Whether it was by design or by sheer luck is yet to be seen, but the past three months have provided Dave Rennie with a unique position of leverage with Rugby Australia.
Regardless of the Wallabies’ result against Wales next week, RA and the broader rugby community have now seen a legitimate case study on the impact and influence provided by removing the Giteau law and allowing selection of Wallabies from outside of Australia versus selecting Australian-based players only.
As an armchair expert I was one of many who was sceptical of the ability of Quade Cooper stepping back into the Test arena.
I was hopeful he would deliver but never expected to see the supreme composure and mature style he managed the first game against South Africa.
It’s easy to comment in hindsight but the games against the Springboks and los Pumas, I had an underlying confidence that we would find a way to win.
The only comparison to make there is to that of any New Zealander watching their team come from behind to win tight games at the death. (Caveat: 13/11/2021 at Aviva Stadium!).
Quade Cooper’s greatest strength is not only his ability to see space on a rugby pitch but also his capability to play to it.
(Photo by Jono Searle/Getty Images)
His skill selection and execution during his recent Tests confirmed his place in the upper echelon of flyhalves while highlighting the daylight behind him in depth at ten in Australia.
Similar in some respects is the way Samu Kerevi returned to the Wallabies’ fold. Prior to Kerevi leaving, I was critical of his ability at Test level.
He was a product of his environment in being the captain of a Reds team whose game plan and strategy was ‘pass it to Kerevi’. He was relied on heavily for go forward but had a tendency to run his outside men out of space.
For an athlete like Kerevi, it seems the perfect preparation for Test rugby is time spent in Japan where the focus is precision to allow the fast and wide game they are known for, followed by an Olympic berth with the sevens where elite fitness and effective one-on-one defence is a prerequisite.
The condition that Kerevi was in when he returned combined with his much improved skill set made him a genuine world-class threat at 12. He was arguably the form 12 of the Rugby Championship.
(Photo by Matt Roberts/Getty Images)
One of the best examples of Kerevi’s development is the lead-up to Andrew Kellaway’s try against the Springboks in Game 1.
Firstly the defence we’ve come to expect from South Africa rushed out of the line to pressure Cooper at first receiver. Cooper’s depth off the line allowed him to get the pass away to Kerevi and take heat from his outside men.
Kerevi’s depth off Cooper allowed time to run onto what would be a rushed pass from his ten.
His next involvements were explosive speed and sharp footwork to break the line, committing the final defender and throwing a sublime left-to-right cut pass to hit Kellaway on the chest at full flight to score.
Considering the Japan-based Wallabies ‘electing’ not to travel, my prediction turned from confident to cautious.
In the Test against England the Wallabies were missing six players who I would class in our top ten. I would challenge any Test team to tour without such a big component of their best and get the results their supporters demand.
Watching both games against England and Scotland, it became frustrating that the game plan was clear but we weren’t up to executing it.
There was a Roar article last week that highlighted the number of kicks into the opposition 22 and it reflects Dave Rennie’s approach of playing rugby in the right areas.
Given the trouble with prop stocks last week I expected the scrum to be a lottery but I take my hat off to James Slipper, who acquitted himself well on the opposite side of the scrum for the first time since 2012.
The biggest concerns I saw in attack were from the ten, 12 and 11 jerseys and the irony is not lost on me that the three who recently vacated those positions are widely accepted as three of our best.
The defence in the inside channel against England was improved but I found myself nervous any time the backs touched the ball with a genuine opportunity to attack.
Ultimately, I didn’t have to wait long for the play to break down from poor skill execution.
(Photo by Dan Mullan – RFU/The RFU Collection via Getty Images)
If I am in the position of Dave Rennie post Spring tour, I would be letting the results speak as evidence for offshore selections.
The Wallabies shot to third on the world rankings on the back of consistent strong performances but without the Japan-based players, I struggle to convince myself we’re better than top seven.
The argument against is for the strength of domestic rugby and it’s clear to see the impact that has had to the strength of South African Super Rugby sides.
The question is what we value more, Super Rugby or international success. As it stands we are losing players in their prime to offshore clubs anyway.
While it is very much a chicken-and-egg scenario, you could argue that a winning Wallabies team would encourage greater participation at a junior level and grow a broader talent base as a result.
There are significant points for and against changing the selection policy and I expect there to be robust debate over the summer.
Either way it has been great to see the Wallabies show their potential at full strength against South Africa and see the swell of support from the broader public.
Hopefully the trip north has not entirely quashed the optimism for France 2023.
Gepetto
Roar Rookie
"...had a tendency to run his outside men out of space." I'm not sure that this criticism is valid. Some people were also under the impression that he is slow although bumping off a couple of tacklers does slow him down a bit. When SK breaks the line, it should not come as a surprise to the players inside and outside him. They should be close enough to take an offload pass. Having broken the line, he is often looking around for someone to give the ball to. BPA is no longer available and FF'a could never get there. Also, recently he has the benefit of receiving passes from QC.
Lichtfield
Roar Rookie
I enjoyed the article - thanks for putting it together.
WINSTON
Roar Rookie
Wales look to be severely depleted for this coming week. Aus will miss Hooper's work rate, but I reckon the Wallabies will win by 10 plus. (Of course with Quade & Kerevi they would have won last week as well).
Ken Catchpole's Other Leg
Roar Guru
“ I think the value of these players has been enough to prove we should loosen the requirements a little, but not enough to give carte blanche” This is where I sit too, Ethan.
Just Nuisance
Roar Rookie
Actually convincing RA to abolish the Gitau Law is just simple logic.. Its kinda like the fossil fuel vs renewable energy resources debate.. Its not a matter of if... Thats past... But when..
