What the Wallabies can learn from the Springboks and All Blacks

Probably not, and I’d be equally critical if an Aussie wrote about SA rugby without the proper knowledge

What the aussie dont understand Rassie will pick a guy who all his life he had to fight .From kolbe ,Marx, vermeulen ,de allende ,mapimpi ,kolisi,am ,willie le roux etc none of those players had to prove the doubters wrong .Rassie love an underdog .Hell constantly say .That guy got dog in him ...for him everything is about the team .he dont put his trust in the individual. For him team first second come individual. Then he most of the times dont pick the best player .hell pick the player who compliment someone else case in point siya kolisi .hes not your superstar like schalk Burger, but hell work tiresly for the team so that other players can shine .Then you have mr adaptability. Coming from physio to s&c to defence guru to head coach ...Hes a true student of the game ...

This is what I believe is the structure to start Australian rugby back on an upward trend. Start the season with Super Rugby AU with the current 5 teams. If it is at all possible include the Fiji Drua so there are 3 games a week. From the 5 Australian teams select players to fill 3 representative teams to play in the Trans-Tasman competition. Obviously, the Wallaby squad will be selected from these 3 teams. Once the Wallabies are in camp. Commence a third-tier competition. This competition will be made up of the same 5 teams. Replacing the Wallaby players with up-and-coming talent from club rugby or development squads / academies. I believe it is important not to have to many teams, as it will dilute the talent and lower the quality of play. Currently 5 SR teams is plenty, and it maintains a national footprint. The third tier should be 5 teams for the same reason. Once the talent pool grows, then more teams can be introduced. I would suggest changing the teams’ names from states to cities. That is, no longer have the NSW Waratahs or the QLD Reds, but have Sydney and Brisbane. This is for 2 reasons. It allows those team identities to be used for the representative teams and it also enable future additional teams in NSW and QLD without having awkward name identities. The 3 representative teams condense the talent again to serve 2 purposes; 1. improve competitiveness against NZ teams, 2. build combinations and systems to strengthen the Wallabies. I believe this could be used to introduce the State of Union concept. NSW and QLD can select their best 15 players. Then the third team can select their best 15 players from the players remaining, players originating from states other than NSW and QLD, and players that don't make the origin criteria (e.g., Marika Koroibete). This purpose of this selection process is to ensure Australia’s best 69 players are playing. Perhaps during the Rugby International windows, an Australian A team can be selected to play tier 2 nations. I believe this is a good model to grow rugby in Australia. In time, the 3 representative teams should dominate the NZ SR teams. If that happens, I wouldn't introduce a 4th or 5th team. The 3-team model is the best for the Wallabies.

What is sad is the NZ has learned off-field incompetence from Rugby Australia, it will not take long for off field dramas to spill over to poor on field performance. The Boks had to drop to #6 with political appointees in key positions before they finally turned it around and backed Erasmus, the Wallabies dropped to #7 however off field reforms are stuck so it probably needs to get much worse before we will see change.

I agree, sadly wannas don’t have the cattle now, competing with AFL and league and neglected issues long ago. The were relying on a top down approach expecting the wannas to win and gain support from sponsors and fans alike. Those days are gone and other countries have found ways to win in the new game such as Wales under Warrenball. Even Scotland have found a way with some exciting rugby. Along with the Argies battling through and France getting consistent. So others are ranked better and Aus has got much more competition. Can’t see them improving for a while. Yes they can get 15 or 23 half decent players and win some but getting consistent wins will be a tough ask.

Interesting article, HR. Thanks. Well done writing your first. "If RA can sort out their priorities, mend broken relationships and stick with a coach with a lot of potential, the great game will survive Down Under." Yes, we have Dave Rennie as our coach now, and he must be backed and given time to put his stamp on the WB's. Not an easy start, with so many games against the AB's.....many forget this fact.

