While Australian rugby was busy trying to work out how to convince states to centralise themselves, the Rugby World Cup got on with the job of delivering four intriguing, perhaps surprising, but absolutely brilliant quarter-finals in Marseille and Paris.
Argentina and New Zealand, and England and South Africa, will now face off next weekend for a place in the final, and though they’re not the four teams I thought would get there, they’re all very deserving and definitely capable of winning though to the 48th and final match of the tournament.
Watching on at ungodly hours of Sunday and Monday morning, what became clear was that all eight teams entering the quarters have got there knowing their identity and the way the wanted to play their games, and spent the week leading in fine-tuning their methods so that their execution would be right on the night.
Argentina have built nicely into RWC2023 after a rocky start, and again find themselves one win away from a Final. They’ve got there by going back to their set piece and breakdown strengths, and even did the job on Wales without their inspirational leader, Pablo Matera.
New Zealand similarly played to their strengths from the outset, got out to a handy lead early and then rolled up the sleeves as they prepared themselves for whatever Ireland could throw back at them in return. And it was plenty, as we saw.
Oh, for what might have been had the ball not bounced over Dan Sheehan’s head from a cross-kick. And what might have been if Rohan Kelleher had been able to push the ball through Jordie Barrett’s legs and find grass. Of if Caelen Doris hadn’t had had a sneaky little look as he shaped to catch the resulting line drop-out.
Sam Whitelock’s hands on the ball in the 83rd minute and after 37 phases got all the headlines on Sunday, but Ireland knew immediately there were bigger moments before than one play. And now they’ve got a lengthening RWC curse and the perennial ‘four more years’ to stew over the fact.
But in truth, from 13-0 down just 20 minutes in, Ireland had themselves shown incredible patience to get back into the game. They’d earlier withstood the All Blacks mounting well over 30 phases themselves for no return, to get back to within one by the break. When New Zealand kicked away again, Ireland’s maul kicked into gear and earned a penalty try and another ten minutes of an All Black occupying the naughty chair.
They played every bit like the No.1 team in the world, they just happened to find an opposition playing a shade better on the day. It won’t lessen the pain for Ireland fans, but that’s knockout rugby and they might still be the team most adaptable to whatever the rugby gods want to concoct in a knockout scenario.
Will Jordan and Aaron Smith of New Zealand celebrate following the team’s victory during the Rugby World Cup France 2023 Quarter Final match between Ireland and New Zealand at Stade de France on October 14, 2023 in Paris, France. (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)
England trusted their set piece platform, a breakdown clinic led by three excellent backrowers, and a No.10 and captain who knows his job is to accumulate points and argue with referees about penalties his team had already won. But they also very nearly bottled it, and I still can’t work out why.
They won a scrum penalty in the 62nd minute leading 24-15 and eight minutes later the scores were level.
What ever was in their in-goal electrolytes after two converted tries in those eight minutes, it seemed to work. In no time they back down the other end, with Farrell potting a drop goal that 15 Fijians definitely didn’t see.
The Flying Fijians themselves will reflect on a tournament that began with performances that spoke of a very new Fijian approach to international rugby, but then threatened to revert to stereotype: 15 blokes playing Sevens.
It definitely spoke of their new belief and confidence that they managed to get themselves back on a level footing with England, even if ultimately they didn’t quite have the experience or know-how to finish the job.
Which brings us to France vs South Africa.
Les Bleus stormed out of the blocks in a way that didn’t surprise me at all, just as the Springboks hit back with exactly the response I expected of them.
The Boks bashed up though the middle and found ways of bringing their speed men into the action. The French didn’t kick as much as I thought they might as South Africa came back at them, and in fact dominated territory and possession for the 80 minutes. But they certainly played direct and up through the middle, with some excellent carrying and an offload game to die for.
Pieter-Steph Du Toit and Handre Pollard of South Africa celebrate victory at full-time following the Rugby World Cup France 2023 Quarter Final match between France and South Africa at Stade de France on October 15, 2023 in Paris, France. (Photo by Hannah Peters/Getty Images)
The result? Six tries by halftime and a speed of contest that left players and supporters scrambling for breath, and me scrambling for breakfast, with a podcast, a day job and a busy morning stacking up in front of me.
The Boks started emptying their bench, and the French edged further ahead, before bench freshness started taking hold, and South Africa the lead. And momentum and experience in those crucial, late knockout game moments tend to outlast whatever the challenges want to throw at them.
South Africa knew what was needed in those moments, because they’d played those moments – together – in this quadrennial World Cup cycle. France had a very good game plan and an excellent team, but not enough crucial stress-testing of those crucial moments.
The challenge, for whoever is coaching the Wallabies, and the Rugby Australia powerbrokers, in 2024 is going to be how they can become ready for those moments, and where they get that experience. (Hint: it’s where you left it in August.)
