There has been a lot to digest in Australian Rugby this week.
Scott Johnson. In William Wallace style he united the clans of Scotland, and now he’s Rugby Australia’s newly appointed director of rugby. His ultimate challenge will be to set up Australia to deliver long-term success.
Announcing the formal agreement between Super Rugby clubs and the Wallabies, over which Johnson will preside in his new role, Rugby Australia chairman Cameron Clyne said, “We need to get to this model. This is a proven model, it demonstrates success”.
Okay, demonstrated success, I’m on board. Just one question: What exactly is the proven rugby model?
What I hope Clyne is talking about is the successful New Zealand model – there is effectively one style of play in New Zealand.
The All Blacks don’t over complicate things; they play traditional positions and expansive rugby. As pointed out in an insightful article by Roar pro Steiner, in January, the All Blacks have a backline that uses traditional flankers, No.10 and No.12. They do not have dual playmaker pivots like rugby league in No.10 and No.12. The All Blacks also have a balanced forward pack.
When under pressure it is better to have simpler systems than highly complex ones. As Steiner notes, “Complexity creates its own stress – especially under physical and psychological pressure”.
The Wallabies and the Super Rugby teams need one game style. Players can readily be interchanged into these positions. Entire states can perfect this game style. The proven winning game style is that in force in New Zealand.
New Zealand Rugby has a vice-like grip from the top right down to clubland. Whereas Australian rugby has silo-like mentality at club, Super Rugby and Wallabies level, New Zealand Rugby is like the Musketeers – all for one and one for All Blacks. From the All Blacks to clubs, Kiwis share rugby knowledge.
Do you want to know why the All Blacks have been successful? When a New Zealand Super Rugby team figures out how to defeat Australian teams, they spread the word, and fast.
As noted by Steiner, in the Super Rugby semi-final in 2015, the “Highlanders used a smart kicking game to defeat NSW in their Super Rugby semi-final and denied the Waratahs field position and the go-forward they thrived on.” This knowledge seemingly transitioned to the All Blacks in the World Cup. The next domino to fall was Super Rugby.
(Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
So how do the Australian silos strike back? By fighting fire with fire. By sharing knowledge and progressively creating mega clubs in each state.
The easiest way to conceptualise this is in Queensland. There were nine Brisbane clubs and seven Country clubs in the Queensland State Cup. If the nine Brisbane clubs and seven country clubs were to merge with Queensland Rugby Union to create one mega club, suddenly Queensland rugby would become a powerhouse once more.
The nine Brisbane clubs play the game style of the NRC’s Brisbane City. Seven Queensland clubs play the style of the NRC’s Queensland Country. NRC teams Brisbane City and Queensland Country play the same game style as the Queensland Reds. The Reds play the same game style as the Wallabies.
Translate this across the states and we’ll have a coherent game style through which knowledge is shared. This generates a player and coaching pipeline.
We don’t necessarily need Rugby Australia merging with all the states; the states can remain independent. The important glue will be Scott Johnson, who will be the master overseer of the talent pipeline for the Wallabies. He will work with the states to devise systems to fairly rest players and divvy them up between Super Rugby teams.
For the All Blacks to be the best, they need a pipeline of talent. However, it is not so much the players who are the focus as the coaches. Before the Rugby World Cup Steve Tew, New Zealand Rugby CEO, said “If you don’t produce good coaches, then you won’t produce good players.
“You need great coaches to produce great players. The coaches have to come first.”
This is the next area of weakness Rugby Australia and the states need to focus on, and it will be quicker under one national game style.
It will also help to connect with the community. The Reds are invisible. I don’t see them attending local school events or getting to know their community. That’s not the case in New Zealand. Anecdotally, we regularly hear about All Blacks visiting local schools.
Money is also a factor. The All Blacks franchise is worth a fortune as a recognisable brand. They are a revenue generator, and money, as they say, makes money. This money is ploughed back into rugby fields across New Zealand.
If clubs can unite and become successful businesses, shared earning would be pooled and the player pool would be fairly distributed.
What do you think about this unified model approach?
CHUCKED
Roar Rookie
Good article. Sily comments by Steve that Rugby is struggling in NZ. It is not. Obviously crowds are down, luckily the NZRFU has the substantial sponsorship money from an 'American Insurance Company' AIG to look after it On others posts that rugby is increasing its profile and NZ should be worried, seriously think guys before you write. NZ need and want harder competition. Playing the best brings out the best. Look at this stupid conference system, NZ Teams playing each other twice, the Lions and Co not even getting a go some years. And if it was top 8 solely based on points half the years our fifth team the Blues would qualify. The top game of the year for European teams is often EYOT game against the AB's - they lift themselves, are playing at home and throw 120% into it - because they are playing the best Similiarly Right now there very much are tier 1 nations and tier 2 nations...but look at cricket. 30 Yrs ago Sri Lanka was tier 2 - now one of the top teams in the world. Bangladesh anyone?.
P2R2
Roar Rookie
"...You really think the AB’s can carry on as they have for the last 7 or 8 years forever?..." and why wouldn't they? Its up to the other T1 nations to get their standards up...ABs will continue to grow their game with the grassroots support well in behind and good leadership from the NZRU....
Divided Loyalties
Roar Rookie
The All Blacks captain is on a million per year, no one else... The current wallabies are hugely overpaid relative to their achievements. But so are RA executives.