Pretty well summed up. Rennie is not Rassie . Cheika was our Rassie but not as smart and had no where near as much talent to work with. Mind you he discarded some. Smith , Gill, Fardy, Carter , McMahon, Monaghan , Arnold, Knackers, Genia, Kuridrani and he played Pocock as minder.

fair go very few Aussies could fully grasp the difference between Australia and South Africa either (i.e not understand SA deeply).

Thanks Jeff Wayne Smith is on the wish list but like you said he would never coach against the ABs. Its early days in Renees tenure but I cannot put my finger on it, what he explains to aus press does not translate to the pitch. I would comfortably say you are as good as your cattle and we have some cattle that require a putting down.

Yet another Saffa not fully grasping the difference between Australia and South Africa

Wayne Smith has retired and has also said he would never coach against the ABs. So there is no hope of that happening. I wonder if Rennie is as good as we think he is. To me it was quite noticeable that the Chiefs won Super Rugby twice when he had Wayne Smith as assistant and slumped the season after when Smith went back to the ABs. One of my good friends in NZ is very well connected in rugby circles and has told me that despite all the white sound in the media Rennie would have never been in the mix for the ABs coaching job last year and hence his acceptance of the Australian deal.

And sitting quietly behind the scenes working on his keyboard is the unheralded Jaques Nienaber. That’s still the case today even though he is now the headcoach yet Rassie still manages to hog the headlines.. Nienaber is a master defence strategist and should get all the credit for what we see today..He is the detail guy who unusually for a head coach appears unshackled from ego….more than ok to sit back and let others take the credit….I would also not understate the role of Felix Jones.. His understanding of the players and ability to coordinate the globally dispersed overseas contingent is absolutely vital to The Bok cause.

Obes your killing me, more on from Hoops or you'll go fat bald and blind like me.

Yep Lano, got some SA mate who are really struggling at home and as an aussie you sometimes forget how good we have it here including lock down compared to whats happening in SA. They truely do have some strong leaders in that group of men you named.

NZ has provided Aust with a template for success, on and off the field, for 20 years (at least). While it is certainly sad to see the demise of Australian Rugby, worse are the teary eyed cries of “not getting a fair suck of the sav”. It would take a mammoth effort to turn this situation around, unfortunately for the Wobblies and Rugby Australia, it seems beyond them to regain their once privileged position in World Rugby.

they can finally learn to stop picking a small no mongrel 7.Hooper has been hopelessly outmuscled for 6 years. Get rid of the nuffy and you will win more games and not be ranked 7th in the world.

No doubt Erasmus has had a major impact, but don't discount the incredible journey from abject township poverty and hardship for players like Mapimpi, Am and Kolisi to Springboks, which makes them so admirable as people and so highly respected and inspirational to their team mates, and respectful of the game itself. Do you think this could also be a point of differentiation?

Nice read HR Rugby. The big difference between where the Bokkies were a few years ago to the wallabies, at the end of the day the SA have a strong domestic comp the currie cup to fall back onto and yes the Erasi factor. No offence to him, a little like Cheika in the way with a strong personality but smarter. Besides the comp Erasi has got the Boks playing to their strengths and he has identified the right players to do it. They're tough to break down, they have great finishers. Seeing Matt Toomau throw that hail Mary then that useless kick to no one in the 83 minute which leading to the final try and record score sums up Aussie rugby. How I dream we had a domestic comp that is strong, having the right rugby structures, pathways producing Eales Horan Little Totia clones however their is to many fingers in the pie and its killing us. As for Renee, I feel he is the right man but is he getting the support he needs. How would he go if he could have brought is old mate Wayne Smith across. Instead his trying to tutor or mentor some up comming aussie coaches and I dont think they are on the same page. I feel we are having our Robbie Deans moment again, good coach but no support from the backroom staff or players. There is a disconnect between what he is saying, how he wants them to play and what we are actually seeing. I can go on, to get our game right will take some courage. Small steps to future greatness. Could be a wet dream but it will happen.

Somehow good read.