After that, properly defining what the actual hell the mythical Australian Way is when it comes to rugby becomes just as crucial.
It’s been mentioned by the last couple of coaches, and several times this year alone by the current coach. Yet in 2023 at least, there’s been that many different approaches and game plans utilised that I don’t know whether we’ve still not seen the Australian Way of playing, or whether we have seen it and discarded it already.
And then how does the game at the professional level need to be structured? It’s all fine to speak in broad terms of centralisation, but RA’s own statement back in August included a specific quote from CEO Phil Waugh, who said: “The implementation of this model cannot be a one-size-fits-all model, and needs to reflect the specifics of each Super Rugby Club, Member Union and their markets.”
It shouldn’t, therefore, be any surprise at all that the states have arrived at different positions, and nor should that be used as a pressure point in negotiations. RA asking the Brumbies to show their ongoing solvency amidst heavily reduced annual grants and RA themselves taking on more debt against future earnings to keep the lights on is a curious look, to say the least.
But if all the states are actually united on the centralisation of playing and coaching contracts, and a national alignment of S&C and training programs, but not on the subject of corporate governance and operational methods, then that shouldn’t matter. Get on with centralising the rugby elements that can be centralised – which was the whole point of implementing this process from the start.
If this is closer to the New Zealand method than the Irish model, then that frankly doesn’t matter. The solution needs to be best model to suit Australian rugby anyway, not a copy-and-paste from another country.
All eight teams in action this weekend got to the knockout stage by playing their own game and to their own strengths. There’s overlaps of certain elements within these approaches, but all eight countries play the way that suits them best.
Australia would do well to remember that. Find a method that suits our players and our playing strengths and get to work on making that the best it can be. If that’s more evasion and less collision, then fine. If it’s simplifying attack and especially defence, then for goodness sake please do that.
Do something because it suits Australian players and Australian teams, not because X number of tries are scored by all teams in all international rugby if Y and Z occurs. By all means, let the data guide game planning, but it can’t dictate it.
Be innovative. Be patient. Be methodical. Be structured when it suits. But above all else, be Australian.
Fox
Roar Guru
morale oops typo
Muzzo
Roar Rookie
Obviously you have no understanding of what many call a culture? Especially in regards to Lomax, as that moko, on his arm does tell many, the personal info regarding himself & his iwi. Many a Kiwi, would rather be associated with the culture of the land & it's people, in preference to where they might be across the globe. As we see, Lomax wears that moko, with honour, as is many that wear them.
carnivean
Roar Rookie
If it isn't then it should be. We only have to go back to the recordings to find statements from Rennie, Cheika and Deans lamenting the lack of fitness of too many players. Sometimes it's couched it nostalgic flair, such as Cheika getting the players to hit the sand dunes at Coogee. Sometimes it's said quietly and diplomatically, such as Rennie having to "put extra detail" in various squad members. But it's always clear that the potential Wallabies that successive national coaches have been given materials that were a little too raw.
carnivean
Roar Rookie
I don't know the full details of Lomax's birth but I suspect it was while his dad was playing for Canberra in the NRL. I have no problem with Lomax choosing that side of his heritage. The regret is that we didn't make it a hard choice to walk away from the Rebels. If we had a world class coaching setup and were still a top 4 side, do you think he'd have still chosen to head back to NZ?
Nate
Roar Rookie
After watching Ireland, they look rather ‘Australian’. Pace, highly skilled, width, flair…. and dare I say rather league-like.
FunBus
Roar Rookie
I expect the Boks will win comfortably, Mz, but perhaps not as comfortably as Stransky thinks (providing they get over the ‘astonishing’ numbers of HIAs they…err…received :unhappy:) On your fly halves, I didn’t think about it myself until I tried to find a place in the top 8 for any of them. Give it a go.
FunBus
Roar Rookie
I suspect the Boks will win comfortably
TonyH
Roar Rookie
Namesake, I could have phrased that better, but I can assure you that my sympathies have always been with "Link". He was an astute coach who was very hard done by!
