on to note that Super Rugby was still not preparing Australian players for challenges they face at the level above:
“I look at all of the players who have played in the UK in recent years, or some who are still playing there, and you look at their condition now compared with their condition when they were playing in Australia.
“The perfect example is Will Skelton. He doesn’t look like the same person as he was when he played for the Waratahs. That’s no good, that’s an indictment on us.
“I think we need to have a really hard look at how our players are being prepared here and not just hand them over to the Wallabies with a week or a fortnight before the Test series starts and say, ‘over to you, they’re all yours now.’”
Over the next two articles, I will look at what Bob Dwyer means in relation to one of the backs (White) and one of the forwards (Skelton). Both are well capable of making important contributions to the Wallabies effort in 2019, if the administration of the game allows them to do it.
The cultures at England’s two most successful clubs of recent years do not allow overseas players to sit passively in their comfort zones and soak up the paycheques. Far from it. Even proven Test-calibre players are expected to develop their games further, or they will quickly find themselves down the pecking order, or out in the wilderness entirely.
Will Skelton is in competition with three England second-rowers – Maro Itoje, George Kruis and Nick Isiekwe – two of whom represented the British and Irish Lions in 2017.
England’s Maro Itoje is keeping Will Skelton on his toes. (Photo by Tim Anger)
Nic White has a couple of hungry young English-qualified wannabees – Stu Townsend and Jack Maunder – snapping at his heels for the starting role.
Since he has been at Exeter, White has been asked to develop his game further than ever before. Long gone are the Jake White days at the Brumbies, when White was required to do most of the kicking and play mostly came from halfback.
At the Chiefs, White has had to improve his passing technique and his aerobic conditioning, with Chiefs habitually playing off 10 and 12 in attack and regularly building 100+ rucks per game. That means a lot of running for the scrumhalf as the phases rack up into double figures consistently.
Nic White is currently the best passer (along with Joe Powell), and the best exit kicker (along with Will Genia) of any Australian halfback in the world.
Here is White putting the box-kick on a dime for his chase in the recent European Champions Cup against Gloucester:
The ball is the right length (just under 30 metres) and has enough hang-time to encourage the chasing winger to make a genuine challenge for the ball.
On attack, Exeter like to attack wide-to-wide whenever possible, and this places a premium on the scrumhalf’s passing accuracy and his ability to reach the next ruck on time to maintain momentum.
Here is the build-up to Exeter’s first try of the game:
Passing off his left hand, there are no steps taken at the base, and therefore the defence cannot develop line-speed and cut down the attacking space further outside. The ball is whipped away and hits the receiver with his hands out in front, bringing him forward onto the ball.
In the second example, White takes a couple of steps away from the ruck, but only to wind up for extra length on the delivery. After two passes at 6:38 on the game clock, the ball has moved beyond the far post and Chiefs have a six-on-three overlap out to their left, one which they convert nicely.
Nic White has always been able to break against the A and B defenders close to a breakdown, and as the weather pulled its horns in during a dank second half, he scored a virtuoso try:
A momentary gap develops between the first and second Gloucester forwards near the side of the breakdown, and White is through it immediately without thinking.
He then set up a second scoring opportunity for fellow Aussie Greg Holmes shortly afterwards:
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Perhaps the most interesting aspect of White’s play – and the most educational from Michael Cheika’s point of view – is the way he is used by Exeter on defence.
With the halfback having to do so much aerobic work between rucks on a team which wants to keep hold of the ball for long periods – as both the Chiefs and Wallabies aim to do – it is important to make their defensive movements as economical as possible in order to save energy.
So White starts in the tram-lines from the lineout (Bernard Foley’s role for the Wallabies):
As phases develop, he simply shuttles between the short-side and the space behind the ruck, organising as he goes:
When the ball goes up in the air, White drops back to shield the catcher:
All of White’s movements are short and economical, no more than 15 metres in any one direction. Now compare that with the movements of Will Genia, highlighted in red on the screenshots. Genia starts at the end of the line and is required to first shoot out and pressure the first receiver. Then he often has to fill in at fullback because of the Wallabies’ defensive formation.
