The Wallabies’ Rugby World Cup triumph of 1999 was a mighty blessing for the game here.
Master-minded by the highly innovative coaching of Rod Macqueen, the win became a benchmark in skills and tactics for all to follow.
However, over the years, the approach of rugby coaches of all ages became stale.
We were stuck in a model of success that had been great for its day, but its usefulness had become outdated. We failed to move on.
I remember as a coach in the very early 2000s being made aware of a trend in Waikato rugby: the use of offloads in the tackle as one means of breaking down the improved straight-line defensive walls being developed around the rugby world.
At the time I was totally convinced that this was a way forward, but when I brought this thought to the rugby areas I had influence in, I was shut down.
Such a method did not comply with the tackle-and-place regimen that put ball security way ahead of adventurous rugby.
(Photo by Odd Andersen/AFP via Getty Images)
This was the thinking that had evolved after the World Cup success. ‘Hey, it worked on the big stage, so it’s gonna work here’.
So this is what we stuck at for years and years ad infinitum and don’t you dare digress from this discipline.
It was rugby by numbers, way over-rehearsed, stifling, boring and highly predictable.
The scary thing was that this approach spread to all levels of the game. There was barely an area of the Australian rugby landscape that was not infected by this curse.
Its charm was the discipline required to master it – the whole team was involved in these intricate patterns that had to be followed at all costs.
The curse was that this pattern significantly nullified individual skills and the brilliance of gifted players.
We persisted for years with this clueless approach to coaching in Australia, with only the very odd exceptions.
For example, Macqueen had used the ACT Brumbies as a vehicle to demonstrate admirable innovation that allowed players of rare talent to shine.
Sure, the Brumbies were structured, but when they were going forward, off came the shackles and the talent exploded. Remember Stephen Larkham, Joe Roff, Ipolito Fenukitau, Rod Kafer, Pat Howard, George Gregan, Owen Finegan, there are lots of others.
(Photo by Mark Nolan/Getty Images)
But, by and large, for decades we have played the numbers game.
The talent, which is there but maybe not in spades, has been hamstrung by a fear of making mistakes and the power of being tied to unswerving rugby doctrine that is hopelessly outdated.
David Campese might not even get a guernsey today for fear his adventure might lose us possession!
Little by little in the last few years we have begun to unshackle ourselves and recognise the damage that has been done by being so tied to doctrine.
‘How dare you express yourself outside the structure!’ is maybe not as prevalent today as it was.
However, we have lost a whole generation of inventiveness, of unbridled joy in running the football and trying something daring.
You can’t teach this stuff, but you sure can encourage it. You can’t legislate it, but you can allow its free flow of expression at training and in games.
It is absolutely essential that free-flowing rugby that once epitomised the Australian way be re-instituted at every level in this country.
Yes, we will lose matches because of it, but we will gradually regather some of the flair that has been suffocated by safety-first do-gooders.
Brad Thorn recently said that we need to learn from the All Blacks and the New Zealand provinces on the “total package” they bring with their games.
I totally agree. Yet we need to unlearn a whole lot of constrictive stuff too.
Observer
Guest
Totally agree as Rod McQueen concentrated on secure ball retention and pick and drive, boring but oh so effective. He was blessed with talented backs to complete the job. The Wallabies trained at our ground in Caloundra for several months fulltime. McQueen was the coach to understand what professionalism was all about and the ARU was a mile in front in giving them the resouces they needed. It helped to have John Eales running the tiller as he was a truly great player. But they were not a "running team" as such, they played to a tight controlled plan denying the opposition possession. Go back and look at Kenny Wright and Greg Cornelson before them to find running rugby.
Cheika_Mate
Roar Rookie
Mate I’m hearing you.
Busted Fullback
Roar Rookie
G’day C-M. On the point of fitness... Christmas Day 1970, it’s early afternoon, just after lunch. I move to the front of the house and look over the four rugby fields over the road. Long before it was trendy, I notice a man running up the fields. As he gets closer, I realise it’s, then Wallaby centre, David L’Estrange. I’m still at school and ask my Dad why he thinks David is running on Christmas Day. His reply was simple. If you’re at the top and you want to stay there, you have to work at it. From that moment I have believed it is the player’s responsibility to be fit. Teams, clubs, systems, they all give you the opportunity to develop fitness, but only the player knows where their fitness stands, not sport scientists, not Bronco or Beep test numbers. Those numbers only tell you where you are placed on a scale. As for skills... rumour has it that Tom Lawton, during the off-season, would throw 10,000 practice line out throws. The number may be urban legend but the result was one of the best throwers the Wallabies/world rugby have ever seen. The moral of these two stories... If you want to be, not just the best in Aus but the best in the world, you’ve got to work your @r$e off, because if you don’t there’s someone else out there who will.
