Coach's Corner: Just how good was Nick Frost? And the constant theme that's cruelling the Wallabies

Welcome to another round of Coach’s Corner, and thanks to all those who offered colourful comments or questions that provided a basis for discussion.

Firstly, let’s take a look at some of the spin-offs from the game at Murrayfield and the most relevant storylines to emerge from a Wallabies point-of-view. Although he did not receive the man-of-the-match award, young Brumbies second rower Nick Frost did more than enough to deserve it on the day.

As Phil commented: “Frost in particular was outstanding over the 80 minutes. His lineout work was exceptional.”

Peterj added: “Nick Frost, yes! That’s what we’ve been waiting for at Test level. I love watching him play and hope he’s cemented his spot.”

The big improvement associated with the 206-centimetre giant was lineout. Just as he had in the early rounds of the Rugby Championship against Argentina, Frost was able to provide a stream of high-quality uncontested lineout ball:

• Frost won ten of Australia’s 14 retained throws. You can add two steals on the Scotland feed as a bonus.
• Australia bounced from the lowest retention rate in the RC (83 per cent) and proportionately an even lower usable ball win rate (74 per cent), to 94 per cent against Scotland.
• Frost topped the Australian tackle count with 18 tackles out of 18 made.
• Frost made more passes (11) than any other Wallabies player bar the two scrum halves.

It is quite a tale of positive involvement. For Australia it is the lineout that really matters because that has been the problematic area throughout the 2022 season. Even when they have won the ball, the Wallabies have rarely won it exactly where and how they wanted. Frost’s presence gave them the banker ball they needed:

Aside from the inbuilt advantages conferred by his height and wingspan, he gets quick elevation off the deck, and his technique in the air is rugged and very hard to disrupt:

Some receivers will go up with ‘wide arms’ (the broken line) in order to collect misthrows, but that makes it easier for opponents (Grant Gilchrist in the red hat) to hook the inside arm in the air. Frost keeps his arms straight, with the elbows close together, and that makes interference much more obvious. Gilchrist was penalised for illegal contact in the air in the first instance.

He also tends to take the ball just above head level and in front of his face, giving him maximum control of the delivery to the half-back:

The young Brumby second rower was also used as a passer out of first receiver more than anyone else (four passes):

Those are smooth hands on two consecutive plays, connecting play to the back line, and they paid concrete dividends in the second half:

Once again it’s Frost’s slick hands into the second line of attack, which releases Hunter Paisami and the men outside him for Australia’s only try of the game.

Questions also arose as to the best solution at Nos. 4, 5 and 6 for the impending match in Paris.

Hazel Nutt: “Frost had a really strong game. Neville was fine but probably gives up his spot when one of the injured (or unavailable) players return. Hanigan seems more like a No. 6 to me.”

Rightly there were some concerns about Holloway’s defence of the short side for the first Scottish try at Murrayfield:

“The gap was created by Holloway. (Bernard) Foley had no choice. That player he tackled should’ve been covered by Holloway. It’s a good try actually. Wallabies were too slow for it.” said Guess, with Sgt Pepperoni adding, “(Rob) Valetini had his man and Holloway turned inwards, opening the overlap”.

Those observations are spot on. Holloway is the forward link to the first back on the short side (Foley) and has no need to bite in on a decoy already covered by Valetini. As a result, he is too slow to turn back out onto the two Scotland attackers sweeping around to flood the space in between Nos. 6 and 10. Would Ned Hanigan, or Nick Frost swapping roles with Holloway, have managed that space better?

The ongoing issues with Wallabies’ indiscipline were also very much a live concern. The Australian coaches and players say they want to do something about it, but it is still running the risk of changing the outcome of games in which they play.

Francis Foo: “Wallabies play as though they don’t give a damn about the rules. Tupou’s giveaway penalty at the 78th minute is symptomatic of Wallabies’ persistent indiscipline.”

RahRah: “I would leave (Hunter) Paisami and (Andrew) Kellaway out of the team altogether next week. We have able replacements who deserve a crack and it sends a clear message to the rest. Shut up and lift your game.”