Genia is being asked to do far more defensive running than White, and being placed in more situations where is likely to isolated and exposed – for example as the last line of defence in the first half in Salta (see this article for the detail on that match).
Will Genia is required to work so hard on defence he cannot possibly have the high energy levels needed to follow ruck-to-ruck when the Wallabies have the ball themselves.
Against Gloucester, Nic White had all the energy he needed to cut across from one side of the scrum to the other and tackle big Cherry-and-White number 8 Ben Morgan in the second half. He was still looking spritely as the game approached the hour mark:
Summary
Bob Dwyer is unquestionably right. The Wallabies need to bring all of their best troops to the centre of the action and ‘defend the farm’ ahead of the World Cup in 2019.
If that means doing away with the 60-cap limitation on Aussies playing overseas, so be it. If it means that eminent Test-calibre players like Nic White, Sean McMahon and Luke Morahan can return and play for the national team, it will be worth the effort in terms of results.
Dwyer’s comments confirmed that he still has the keen rugby intelligence, and the stature within the game, to perform the role of the ‘conscience’ sitting on Michael Cheika’s right shoulder and questioning his decisions – a role that is sorely needed.
A halfback like Nic White would add real value as an alternate or back-up to Will Genia at the World Cup. He has improved his passing since his Brumbies days and knows how to function is a more wide-ranging, possession-based game.
He can kick well on exits and he can run against the inside defence when the opportunity arises. He is clearly a better choice than any other scrum-half currently playing in Australia.
At the same time, his role in the Chiefs’ defence shows the value of ‘joined-up thinking’ with and without the ball; the value of economy of movement, of giving a player a role he is actually able to fulfil without undue stress.
In next week’s article, we will see how Saracens have achieved a similar result with Will Skelton, and made him a far more Test-worthy second-rower than he ever was in his time at the Waratahs.
As for the 60-cap rule? Well, Rugby Australia can change that anytime they want to. It is just a matter of political will.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
Or the realization of how long he has left in his career...
Sebastian Amor-Smith
Guest
The night he slipped through the all blacks defence to score that try he proved his worth. Biggest mistake letting him go. One of Chiekas greatest shortcomings... Great article. Can you do one on how uslesss the current defence structures are? Gray should be ashamed of what he is doing to the wallabies...
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
But what quality will they be? If they are as good as the players we are losing, won’t European teams offer them the same money as our players?
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
I also suggest you investigate what the “non-ratings” period is. Long story short it basically applies to the entirety of December and January where FTA networks stop trying to compete for ratings on the assumption that due to seasonal matters, ratings are reduced. The fact that you point to a Sunday in December shows that you are completely unaware of this. If you are going to discuss these matters, at least have the decency to do some basic research so you understand, not rely on me to point everything out to you.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
