Nuci gets involved with the forwards

[Gagger]

ARU high-performance manager David Nucifora set to help Wallabies forwards

By Bret Harris
January 26, 2010

Wallabies coach Robbie Deans will delegate more responsibility to his assistants with Australian Rugby Union (ARU) high-performance manager David Nucifora seconded to help coach the forwards.

The move comes following a review of the team's up-and-down performance last year.

While Nucifora, a former Super rugby title-winning coach with the Brumbies, will not have an official position on the Wallabies' coaching staff, he will assist forwards coach Jim Williams with the lineout and breakdown work.

The scrum has continued to improve under the guidance of former Argentina and Wallabies prop Patricio Noriega, but the lineout has struggled at times.

"David Nucifora, he won't be moving into a coaching role with the Wallabies, but he will be used by Robbie and Jim with the forwards," ARU chief executive John O'Neill said.

"David is also coaching the Australian under-20s and likes to keep his coaching ticket current."

Nucifora's experience will boost the coaching staff, which will be used more after the review found that Deans was carrying a heavy workload.

Deans has assumed multiple coaching responsibilities, including the backs, defence and kicking, but Williams and skills coach Richard Graham will be given more to do to take the pressure off him.

"Robbie has taken on an enormous workload himself and there is room to delegate more of that workload to Jim and Richard," O'Neill said. "That's more a transitional issue.

"Robbie came in in the middle of 2008 sight unseen and besides being head coach he was coaching the backs and he was coaching the defence as well.

"Michael Foley (former forwards coach) moved on and Jim Williams came in and Richard Graham came in.

"Everyone now has a better level of comfort as to who can do what. So there's a delegation issue.

"We really think that with Robbie as head coach, Jim, Richard and David being used ... it's really giving Jim and Richard a bit more depth and breadth to their roles."

The ARU board confirmed Deans would continue to coach the Wallabies until the World Cup in New Zealand next year after two seasons of inconsistent, yet promising, results.

But O'Neill was optimistic the Wallabies would turn the corner this year and create a new golden era to rival Rod Macqueen's 1999 World Cup-winning team.

"I think we've seen over the last two years since Robbie Deans started that directionally we are in reasonable shape," O'Neill said.

Robbie's a control freak?

So what's Jim in charge of?

 

[Lindommer]

Rucking and mauling. And restarts.

There seem to be an awful lot of coaches for the forwards: Williams, Noriega and now Nucifora, and Graham's role in skill development. What wasn't Williams achieving which requires Nuci's presence? Mmmm! "Too many cooks..."

 

[Scarfman]

Thw Wallabies had close to the world's best lineout for a few years. It went to shit when the coaching staff changed. You HAVE to blame Williams. I reckon Vickerman knows more about lineouts than all but one or two humans.

 

[Gagger]

Rucking and mauling. And restarts.

he will assist forwards coach Jim Williams with the lineout and breakdown work.

Nope. Just restarts

 

[Pfitzy]

I reckon Vickerman knows more about lineouts than all but one or two humans.

Harrison is one of those humans. John Eales is the other.

 

[RugbyReg]

Anyone read the article about Matfield in the latest Inside Rugby?

I think he may pip Vickers.

 

[disco]

Why keep Jim Williams at all? Just have Nucifora & Noriega for the forwards & Graham for the backs.

To be honest I'd get rid of Williams we've gone backwards in every department he's looking after. Lineouts, re-starts & ball retention.

Deans has assumed multiple coaching responsibilities, including the backs, defence and kicking, but Williams and skills coach Richard Graham will be given more to do to take the pressure off him.

So what does Graham actually do? Organise a game of touch footy or cricket for the lads.

 

[Ishmael]

I think people are being a bit harsh on Williams. For mine the Wallaby pack has improved out of sight in the last couple of years and not just in scrummaging. They got bested by the AB's at the breakdown a couple of times but against every other side they got at least parity and really dominated several times. The lineout's obviously struggling but around the park the pack is looking really good I reckon.

 

[fatprop]

I think people are being a bit harsh on Williams. For mine the Wallaby pack has improved out of sight in the last couple of years and not just in scrummaging. They got bested by the AB's at the breakdown a couple of times but against every other side they got at least parity and really dominated several times. The lineout's obviously struggling but around the park the pack is looking really good I reckon.

