Rugby two-up: Australia vs France special edition

With the Lions Tour making weekday tour matches a necessity, and the Fédération Française de Rugby serving their master clubs to allow the Top 14 to creep further and further into the international window, midweek Test matches are back.

Through the 1990s, there seemed to be a midweek Test every couple of years. Rugby World Cup qualifiers are still played midweek on occasion, but back then, they were reasonably common.

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George Gregan’s famous tackle on Jeff Wilson in the corner of the old Sydney Football Stadium happened on a Wednesday night, and the Wallabies thumped Wales at Ballymore on a Monday too. Of course, Wallabies fans would prefer to forget a certain Tuesday night in Newcastle a decade ago. The All Blacks often played Tonga or Samoa on a Friday through the ’90s, too.

But with ever-growing domestic and provincial seasons, could we start seeing more midweek Tests, as we will in this France series?

Question 1
There is just something different about a midweek Test match. But could the Wallabies-France Tests be the start of a Back to the Future scenario, where we start seeing more games during the week? And should we play more midweek Tests?

Harry
A proper rugby Test match requires utter focus of coach, player, fan, pundit, caterer, bus driver, barkeeper, groundskeeper, ticket-taker, security, and anthem singer.

I prefer a weekend, because distractions are cut.

But in this day and age, Test rugby just needs to survive. Clubs are choking us.

So, do what must be done.

Geoff
As with Super Rugby, I think we’re best to grant a leave pass for 2020 and 2021, when it comes to fixture scheduling.

At the moment it’s very much about getting anything on the park that remotely works, even if that means playing without crowds (South Africa), mismatches (NZ versus Tonga A), or three Tests in 11 days on odd nights, as the Wallabies and France will begin tomorrow night.

(Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images for Rugby Australia)

If we ever get back to a normal world, I’m a fan of Test match weekends where there is a run of matches, in both hemispheres, over a weekend.

A weekend that we can overload on, and pretend there are parallels and conclusions to draw from connecting them all.

Let’s leave midweek nights for State of Origin, Farmer Wants a Wife and bingo down at the local RSL.

Brett
I’ve thought more and more about this since posing the question to the guys, and I do genuinely wonder if it we might start seeing more of this midweek rugby business.

And because it is a business, we must remember that. If corporate ticket sales and TV ratings and streaming numbers could be enhanced by playing midweek, then national unions nearly owe it to the game in their country to maximise their commercial return. I bet private equity owners would say the same thing.

At this time of year, especially for Rugby Australia in the current environment, it could be a real boon for the coffers.

But if one of the downsides of league’s State of Origin series at this time of year is the impact it has on the rest of the NRL competition, Rugby Australia doesn’t have that issue. There is, of course, a very strong argument that there should be another level of competition to impact at this time of year, but that’s another discussion for another day. And regardless, players 25 to 40-plus in the Wallabies squad need game time, too.

The reporting around the Sydney Test prior to it being relocated to Brisbane was that the SCG was close to being sold out for tomorrow night.

If the game tomorrow night, and next week’s Test in Melbourne, both do pretty well on the ticket front – especially with the big end of town – I bet there will be some serious consideration in the future to playing these mid-year Tests midweek.

(Photo by Albert Perez/Getty Images)

Digger
To be honest, it simply doesn’t faze me one way or the other when games are played, so long as they are.

There are certainly benefits of midweek games, especially for those who work within a city or close to a stadium and more bonus if they can be scheduled to coincide with the school holidays and the like.

I think it is also a positive in playing elite games at times when they do not draw too much focus away from school, club, and provincial commitments, and I do wonder from a television viewing perspective if you are likely to draw more eyeballs to screens, as most may tend to have more available time to view, as opposed to busy weekends?

The more I think about it actually, the more I support it.

Question 2
On the topic of the Wallabies, what’s the one non-negotiable that they cannot get wrong tomorrow night in Brisbane?

Harry
The one Wallaby non-negotiable: Australia simply cannot miss its kicks for goal, lineout jumpers, and first-up tackles.

Precision is the key.

(Brett’s note: can not missing three different things really be one non-negotiable?!?) 

Geoff
Kudos to Dave Rennie and his fellow selectors for nailing what looks like Australia’s best side for tomorrow night’s first Test.

(Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)

The other side of that coin is that what they can’t get wrong is lose.

With such a compressed schedule, squad depth will be tested – far better to be running unproven debutants out in a 1-0 situation, than relying on them to save the series.

More specifically, yesterday’s article told the tale of 28 lineouts in the red zone from penalties, across last year’s campaign, for just one try. Indications are that the Wallabies will continue with that strategy.

If so, it’s non-negotiable that they lift their conversion percentage. Considerably.

Brett
Geoff’s leadership and captaincy tactics series has been really interesting to read over the last week, and as he identified, I also think the recruitment of Brumbies coach Dan McKellar to oversee the set piece is a fairly obvious giveaway to where the Wallabies want to make their greatest improvements on the field.

And thus, the one thing they can’t afford to bugger up tomorrow night or for the rest of the France series, and beyond for that matter, is their lineout throwing.

Brandon Paenga-Amosa and Lachie Lonergan are immediately on notice now, and the same applies to Western Force hooker Feleti Kaitu’u waiting in the wings, because an accurate lineout is the most crucial key to opening up the attacking opportunities they’ll have planned from there.

And despite leaving the cheeky little note for the hairy Texan above, I do of course agree that the lineout is just one of many things the Wallabies must get right, if they want to kick off their international season with a win over Les Bleus.

But there’s no doubt in my mind that the lineout will be on top of that list. They might be able to cover for other elements that aren’t quite firing, but if you lose your lineout, you lose the ball.

Never mind Gold Five. It’s crucial for Gold Two to stay on target.

Digger
Always hard to pick one thing as being more important than anything else, especially for the first game of the year.

I’m split between a solid and cohesive defensive effort and a stable set piece, so I won’t choose. Both of those nominated will be important for the Wallabies to get right this weekend, and the season can flow forward from that solid base.

Over to you
Should we be playing more midweek Tests?

And what must the Wallabies get right in Brisbane tomorrow night?