Fox
Roar Guru
Nice read Brett with some great points "England are the only unbeaten team left!"...Well yes true Brett but they did not have any of the top 4 sides in their side of the draw and me thinks that that record might come to a dismal end this weekend in a one-sided contest except that England strength is their back row. We shall see. I am very pleased with myself Brett, as before the cup I predicted on here that it would be SA v AB final and gave my reasons and never once swayed from that view. Silly me Brett, should have put a grand on it! If there is one thing Australia has lacked in recent years IMO Brett is the ability to really galvanise as a side in the big moments consistently, to play as a unit from 1-23. And you may disagree Brett, but they still lack a genuine World Class 9-10 combination and with no depth in either position, with none in sight. All the top 4 ranked sides ( SA now no1 and NZ now no2 just for the record) and the four sides in the semis have very good 9-10 combinations and depth on the bench in each position. Together with the 15, they are the spine of a backline, but the Australian backline IMO does not have a world class spine with strong back up. It is hard to say, but at the moment Australian 9-10's at the World Cup would struggle to lead or control a pack of feisty sheep into a barn yard at international level with any consistency. Miss timed and/or inaccurate kicking (an issue in Australian rugby for years now which is shameful really with all the coaches they have at super level, the mind boggles); consistent mistakes under pressure; lack of a consistent physical presence from their pack - something Fiji exposed and exploited; too often an inability to think on their feet quickly and accurately with turnover ball which was once never a Wallaby weakness. They have so many issues that need addressing that I think even Eddie had no real idea just how much work needed to be done across the team and by the time he realised, his goose was already stewed. Revolving team selections, and especially across the last two or three coaches, suggests a lack of faith in many of the players to deliver against the best sides at this level. I mean how many locking combos and 9-10 combos have we had Brett? This has prevented strong combinations developing and arguably manifested a lack of belief in some players or resulting in some skipping town to overseas clubs. So is Wallaby moral in the gutter? And if so, how long has it been there? And if so, who is to blame? When did the rot start? Super rugby level? Maybe, or somewhere else? Or is the moral just fine but the performance not? Oxymoron right there Brett!
LuckyPhil
Roar Rookie
Everyone was saying Nard should have been left out and many were saying Quade wasn't good enough.....maybe the consensus was Quade should go along to be the mentor to Carter Gordon, but very few thought he should be the first choice... Me personally, I was surprised both Quade and Ikitau weren't in the squad, but none of us outsiders got to see whether they were really up to it recovery wise. As for Hoops, the calls all through 2022 and 2023 were that DR and then EJ should give Fraser a run...until Fraser didn't perform strongly and all of a sudden Hoops should have been there (even though it was always going to be one or the other).
Muzzo
Roar Rookie
TBH Leachy how many league forwards have succeeded in playing in the forwards when crossing over from league? Hardly any, unless they had a rugby youth. I’m talking about the international arena here!
Muzzo
Roar Rookie
Williams was brought up here, but he too, is a Maori, a Polynesian that again has gone back to his roots.
Ankle-tapped Waterboy
Roar Rookie
It's the person who writes the contents of the audit checklists and provides the video footage snippets and photos for those (electronic) checklists of what's being looked for, which is what each independent franchise checks themselves against, to look at their alignment with the Australian whole. The checklists are refreshed regularly. They cover the results - what's on the field of play - as well as the support - the back office - as well as the management and administration of the on-field and the support. Believe it or not, the internal audit program is where the rubber meets the road: - everyone has the same page? Everyone is on it? Check. - you know what success looks like? Check. - you cover success on-field, support functions, administration and management? Check. - and they are aligned? Check. - and you can evaluate and provide feedback based on a common understanding and alignment? Check. - if the audit detail is wrong or needs to be improved, you have a method where everyone can provide feedback and add their insight? While there is still a final arbiter of the decisions, how changes build to the vision of success, and who has accountability for holding the vision? Check. I don't know what Nucifora put in place but I'm guessing it's something like this. Based on first principles. Alignment can be achieved by everyone playing nice with the bloke who is accountable for the checklists, and the checklists communicate teh vision. You don't need to control the P&L or the asset registers for this approach to succeed.
Leachy
Roar Rookie
The Ab`s have 3 Aussie born props. Williams, Lomax and another whose name escapes me.
Leachy
Roar Rookie
How Dave Porecki is the best we have at hooker is testament how we are lacking at number 2 for quality.
Leachy
Roar Rookie
Muzzo a fair few of the above lads played rugby before they chose NRL. They`d go ok.
mzilikazi
Roar Pro
I don't see our 10's as being that bad, FB. I think under the best coaches they would be fine....but off the bench, QC the starter. And good luck to your England. For a variety of reasons I will be supporting the Boks..like a common Huguenot heritage with some of them. I hope it is another great contest. Good luck to all.
Muzzo
Roar Rookie
Maybe a steeplechase course, aye Chook?? Lol :laughing: :laughing:
Muzzo
Roar Rookie
It could be Brett if those at RA got off their rears & started promoting & seeking out the local talent, just like League does, then they just might get somewhere. It was like that, back in the day when Rugby House was down at the Quay, when many in the admin, would rather go out to the top Sydney hotels for dinner or partake in a night out on the harbour. Getting them up & running is another thing.
Muzzo
Roar Rookie
True Adam as even the refs have been announced for the semi's. Angus Gardner will officiate the AB v the Cheika coached Los Puma's & O'Keefe down for the Bokke v Pom game. So much for neutrality!!