Nine of the 15 penalties Australia conceded were at the breakdown, and there is a consistent theme of over-competition in that area and then doubling down on mistakes. This is Taniela Tupou, who otherwise had a notably positive impact on the match from the bench:

Referee Luke Pearce is standing directly behind when the Tongan Thor has a double dip at the ball in the first instance, then he commits at least three different offences to give Scotland one last chance to save the game at the death. He shows no clear release after the tackle, he does not maintain his body weight throughout the contest and his arms are ahead of the ball on the deck. Take your pick.

Everyone in the English Premiership knows that Pearce is not the referee you pick to have an argument with about one of his decisions. In the 48th minute he pinged Hunter Paisami ten metres for ‘backchat’ with the words, “Number 2, in the road to begin with, that’s why 12 [Paisami] was on the ball. Then backchat from 12.”

Instead of mending the fences the Wallabies skipper had been carefully building throughout with Pearce, three minutes later the official had occasion to speak to James Slipper after the following penalty had become a topic for further debate:

“I’d like to think you and I are working really well together. Number 12 had a ‘pop’ and he got marched [back] ten [metres]. 14 (Kellaway) is now having a go with my teammate [assistant referee Karl Dickson]. He controls his behaviour, otherwise we’ll see more [yellow cards].”

Two Australians go straight to ground on a counter-ruck without ever being bound to anyone else and Kellaway picks up the ball in an offside position. What is there to debate?

Two Cents: “Why is it that discipline remains a constant thorn in the side of Australian teams?… I get that Rennie favours the ‘no quarter’ style of game where you physically dominate the contest with powerful ball carrying and brutal impact at the breakdown. But that isn’t in the character of Australian rugby, nor is it a style that suits the players.”

Those twin themes of over-competition at the breakdown and doubling down on mistakes in discipline/defence need to be addressed. Is it a Dave Rennie thing or a Brumbies thing? Or a bit of both?

Over in ‘the shaky isles’, the Women’s World Cup continues to provide an exciting and intriguing counterpoint to the men’s game. The women’s game is in a sweet spot on the cusp of professionalism, where even the first team to be awarded fully professional contracts (England back in 2019) and are only three years into their professional rugby lifetimes.

The tournament has exemplified the best traits of amateurism along with the green shoots of new full-time growth. The England and South African women celebrated Zenay Jordaan’s final game for her country together:

The quality of play on the pitch is moving ahead in leaps and bounds, with the gilt-edged touch of the amateur still present. The styles of different nations are more clearly defined than they are in a men’s version largely ‘standardised’ by professionalism. New Zealand – under the influence of ‘the Professor’ Wayne Smith and Sir Graham Henry – shift the point of attack wide at every opportunity, England play off all-powerful set-pieces, France enjoy an ironclad defence.

Hazel Nutt: “That English scrum was as tight and powerful as the 2003 English men’s side, and their rolling maul was tough to counter once it gained momentum.”

Minz: “What do you do when the opponents are all professional and you’re one of two on your side [Sharni Williams]? Pretty rough.”

England bossed the scrum and lineout in their recent quarter-final against the Wallaroos, but the Australian women had the consolation of scoring the best-conceived try of the tournament:

That is top-drawer inter-passing between forwards and backs in the heavy rain, finished in the corner by Australian number 6 Emily Chancellor. The best of rugby intellects, like Wayne Smith, only get involved with projects that excite their imaginations:

The Black Ferns switch from a ‘vertical’ attack straight up the guts, to a ‘horizontal’ attack out wide, with exceptional speed and efficiency.

Tooly had a misguided view of the women’s game: “It’s 7th grade Rugby. Treat it as such!”

Clearly Mr. T has never been flattened by a defender like France’s inside centre Gaby Vernier, or had Black Fern Ruby Tui run rings around him. If he had, he would not be so dismissive:

The next step will be to build on World Cup success, and establish a professional Southern Hemisphere competition to rival the English Premiership:

I think a Super Rugby type competition between New Zealand, Australia, Fiji and Japan would be a great start. It shows the talent is here it just needs to be paid and play in an organized competition. – Jacko

Amen to that thought. Many thanks once again to all, for their participation in the discussion forums across the last week.

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