Apparently Braam Van Stratten has accepted a contract with the Wobs to become their full time kicking coach. He has said he will be joining them in October on contract with a view to becoming full time next year. Good news if the kicking on the weekend is anything to go by.
If this is correct, it is, along with the chance to now quickly replace Richard Graham, one of the very best pieces of news in the cause of improving the Wallabies' coaching infrastructure and its long-term contribution to elite Australian rugby. Perhaps, after all, the ARU is waking up. The lack of quality, depth and proven competence in the Wallaby support coaches under RD is our biggest single problem in Wallaby land.
The absence of such a full-time coach has been laughable given every form of kicking's usual criticality to rugby outcomes. Additionally, it's clear that good teams will benefit from not only the development of their specialist kickers, but ensuring that the majority of the team can kick as accurately as possible either forwards, at a angle, or for the line if ever best placed or having to do so under pressure. Then we add developing kicker contingencies for injury, etc. The positives of a competent specialist kicking coach are simply everywhere.
Finally, as someone who has advocated the benching or 'take a break' for Giteau (with Copper-Barnes or Cooper-JO'C as potentially better combos), it's often mentioned that this could not happen given the Wallabies' dependence upon him for place kicking. Well, if he have say KB (Kurtley Beale) and QC (Quade Cooper) as further improved place kickers, this factor, and its increased flexibility of options, is a further positive in the retention of dedicated kicking coach (and Gits won't now have to pay for his own to come in on an emergency basis as happened after England 2).
For more, see:
http://www.sport24.co.za/Rugby/TriNations/Braam-in-Wallaby-camp-20100906