Muzzo
Roar Rookie
Agreed T/man, & a Happy New Year as well, mate. Also fellow Roar bloggers I wish you all the best for the New Year.
taylorman
Roar Guru
Yes, petty. Three times every year plus the potential for one possibly two at each world cup plus the more frequent than anyone else pre pro blows anyone else away. That level of familiarity saw the W’s well in the 80s and 90s but its died off since,
Muzzo
Roar Rookie
Here we go again, as I'm not talking about the last four years, I'm talking about overall. Check out the for & against, then you just might see, how NZ has played Aust. more than double that of any nation, at this level. Fact. Last four years? Ffs!! Stop posting issues just for arguments sake, in which you constantly do!!
Jock the sock
Guest
Ella - GOAT ????. The Ella’s destroyed sides, greatest running rugby ever.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
New Zealand hasn’t played double that of every other nation. In a 4 year cycle they played SA 8 times, and Australia 12 times. And only 11 were by choice. The 12th was the RWC final. In that same cycle it was Argentina 7 times. Some basic research of extremely easily obtainable facts before making absolute statements wouldn’t go astray...
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
Why? Does private health insurance cover everything that Rugby insurance does?
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
What’s the cost for League in NZ? Rugby is similar to League and AFL, while less than cricket, hockey, soccer and other sports. How is it that Rugby has got the issue? Surely clearly, that is what it costs. I challenge you to find anywhere where it’s $400 to register a child in aus for rugby.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
How does the Mitre 10 Cup differ from NRC other than payment? Also NZ has players on $1M a year.
Rob9
Roar Guru
You really think the AB's can carry on as they have for the last 7 or 8 years forever? Wishful thinking at best... Of course NZ are entrenched as a world rugby super power, but there will be times when their status as 'outright #1' will be taken from them and the fan engagement that comes with ongoing success will be put to the test. I'm sure many of the current tier 1's will have periods of dominance ahead of them and as the full effect of professionalism takes hold and rugby continues to grow globally, I dare say the games future will represent a more competitive landscape than what's been left in the rear view.
P2R2
Roar Rookie
WRONG...rugby in NZ is NOT struggling....all SR Teams from 4 countries play to near empty stadiums unless it is the NZ teams playing each other....not everything is sacrificed for the ABs but they do reap the benefit of a good sound provincial championship and good First XV and U-20 candidates....not sure where you watch your rugby...
P2R2
Roar Rookie
...the AB’s won’t be so dominant forever and cracks can very easily start to open up at the foundation.... really??? Wishful thinking at best I think...
Steiner
Roar Pro
Great article Andrew and thanks for taking the time to read mine too. I agree we need national alignment in the basics of the game and a foundation of better coaches at all levels. RA are making progress in aligning the U15-U20 pathways and crucially retaining talent from RL. Our U18 Oz schools team just beat the Irish and Scot U19 teams in the NH, so the talent is there. Scotland were 6N U 19 champions and our younger boys belted them. The replay is on rugby.com.au. Congrats on the article and have a great Xmas!
Bozo
Guest
Mitre 10 cup is now just a weeknight to event No it isn't. A game is played Thurs and Fri but the majority are played in the weekend at different times during the afternoon/evening. It's an absolute pleasure to watch. The finals this season were outstanding. Super rugby is a made for TV event. That's where the revenue comes from. The crowds are perfectly OK considering the time in the evening the matches are played.
Rob9
Roar Guru
Andrew, the England comparison is to suggest to you that there’s successful nations in world rugby that have structures that are nothing like what they have in NZ. And they’ve hit more ‘than a purple patch for a spell’. They won their first 17 games under Jones through 2016/17 including back to back 6 Nations titles and a 3-nil clean sweep of the Wallabies on Australian soil. They caught the wobbles during this years 6 Nations but they’ve been one of the best in this 4-year cycle and they’ll be a serious contender in Japan next year. It’s an incredibly simplistic philosophy to apply a structure that exists in New Zealand and suggest this will turn around our fortunes. Especially given the rugby landscape in NZ is vastly different to the scenario here. You could change the names of our 4 Super teams to the Crusaders, Hurricanes, Highlanders and Chiefs and while the REAL issues impacting the performance of Australian rugby remain, the results will continue as is.
Andrew Joseph
Roar Rookie
You’ve just convinced me to read ‘Black Red and Gold’ Waxhead. Always liked what I saw of Deans on TV. True with comments about Johnson. Here is to hoping.
Andrew Joseph
Roar Rookie
I think we are saying the same thing Rob9 just in different ways. Align RA with States, then States as mega clubs delivers the significant levels of interest. Not quite following where you are going with the England comparison. England last beat the All Blacks in 2012, we rolled them last year with indigenous jerseys at the Cauldron. England have beaten the All Blacks once with a 6% winning record since 2004. In same period, Australia have beaten the All Blacks 7 times with an ~16% winning record. Plus two draws. Granted 2018 was terrible for Wallabies, and England did hit a purple patch for a spell. They are not top dogs in Europe anymore.
Waxhead
Roar Rookie
@ Andrew You wrote a good article but you only scratched the surface of explaining the NZ centralised fully aligned system. It’s way more comprehensive and detailed than this. The NZ system coordinates player contracts, fitness and injury prevention programs, skills development, strategy and game planning, game scheduling, coach training, public participation and development programs. For full details read the Robbie Deans biography “Black Red and Gold”. It’s this whole package that makes the NZ system to impressive and successful. And like so many others here you are again making assumptions about Johnson’s role that don’t exist. RA announced no more a few vague thought bubbles. All we know is that he’ll start in late March, be 2nd person a new 3 person WB selection committee and will work on a new alleged High Performance Development Plan. For all we know now Johnson may end up with no budget, no staff, no plan, no power and an uncooperative coach. RA needs to urgently implement the whole of the NZ centralised fully aligned system – not just a small part of it. All fans can do now is wait and hope for the best