7 News has a 5 city metro of 940k. Add in regional and I’d say that’s above 1M...
concerned supporter
Guest
TWAS, you say, ''Produced TV shows are often cancelled for numbers below 1M viewers'' I think you have gone senile. I selected at random Sunday 15 December 2018. I know you said PRODUCED, but NOT one of the top 20 programs on Sunday reached 1M viewers!!!!!! David Attenborough 442,000 viewers, far off your 1M viewers, don't you think. Here are the top 20 FTA programs for that Sunday. nk Description (grouped) Channel\Network (r) 5 City Metro Sydney Melbourne Brisbane Adelaide Perth 1 SEVEN NEWS – SUN Seven Network 940,000 211,000 300,000 188,000 86,000 155,000 2 SEVEN’S CRICKET: SECOND TEST – AUSTRALIA V INDIA D3 S3 Seven Network 833,000 190,000 281,000 152,000 91,000 119,000 3 NINE NEWS SUNDAY Nine 827,000 246,000 264,000 161,000 79,000 77,000 4 SEVEN’S CRICKET: SECOND TEST – AUSTRALIA V INDIA D3 S2 Seven Network 750,000 181,000 244,000 153,000 77,000 95,000 5 SEVEN’S CRICKET: SECOND TEST – AUSTRALIA V INDIA D3 S1 Seven Network 600,000 150,000 179,000 107,000 69,000 95,000 6 60 MINUTES Nine 575,000 159,000 173,000 140,000 49,000 54,000 7 ABC NEWS SUNDAY-EV ABC 554,000 139,000 166,000 86,000 59,000 102,000 8 SEVEN’S CRICKET: SECOND TEST – AUSTRALIA V INDIA D3 LUNCH Seven Network 521,000 124,000 169,000 96,000 57,000 75,000 9 DAVID ATTENBOROUGH’S-BLUE PLANET II Nine 442,000 118,000 134,000 90,000 39,000 61,000 10 GRAND DESIGNS: LIVING IN THE…RPT ABC 349,000 86,000 110,000 56,000 30,000 67,000 11 SUNDAY NIGHT-SUMMER Seven Network 339,000 76,000 106,000 45,000 39,000 73,000 12 THE GRAHAM NORTON SHOW Network 10 323,000 71,000 114,000 57,000 28,000 53,000 13 NCIS Network 10 322,000 97,000 102,000 47,000 29,000 47,000 14 SHERLOCK-EV ABC 304,000 95,000 108,000 36,000 31,000 35,000 15 SEVEN’S CRICKET: SECOND TEST – AUSTRALIA V INDIA D3 PRE GAME Seven Network 292,000 69,000 97,000 47,000 36,000 42,000 16 WEEKEND SUNRISE – SUN Seven Network 269,000 79,000 60,000 60,000 29,000 42,000 17 THE SUNDAY PROJECT 7PM Network 10 256,000 47,000 88,000 61,000 17,000 42,000 18 SEVEN’S CRICKET: SECOND TEST – AUSTRALIA V INDIA D3 S3 MULTI Seven Network 253,000 58,000 111,000 51,000 34,000 0 19 IN THE HEART OF THE SEA Nine 251,000 59,000 74,000 39,000 39,000 40,000 20 NCIS EP 2 RPT Network 10 244,000 79,000 75,000 33,000 24,000 33,000
Joe
Roar Rookie
Great article, and some very insightful and interesting comments. Australian rugby is under siege. NRL, AFL and European Rugby are all threats. The game is obviously in a poor state of affairs - and it cant all be blamed on Cheika (although I agree he is not doing a good job....). There are fires blazing on all fronts - and the ARFU cant fight all of them. My strategy would be to pick the battles I can influence (if not win) and gain the strength back in the game to overcome the others. For example - I would list the NRL and AFL as a bigger threat than European Rugby. We often don't see the impact of that as the players leave when they are juniors, or dont opt to play Union in the first instance. So use the money of Europe to compensate our best players. Dont fight the European transfers - be part of them. Partner Super Rugby clubs with European clubs (ie the Tahs partner with an English and a French club, or some such) - and actively get the players to do one in three seasons, or two in four, abroad on the big bucks. If they stay aligned to a super rugby club during this time, keep them on the radar for the Wallabies. The Wallabies are our cash cow - so we need all players to be eligible. In this way you would top up their salaries without bankrupting the ARFU - and we could invest the money in our juniors. In summary - pick your battles - unfortunately we cant win them all. Surely there is a way to use this European money to retain our players and grow the sport, not to bleed it dry.
CUW
Roar Rookie
he is a bench player most of the time - but has started at both 5 and 6 due to injuries and test players on national duty. anyways there are very few auzzy players in gallagher premiership Bristol have George Smith Stirzaker and Morahan Exeter have White Dennis Lees and Holmes Gloucester have Haanson Sale have JOC Sarries have Skelton Worcster have Lance Quins have Horwill and Tapuai Leicester have Polota Nu and Tomooa Saints have Kellaway and Naiyaravovro
CUW
Roar Rookie
i dont think SA is a good example most of their players are leaving becoz of the stupid quotas and if some politicians go around saying whites shud be killed - a lot more will leave if the government goes on to grab properties off whites - a lot more will leave if there are more shootings like Naka Drostke - more white players will leave. this is not the case in aussy. so ////
CUW
Roar Rookie
i think the original reason was in the right spirit - thatplayers who play in aussy are rewarded with test caps. but what has happened over the years is that the coach has been very selective in his selections - making some players uneasy and frustrated. this meant a lot of good guys went away in their prime. of course if there is a better setup for selections and coaching players may remain. also u have to take into account the recent phenomenon - concussions. since it came into the scene a lot of guys are thinking about retirement and life after rugger , than before.