The Hen
Roar Rookie
100%
J Jones
Roar Rookie
Agree, the Brumbies of the late 90's early 00's provided much of the successful influences on Wallaby Rugby - and their play was intensely structured.
J Jones
Roar Rookie
Wax lyrical all you like about styles and coaching all you want but the Wallabies of 1998-02 had a large number of actual stars that were dominating at every level regardless of who was coaching them. Ever since 02 that number has only gotten smaller, to the point where claiming that more than one, if any, exists in this current Wobblies side will be met with reasonable disagreement.
Brainstrust
Roar Rookie
The All Blacks biggest weakness outside of choking, was the line outs in that era. The psychologist for choking when are they hiring him, still an issue.
Brainstrust
Roar Rookie
Wallabies brought in Mick Byrne in 2016. The AFL coaches couldnt teach Folau to kick and neither could Mick Byrne.
Cheika_Mate
Roar Rookie
Patience Wharfboy. Im not a Quade fan but there had to be change. If he can do the basic I'm happy.
Wharfboy
Roar Rookie
"can make 80% of his
goal kicks andtackles" That'll be an all time 1st unless of course doesn't attempt any. :laughing:Just Nuisance
Roar Rookie
Free flowing Rugby? I don’t really fully understand what that actually means… But I’ll keep an open mind. . The Aussie teams of the past as I recall played pretty structured phase ball, retaining possession for long periods and getting to good field positions, with the added bonus of having a few excellent line breakers and finishers, likes of Horan, Campo, Tune, Larkham, Little, etc to add potency.. But they were the sexy boys.. The platform to perform was still provided by the engine room..
Phantom
Roar Rookie
That 1999 team had quite a large number of absolute stars. Those players could arguably command a position in any team in the world. In addition they were well selected and well coached. 2021s team has not a single example at that same standard. A huge difference.
Jacko
Roar Rookie
I think they are a bit reserved at the moment. Many times in the 3 tests Ive watched and said "If that was NZ with the ball they would have passed that" and it would have created more space, but that takes a lot of time to implement as a coach and it needs to start at SR level or below. Agree re the structured play of the 1998-2002 side. They played with solid structure.
BLACKTOWN
Roar Rookie
You can't compare 1999 rugby to 2021 because of the interchanges.Rugbt now at its highest level you basically need a run on team and a team that will finish the game.The Blacks showed in Perth it has that depth.
The Hen
Roar Rookie
Also I’ll add the McQueen based his game in dominant forward play to start with. If you analyze beyond the highlights reel you will see that. Same as 1991.
The Hen
Roar Rookie
Disagree. I believe the wallabies have suffered for years from an overarching message of loose ball movement. This derives from a fantasy of ‘the Australian way’ being ‘attacking’, which is related to throwing the ball around without enough care. It’s in club rugby also and it’s toxic. A tight, strong up front game game beats a lack of ball control easily. By tight I’m talking about set piece, dedicated clean outs / ball retention / building phases and being direct rather than lateral play and passing in contact. I’ll take the wallabies latest set of losses derived from breakdown pressure turning to lateral passing and turnovers, in turn run away tries for the opposition or penalties. Conversely when the wallabies Picked and drove in the last test the field and opportunities opened up. We just don’t get how it works in Australian.
Puff
Roar Rookie
JJ, yes, for a considerable period the RA has been the master of lost opportunity and although I’m no authority on the subject. We appear to have this ability to discount the progress other nations are making in their endeavour to showcase the sport as a thinking players game of chess. The analogy of these two very different professional undertakings have similar mindsets, you require vision and the ability to break the adversary down with your skill set and physical presence. Unfortunately prospective Wallabies don’t arrive that complete because at a junior level they showcase the code but not the pathway to faultlessness. Rennie, is astute enough to understand this restraint, the question is, how do you keep delivering with journeyman performances with so few play makers.
Oblonsky’s Other Pun
Guest
I don’t think it got ‘robotic’ until 2003 and onwards. Structured, yes, but the players were capable of recognising opportunities and - I am going to say it - playing what was in front of them. Only the 2010 and 2013 teams have been capable of that since in my opinion.
Cheika_Mate
Roar Rookie
Quade has not played since April this year. No pressure. If he lasts 60 minutes with no Hail Mary passes and can make 80% of his goal kicks and tackles ….his had a good day at the office.
Cheika_Mate
Roar Rookie
Play the percentages, keep it tight kick it long and remove anyone in our ruck as clean as possible. Set piece and that’s a big ask against probably the best set piece side in world rugby could be our best chance to score points. These guys are big and very efficient. Also hoping they have their mind on playing NZ in a few weeks time and not us.