After the Waratahs/Reds Super Rugby match I was chatting to an ex-Wallabies forward who said he was very disappointed with the night’s game as he thought the Wallabies would suffer from it – because the Reds didn’t do much that would offer value to the national squad.
I thought about that and reckoned
- it doesn’t really matter where the Wallabies come from and
- even though Queensland weren’t flash last night the Reds could well strengthen.
I also thought the Waratahs looked much better balanced, the Brumbies put on an excellent performance, the Rebels beat a quality side with an excellent performance and even the Force had some good individual showings. Maybe now we need to stop thinking about rugby in Australia just as a two and sometimes three horse race.
What gives me more confidence is that I see coaching staff producing the sorts of things I want to see; quality technique under pressure in a game situation, people doing things well.
First of all I see a Waratah team that has lots of forwards chasing the ball into the contact zone, parallel to touch, over the ball with good leg drive determined to knock the opposition backwards, as opposed to being just content to secure the ball.
That was after I saw a Rebels team – not exactly full of superstars – completely dominate a South African team at the tackle contest using much of the same quality technique. That’s good.
Then I see scrum-halves who get the ball and deliver it (maybe not 100% of the time) with accuracy and no delay off the ground – White, Burgess and Phipps. These aren’t guys who always did that. Big improvement.
I see backlines that aren’t too wide or deep running parallel to touch and attacking defences. As a natural sequence to that I see people getting offloads as a factor of the line of run of the ball carrier and the support players (offloads are in themselves pretty easy, it’s the ball carrier letting the support player get into position and the support player understanding their role is not to put pressure on the ball carrier but be ready to take it).
I see all these things and I think there’s some good coaching going on here. I’ve never spoken to Tony McGahan but I see players like Higginbotham – who while he was good last year – was excellent on Friday. We now see Higginbotham in positions on the field that can consistently give opportunity to his talent.
I see performances in the Rebels as good as 95% of any Aussie performance since professional rugby began.
Then I look at the Brumbies and I thought they played this weekend much better than they did last year – they constantly attacked the defence and put them under pressure. The things I spoke of above mean that invariably you get quicker recycles as well and better alignment of people. I mean I say Pat McCabe pass the ball more in one game than in an entire season (unfortunately he’s now injured). That has to come from instruction and hard work at practice.
All in all it’s been a great start for Australia. Queensland could do better as could Will, although it’s hard to play when your forwards get dished up. I did however see him do the same things as i saw last year – the stand up, the back swing and the skip-step – they need correcting.
I saw Quade Cooper up to 70% of the time not attacking the defensive line and eating the space of those outside of them. You see wingers get the ball in space but because of the angle of their run get bundled into touch. If Richard Graham is the answer then he will correct these, just as Steve Larkham and Laurie Fisher corrected things after their first game this season.
I’m much encouraged, we’re doing things in at least three of the teams and I don’t discount the Force and the Reds, I think they’ll come good.
The Force have done plenty of good things and shown us ticker – especially Kyle Godwin who’s shown us plenty.
If the coaches continue to insist on the proper foundations of a performance, and continue to let the players play and not insist on predetermined pieces of play before the game starts (otherwise known as “structure” – a word I don’t even want to use anymore) then we’ll see great things.
What we need to do though is get some of our commentators to understand exactly what’s happening. I heard one commentator say “Israel Folau has the happy knack of being in position to take the pass that gives him tries”. Nothing he does is a “happy knack”!
There are certain accurate courses – lines of running and positional play off the ball carrier – that make it possible for you to take advantage of an opportunity that arises. That’s it – Isreal understands that. You look at how late he arrives on the scene for some of those things – it’s perfect support play!
It’s not a difficult thing to do at all, it doesn’t require his impressive running skills – that happens after he gets the ball. If we say he “has this happy knack” it says that we can’t reproduce it in other players, which isn’t true! A 4th grade player playing 4th grade can do it just as well as a test player playing tests.
If I coach support play, virtually the only thing I ever have to say is “slow down – you’re making it too difficult for the ball carrier”.
What else has happened is that a few players have come up a level. Sam Carter has clearly lifted up another level. His balance is much better, he’s stepping and hitting the hole and carrying two or three metres through the tackle forward. I see Toomua continue his development. I see Henry Speight with a years more maturity and understanding as well as being physically more developed.
I see Will Skelton – still off the pace – but as a huge 21 year old kid who is late in his development because he’s never needed to until now (as 140kg kid vs 100kg kids you don’t really need to be top notch). Phipps looks miles better. Foley has stepped ahead again. I see Douglas step in his last match to score a try. I see a lot of things coming through and I want to see these coming through in seven to eight games time.
The accuracy of our play that contributes to superior performance is there for all to see and I give full marks to the coaching staff in at least three of our teams and I look forward to seeing more from the Reds and Force.
PS – I just want to see what happens sometime in the next few weeks when Douglas, Potgieter and Skelton all play in the one team. That’s one hefty pack! If they can keep Palu and Polota-Nau with an add-on from Paddy Ryan and Hooper’s speed, then look out.
I’ve said this for a few years of Cliffy Palu that like a lot of big blokes he doesn’t have great acceleration so you need to hit him with the ball when he’s moving. Give him five metres to generate a bit of pace and look at the difference. Having said that he is looking fit – I’m seeing him chase kicks back and run off Folau so he’s certainly picked up the work rate!
