Wallaby Rugby Needs Drastic Inquisition

The mixed-up state of Wallaby rugby was emphasized when it was revealed that Western Force coach John Mitchell actually presented the Springboks with their jerseys on Saturday night.

With the Perth-based team so heavily represented, as well as the match being played in Mitchell’s stomping ground, there could not have been a more blatant exchange of intellectual property.

If he handed out the jerseys to the all-conquering South Africans, rest assured he would have offered insider information worth its weight in gold.

His stirring address, containing lines such as "this jumper has been filled by great players, only you can bring attitude to the jumper, you have what the Wallabies want, don't give it to them," was said to have stirred the Springboks to the core.

Perhaps such motivation, delivered by a formidable rugby hard man, would have been better if said to an Australian team that was not far off from clinical depression.

Where to start for a team that appears to be doing the opposite to what Robbie Deans is consistently preaching? Of course, no coach, who has the job of motivator amongst other things, should ever publicly admit, “we’re [insert expletive].” But this Wallaby team is taking countless steps backwards.

It starts and finishes with the coaches, who select, determine the game plan, and must react when bad things happen. But the players are equally culpable; who must, beyond all other things, put their bodies on the line for their country—such is the expectation for the honour of wearing a jersey emblazoned with your national colours and emblem.

Even the positives are hurting Australian rugby, with the Wallabies looking—in what is now a seven match losing streak against their Tri Nations opponents—competitive in periods (the slaughter in Johannesburg aside).

Their problem is that when they are not being competitive—an all but guaranteed emanation in recent games—they are displaying an ineffectiveness which is costing them matches. 

Off field issues are hardly helping, with the Tuqiri-gate scandal no doubt having players ask questions to themselves about their employer, and the uncertainty regarding the crispness of Australia’s Super 15 bid (with three bidders for one team in the same town) providing disturbances to the national fabric that are unwanted during a time of on field crisis.

Deans has responded by bringing in new faces to his Wallabies team, in Australia’s last test match on home soil.

It gets no easier for the Wallabies after this, with back-to-back tests against the All Blacks in Wellington and Tokyo, and then a European Grand Slam tour.

The question now is whether or not this current group of Australian players are fit to achieve what is the ultimate goal for both Deans and the Wallabies, a successful assault on the World Cup in New Zealand in 2011.

For while the hounds may be circling the Canterbury legend, it is unlikely that his job will be at stake, for it was the ARU boss John O’Neill’s decision to attract Deans, and there are no other overwhelming candidates.

But for all of the pessimism that may be surrounding the team, there are always positive slants.

First, we must take into account their Tri-Nations opposition.

The Springboks are the best team in the world. Even if that fact was to be disputed—by Irish or Welsh teams perhaps?—the reality is that South Africa’s arsenal has been far beyond their SANZAR rivals.

Even the All Blacks, whose quality may be disputed, are on a five match winning streak against Australia and have had (in Bledisloe terms) the stick on their Trans-Tasman foes since 2003.

Dean’s coaching?

Clearly something is working, as the Wallabies have been competitive in even losing efforts—again Johannesburg aside—but they are missing key winning ingredients.

Identification that rugby requires an 80 minute mindset, not dominance for every second, for not even the Springboks have achieved this, but maintaining momentum enough to remain competitive, or more importantly knowing how to close out matches.

Much of this comes down to confidence, when is decreasing by the match.

As for the players themselves, inclusion of players such as Will Genia will help, but the Wallabies selection net should be cast out in the coming months.

Identifying young talent is almost impossible, and here, Australia’s lack of a nationalized domestic competition is hurting.

Looking at senior men that have been neglected so far by Deans may be the Wallabies therapy.  Phil Waugh comes to mind, crucial considering that the Wallabies biggest shortcomings have been physically and through leadership.

But perhaps new foreigners may hold the answer. Think of the players off shore.  Recently departed are Mark Gerrard and Sam Norton-Knight. High profile league converts are Mark Gasnier and Luke Rooney.

Deans has two years to rectify a growing melancholy in Australian rugby that is affecting results now, but will eventually disturb far more.

There were more than 7,000 empty seats at a major test match at Perth against the Springboks.

Australian rugby cannot afford to lose any more ground.