CUW
Roar Rookie
if i remember right , White kind of lost it at Montpelier and left earlier than White. White brought a few aussy players to montpelier but after a while they went down the order - like Mogg for eg.
CUW
Roar Rookie
no ur confused with itoje :P actually Skelton is a much improved player - lost 10kg according to reports and plays well within Laws. Sarries will have a big plan to get more guys like him with a few seniors leaving next year - like Bosche , Burgur ... hot on the list is Wasp Daly.
CUW
Roar Rookie
of course there is a brazil footy league. money may not be that big but there are like 20 teams with many games being very competitive and fiesty. u must not forget that most of the guys who come to europe to play footy are identified from brazil league at one time or another. i think they can be compared to NZ for rugger - there are so many rugger players in nz clubs and miter 10 , few of whom make it to super rugger and tests. if u take the brazil team , it also have few guys who play at home tho most are in europe . but a few are now going to china as well and china has plans to put a salary cap !!!
adastra32
Roar Rookie
Comparisons truly are odious in this case. The best point of compare for SR is clearly the European Cup, not a single NH league. And even then, the two are a very different ball-game in terms of size, structure etc.. Anecdotally, fairly general opinion seems to say that the SR format is not serving the WBs well, and the international balance is definitely swinging north from recent results.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
FTA broadcasters will pay less for content that averages 300k viewers on FTA than Pay TV broadcasters will pay for content that averages 100k viewers on Pay TV. That’s not illogical. Produced TV shows are often cancelled for numbers below 1M viewers. 1 viewer on FTA is not equal in value to 1 on Pay TV. In fact even considering market penetration, 3 FTA viewers are not worth 1 Pay TV viewer when it comes to the value of broadcast rights.
concerned supporter
Guest
TWAS, you say ''Regularly getting 300k people on FTA would probably reduce it’s value'' Without a doubt the most illogical statement on the Roar in 2018. So no viewers on FTA are more valuable than 300k?
Unanimous
Guest
The SA rugby team does not have a ten times higher salary than the players in the Japanese team, and it was still a one in 20 year event. In Soccer, teams beat teams with a ten times higher salary about 12% of the time. The fact that everyone was so surprised that Japan beat SA shows how rare it is for teams with very mismatched salaries to win in rugby.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
So England are the only team that has injuries? You can talk about how many quality English 23s that could be pulled out of the Premiership, but ignore the same applies for NZ in Super Rugby, except they are spread across 5 teams, not 12. Purely by the numbers, the concentration of current internationals, which means players dropping back after playing at the very top level, is higher in Super Rugby. You cannot dispute that.
adastra32
Roar Rookie
MUST be good then, Train! Super Rugby is the pinnacle. Dammit why couldn't I see it??!!! Why on earth isn't Australia in the Top at least 3 internationally? It's mad!! Or....maybe....are we looking at apples vs. oranges? You give the GP the chance to field more than one team internationally, and then let's see where we are. Pretty much England were fielding their seconds and thirds (possibly fourths) for this autumn in many positions - and still beat the WBs. For NZ, it would be even more so. Oh yes, there are all those Kangas in France & England, but then they are all pretty mediocre anyway as has been vociferously argued by others in these august columns.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
Nah. Their value to the market isn't impacted by being on FTA. It just changes what number of viewers are needed to represent value. Regularly getting 100k viewers on Foxtel would probably improve Super Rugby's value. Regularly getting 300k people on FTA would probably reduce it's value. Putting Super Rugby on FTA will not make it more valuable unless that sees a higher % of potential viewers watch. Possibly less. For example, if only 5% of Fotxel viewers watch Super Rugby, why will more than 5% of FTA viewers?