Oh no, you’re not starting off the friggin’ New Year with another scrummaging blurb are you?
Why don’t you just move on? Accept that we didn’t quite make the grade in 2010 in that department and look forward to some potential improvements.
Wouldn’t you rather be writing about Jennifer Hawkins, the North Korean crisis or maybe even the Queensland floods?
Well, I’m not convinced we have the forward/scrum coaching team in place to effect that improvement? Tweedledum and Tweedledee haven’t quite cut it.
It’s all a bit like that Harold Wilson saying: ‘a week is a long time in politics’, which roughly translates in rugbyspeak to ‘you’re only as good as your last game’.
As it turns out, our last game was a boomer against the French, apart from the scrummaging that is. The Rugby World Cup finals will be no place to be conceding scrum-related penalty tries.
If that well-known former Sydney Uni prop ‘The Mad Monk’ can go from zero to hero in 12 months then there’s some hope for our boys.
Injuries played a big part in how it all panned out but the lack of international alternatives was alarming. Geez, if you can’t get on top of a Fijian scrum there’s something seriously wrong.
Politics also played a part in early team selections with a reluctance to return to players who perhaps could have stabilised this facet of play.
That’s not to say that our props weren’t any good at anything, crikey they can score tries with the best of them, just can’t scrummage.
There has been plenty of pain, although, as Jeremy Clarkson would put it, “if you think that’s painful, wait until you meet an American”.
Certainly, there were premature debuts for a number of players but that may not be such a bad thing in the longer term. For instance, the emergence of James Slipper as a quality prop, although some years away from maturity, is a definite plus.
But enough about the current Wallaby props. What about the best of the rest? Some of these will be contesting for a spot this year and it won’t surprise if they’re successful.
In fact, I reckon one or two of them are better than the current crop. Anyhow, let’s see what they’ve got:
Tim Fairbrother – A Force recruit from Wellington where he was generally regarded as a journeyman tighthead. This was unfair because serious injuries in 2006 and 2007 put him behind the eight-ball (and Neemia Tialata). The experienced Fairbrother (Super 12 debut in 2003) is a technically sound tighthead and one of the best scrummaging props in Australia. Wallaby eligible, he’s only 27 and despite having played just one Super season in Australia there were calls for his promotion to Wallaby colours. He’s certainly overtaken Tucky Dunning at tighthead. Probably needs to display a bit more around the field but in my view is superior to Ma’afu. One to watch.
Pek Cowan – Yeah, I know what some of you are going to say. Tried and failed. Ejected after being spat out by the Poms – but hey, who wasn’t? Sure, his scrummaging needs some work (like all of them) but he’s a productive, enthusiastic and skillful loosehead. He’s only 24 and I think trying to use him as a substitute hooker was actually to his detriment. I reckon he’ll be one that will bounce back and come into contention again. Let’s hope Nick Stiles can work on his scrummaging technique.
Fuse Baxter – As some of you would know, a personal favourite of mine. Le Fuse must have some f*ckin’ thick skin, eh? Kicked and maligned from pillar to post. Since 2008 he’s been our best tighthead prop. Now, he does regress from time to time and Robbie did become a little exasperated with him. Have you asked yourself why this is (the regressing)? It’s actually a technical thing well beyond my capacity to understand. So it seems with the referees as well? He seems to peak when Foles is coaching him, as do most of our props. Best Aussie tighthead in the last Super 14 and I reckon that, if fit, he would have been superior to any of the international tightheads we’ve used this year. Justice 4 Al.
Sekope Kepu – Injury came at the worst possible time for Kepu. He’s been a Wallaby tourist twice (3 caps) and plays both sides of the scrum, which is handy. A big, strapping ball running prop – he can be a handful. If he’d been fit earlier this year he probably would have scored a front row jersey of some sort. He’s never really had the chance to hold down a permanent position and he wasn’t quite fit enough for the Spring Tour. He had been developing well and if he remains injury-free will be a strong contender for higher honours this year.
Greg Holmes – The forgotten man of Australian rugby. Homer peaked around 2oo6 (13 test caps) and injuries have cruelly curtailed his career. Essentially, he’s been overtaken by others. He’s primarily a loosehead but has developed his tighthead game. He’s not the biggest prop around but he’s mobile and tough. With the emergence of Slipper he may struggle to get game-time but this guy is made from the right stuff. Lives with the ignominy of being the ‘third prop’ at Twickers in 2005 (best forgotten). Don’t write him off.
Laurie Weeks – Weeks showed in the Super 14 that he was one of the best tightheads around. Unfortunately (and like others) his capability was severely tested against the Poms for the Australian Barbarians, suggesting he had some way to go at international level. Despite a move to the Melbourne Rebels, where an initial lower order finish might ensue, he should form a strong combination with Greg Somerville, Rodzilla and Nick Henderson in the front row. However, if you read his tweets you’ll soon realise that he needs to focus less on food and more on rugby. Plenty of potential.
Rodney Blake – Lots will be expected from Rodzilla after his European sojourn although I’m not sure it has improved him that much. In some of the televised games he played for Bayonne he actually looked less mobile than before and was frequently out-scrummaged. Here’s hoping Rod Macqueen has wiped a good 10kgs off him with the pre-season: they’re saying he’s 130kg which if correct might be 5kg or so less than his Bayonne days. He always had the talent but maybe not quite the application. If that can be harnessed and his mobility improved he could be in for a big year.
Dan Palmer – Andrew Blades reckons this guy is the best scrummaging prop in Australia. Technically I guess he might be. Although holding up the scrum and being able to dominate an opponent is a pretty good start in my books, he probably needs to do a bit more than this to get ahead. Mr Timms calls him a potplant but to me he seemed to fill in adequately for Le Fuse/Kepu when they were injured. He’s just moved to the Brumbies but with Ma’afu entrenched as the No. 1 tighthead he may have the same problem as he had at the Tahs (although he can play both sides). Young bloke with a promising future.
Jeremy Tilse from the Waratahs may also come into calculations but he probably needs more opportunities to establish his credentials before he could seriously be considered.
I think that there is some depth in our propping ranks and I’m hopeful that they’ll be able to put pressure on the incumbents to improve. The Alexander conundrum at the Brumbies will definitely be a factor.
I’d like to see Michael Foley back in the tent and this to me seems to be the key.