Disagree, we keep getting blown off the ball against the ABs and Boks

 

[Scotty]

Anyone read the article about Matfield in the latest Inside Rugby?

I think he may pip Vickers.

I think that goes without saying. He is the master of all lineout masters.

 

[Scotty]

I think people are being a bit harsh on Williams. For mine the Wallaby pack has improved out of sight in the last couple of years and not just in scrummaging. They got bested by the AB's at the breakdown a couple of times but against every other side they got at least parity and really dominated several times. The lineout's obviously struggling but around the park the pack is looking really good I reckon.

Disagree, we keep getting blown off the ball against the ABs and Boks

We are generally getting smashed at the breakdown with one or two exceptions, however this was also occurring before Williams was involved.

The lineout issue isn't just a Williams problem either, I think it directly correlates to a few things 1. Vickerman isn't there, and neither is Sharpe sometimes 2. Moore's throwing is out of form.

 

[Scarfman]

3. Not picking Mumm, who is our next best lineout guy, IMHO (please no-one quote me his height, I know).

 

[Newb]

it's not about size, it's how you use it..... that kind of thing scarf?

but i agree with articles 1-3. and i'm still not convinced it isn't in part the props/other forwards not getting the lifts up high/fast enough. i think some of the analysis earlier show that it either poor timing or just not moving bodies up enough.

 

[Biffo]

3. Not picking Mumm, who is our next best lineout guy, IMHO (please no-one quote me his height, I know).

Right on the money, Mate.

Re Vickerman, let's all accept that he is gone. That is g-o-n-e. I can't find any signs of him having played since the "varsity match". Given his shoulder history, the probability of Vickerman standing for RWC 2011 is extremely slim to less than so.

 

[Calexico]

3. Not picking Mumm, who is our next best lineout guy, IMHO (please no-one quote me his height, I know).

Right on the money, Mate.

Re Vickerman, let's all accept that he is gone. That is g-o-n-e. I can't find any signs of him having played since the "varsity match". Given his shoulder history, the probability of Vickerman standing for RWC 2011 is extremely slim to less than so.

Yep - and the guy has seemingly expressed no interest whatsoever in playing for the Wallabies again since he left. It would be kinda pathetic if we had to beg, so it's probably best if we just forget about him.

 

[Gagger]

I think everyone but him had forgotten what an injury magnet he was by the end as well.

My enduring picture is him sitting on the deck holding a shoulder

 

[Ishmael]

I think people are being a bit harsh on Williams. For mine the Wallaby pack has improved out of sight in the last couple of years and not just in scrummaging. They got bested by the AB's at the breakdown a couple of times but against every other side they got at least parity and really dominated several times. The lineout's obviously struggling but around the park the pack is looking really good I reckon.

Disagree, we keep getting blown off the ball against the ABs and Boks

Nah, happened a few times against the AB's but we demolished the Boks at the breakdown in Brisbane and in the other two matches it was stupid penalties that did us in. Which is a move in a positive direction when compared with recent years.

 

[disco]

I thought we were very good on the spring tour at the breakdown but I don't know how to judge that as the NH teams make the Wallabies look consistent.

 

[Gagger]

To me it looked like Tokyo was the turnaround, following the arse-fucking in this department in Wellington.

You gotta remember though that there's a tactical decision part of this - the Wallabies had deliberately been stringing the forwards across the park, rather than chasing the ball. To my mind a decision got made here after Wellington.

 

[waratahjesus]

I think people are being a bit harsh on Williams. For mine the Wallaby pack has improved out of sight in the last couple of years and not just in scrummaging. They got bested by the AB's at the breakdown a couple of times but against every other side they got at least parity and really dominated several times. The lineout's obviously struggling but around the park the pack is looking really good I reckon.

Disagree, we keep getting blown off the ball against the ABs and Boks

Nah, happened a few times against the AB's but we demolished the Boks at the breakdown in Brisbane and in the other two matches it was stupid penalties that did us in. Which is a move in a positive direction when compared with recent years.

the boks kicked our ass at the breakdown, brisbane was shown to be a blip on the radar of a sucking year, the fact that the boks only contested for about 10 minutes before going to sleep means more to the breakdown than the wallaby ability.