Clifto
Roar Pro
Paisami wing? Kurtley anywhere? What you smokin bro?
Marshy
Guest
QC, SK, MK that’s three in the backline that make huge differences no doubt. With Banks or Hodge at 15 that’s a backbone that means business. With that settled line up you have one of the best sides in operating world rugby. But again, depth. You can not escape developing depth and the associated (winning) combinations required for each depth combo.
QED
Roar Rookie
Finally, thank you. For all the ROAR "experts" on this board, It seemed it was only Kerevi leaving and then coming back to open their eyes to how good he is and what we have been missing.
HiKa
Roar Rookie
While mentioning top players who were missed in the past couple of matches, let’s not forget Taniela Tupou. Now, if he can just improve his tackle accuracy so he doesn’t get further knocks from opposition ball carriers’ heads and shoulders, he makes a real difference when he’s on the park. [Edit: Thanks for the thoughtful article. Well worth the read.]
Tooly
Roar Rookie
We were very lucky to beat SA. They were on the road and the refereeing was abysmal . We were even lucky to beat Japan. Quadie made Kerevi so we need them for the WC. This week against Wales. . No morons . Including you Dave. Avoid Swinton ! . JOC Captain the best in Australia including Hooper. . Samu at 7 . . Find Gill . Sack Skeleton. . Lolisio 10. . JOC 12 CAPTAIN ! ! ! . Paisami wing . Kurtley FB . Moraghan bench . We will win !
ethan
Guest
The only non Giteau eligible player to make a significant difference this year has been Kerevi. However it will be tested more next year without Koroibete, while both Arnold and BPA are still at the top of the chain in their positions, even if the difference to the next guy isn't as steep. I think the value of these players has been enough to prove we should loosen the requirements a little, but not enough to give carte blanche. I still stand by changing it to 60 WB caps OR 7 years SR. Someone else has suggested 60 SR caps AND 7 years SR, which is also worth considering. If those 7 years included extended squad that would allow Kerevi to be selected. But importantly, if it didn't include extended squad, it would most certainly have encouraged him to stick around at least one more year. It wouldn't help us retain the other three, but Koroibete and Arnold were a bit unusual, being a league convert and a late bloomer. Still, all this is immaterial if clubs won't release them under Reg 9, in which case, we definitely shouldn't lighten the requirements.
2 Bobs Worth
Guest
The Wallabies need, in its current situation, to select the best Australian players to be competitive or to hope to be one of the top national teams . That means selecting from overseas. The capacity for highly paid Australian players overseas is not unlimited. I can't see it significantly increasing more then it is now. So there is still the prospect of building the talent depth in SR. Moving forward super rugby needs to be able to pay its players more to build that depth. Let's hope SR Pacific is a product which can increase viewership and therefore increase revenues. It will be a challenge due to the current lack of player depth and lack of competitiveness with the NZ teams. I feel Rugby Australia have made good changes to improve the situation but I'm not sure how long it will take to see the necessary improvement, and will the public have the patience. SR's other challenge is the NRL. The SR teams need to be able to compete with the NRL on marquee player salaries. It will also need to create enough player talent to expand to more teams and therefore more marquee players and depth for the Wallabies. Again this heavy relies on the Australian SR finding success against NZ teams. A bit of a chicken and the egg situation. A successful Wallabies will inspire more youth to play the sport. So good pathways for players are important to keep them in rugby and not change to NRL. But even with good pathways there is still limited places available. With 5 SR teams vs 17 NRL teams, that is a large challenge.
Bobbles
Guest
The Wallabies were missing there best 3 players.You cannot win without QC Kerevi and Marika .They are so much more valuable than the 6 million dollar man who has to play every minute of every test match over the last 8 years. Now he is injured this could be a turning point this week in the Wallabies fortunes.
JMoney
Guest
Fair point, I guess a change in selection policy would at least become a consideration for European and Japanese clubs when they sign Aussie players. Unlike currently where they can be safe to assume all will be available for the full year round.
Handles
Roar Guru
Nice article, but I will add your name to the growing list of people who did not appreciate Kerevi when he left Australia. I have said many times, he is (and was when he left) a genuine triple threat. He can beat you with strength, with fast feet, or with passing and offloading. I am an unabashed Cooper fan, but RA should leave no stone unturned nor piggy bank unsmashed to get Kerevi in Australia for as long as possible prior to the RWC.
PeterK
Roar Guru
agree whole heartedly. The issue is RA is a minnow and is treated like the PI nations in that clubs won't release players and there is no way to enforce reg 9. RA will just have to have its begging bowl out and hope clubs release players, at least for the rwc they have a good chance that they do.
PeterK
Roar Guru
only matters if the clubs will release players, they can ignore reg 9 with impunity it seems
Doctordbx
Roar Rookie
Cooper isn’t subject to the Giteau law restrictions because he has played more than 60 tests. Instead this makes a case for better player management and Rugby Australia reeling in egos like coach Gronks so we don’t continue to chase talent away.
JC
Roar Rookie
Nice read, JM. Don’t disagree with you on the value Cooper and Kerevi brought to the team. Their individual skills and instincts are a natural fit, and of course they would have played together at the Reds. Without the other, I don’t think they were as potent. Eligibility is a hugely vexed issue and I have to disagree with this statement: The question is what we value more, Super Rugby or international success. As it stands we are losing players in their prime to offshore clubs anyway. It’s not a question of SR or international success; we need both to ensure a healthy rugby landscape.
toadflax
Roar Rookie
Good article. Thanks