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SAINT ETIENNE – Wallabies assistant coach Pierre-Henry Broncan has given a damning assessment of Super Rugby Pacific as a proving ground for success at the World Cup, while a pointless policy to save players for the tournament has been criticised.
With Australia on the verge of elimination, Wallabies watchers have been looking for reasons for the stunning fall from grace at this tournament, after losses to Fiji and Wales.
Broncan, a Frenchman who led Castres to the Top 14 championship final in France before joining Eddie Jones’ smash and grab mission, warned the team would continue to struggle on the international stage without its players being exposed to more high pressure games.
He suggested the loss of South African teams – and those from Japan and Argentina – from Super Rugby has had a direct impact on the fortunes of the Wallabies.
“A big difference between the Top 14 and European Cup and your Super Rugby competition in Australia, with New Zealand, is the pressure,” Broncan told reporters.
“In France, we have pressure every game because there are massive things about relegation or qualification. It’s very important for the French and European teams.
“In Super Rugby there is no relegation, there is just to play to win the Super Rugby. It’s a good thing … but just against New Zealand and Australian teams.
“You will see the next games during the World Cup quarterfinals, semifinals, final there will be a massive pressure on the pitch. A lot of games will finish with a very close score between the two teams and the the last five or 10 minutes you can win or lose a game. But today for our team it is not that.
(Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)
“During the halftime against Wales I was sure we are going to win the game. 10 points is nothing. But we start the second half and we concede a penalty and 13 points and it was finished. We need to change that in the future.
“My games for Australia we won just against Georgia but it was an easy game and a big score.”
Broncan pointed to Australia’s poor record in close matches in recent times.
Since the start of 2022 Australia has played in 10 Tests where the margin has been five points or less. They’ve lost seven of those and won three – against Scotland, Wales and England.
“The game in Dunedin, we lost 23-20. So once again, it was the same thing,” said Broncan.
“Argentina we lost the game at the end of the game and the same thing against New Zealand. We need to create an environment that is not just with the Australian nationality. I am sure about it.
Broncan also had a blunt assessment of the Super Rugby teams below the Brumbies.
“Brumbies is a good way for the team because they have a team that is very tough and they can beat New Zealand sides today. The other teams in Australia it was very tough and difficult to win (against) the New Zealand teams. It is a rarity and we need to change that firstly,” said Broncan. He was sitting next to Waratahs centre Lalakai Foketi at the team’s media conference and patted him on the back and apologised for the statement.
Jones picked six Brumbies players in his 23 against Wales.
South African teams left Super Rugby in 2020 because of the Covid pandemic and New Zealand opted not invite them back.
“Before Covid I think that with South African teams and Japanese teams and he Jaguares it was a big competition,” said Broncan.
“Today I think between the competition in Super Rugby and the national game they need to create an environment for the player to train every week or every month together.
“When you had Super Rugby with the South African teams, it was a tough competition, very tough competition. Today’s South African teams, they play in Europe and it was a benefit for the north hemisphere.”
The issue has also been noted in New Zealand, whose All Blacks were well beaten by France in their World Cup opener.
All Blacks prop Nepo Laulala said this week that the step up to the World Cup had been a tough one.
“I reckon it has been a big blow not having the Africans in Super Rugby any more. Being exposed to those different types of scrummaging big men who just want to run through you, not go around or anything,” he said.
“Internationals are a big step up but World Cups are another step up from that. It’s a whole different beast.
A lack of South African opposition wasn’t the only thing working against having the Wallabies ready for the pressure test in France.
The decision to rest Wallabies players for key Super Rugby games – as is also done by the All Blacks – looks a total nonsense in hindsight. It clearly hasn’t had a positive impact on the group in France – and there are plenty of examples of rested players who never even got on the plane to the World Cup.
(Photo by Craig Mercer/MB Media/Getty Images)
The Roar understands the policy is likely to change.
“I got rostered off a couple of games. And I think that we were against the Blues and the Crusaders – our two hardest games,” said Foketi.
“Those are games we want to play and Pierre is right. If we want to learn how to handle pressure then we’ve got to play those games and we’ve got to beat the teams that are up the top of the Super Rugby ladder.
“I’m not too sure what’s happening next year about that, but we’ve got to play those types of games.”
The Wallabies have brought in three sports psychologists to help the team deal with the pressure of the World Cup – although they are not to everyone’s taste it seems.
“I just lean on my mates. Psychologists work for some people, I’m not saying that, and I have massive respect,”said Tom Hooper.
“I’ve done a bit of work in – we call it the Trojans but it’s like the sub-leaders – blokes that get in a circle and talk.
“I’m more a bloke that will lean on the older boys I’ll go ask Will [Skelton] his advice or Slip’s advice. Guys like that are really good at checking in on the younger boys
“Psychs aren’t really for me one one-on-one. I’ll go to those guys first. And as I said before, my mate Dan Palmer. He’s a bloke who’s been in the Wallabies system and now he’s a coach. So I will go to guys like that. I’m an Aussie bloke that’ll prefer to have a yarn with my mate than anything.”
Meanwhile Broncan said he expected Jones to continue as Wallabies coach next year.
“Yes, of course. I am sure about it because he’s a great coach. I understand everything about it and I think in his head he wants now to find the best solution for the Australia national team and his country,” said Broncan.
“He is the right person. It is not just a problem of Eddie Jones or the players today, I am sure about it. I repeat (playing under) pressure is very important in our sport today.”