This week’s Tuesday Top 5 has a Wallaby continuing their winning ways, more Aussie rugby gold in Rio, another step forward for women referees and last weekend’s NRC.
The Wallabies win again!
The Wallabies achieved their second win in the Rugby Championship against an error ridden Pumas. Capitalising off early Pumas errors, the Wallabies put on an improved performance building of the win the week before.
Having a look at the stats there are some really interesting differences which highlighted the lack of accuracy of the Pumas, how costly the turnovers were and how poor defence allowed the Wallabies to make the most of their opportunities. The stats also show the Wallabies did extremely well considering the lack of possession, making the most of the limited opportunities and executing.
But where does that leave us? The All Blacks have now waltzed off with the Bledisloe and the Rugby Championship again and it just down to pride for the rest; or who is the best of the rest.
Stepping back and looking at the other teams, we are all aware that the Pumas are still building; their whole campaign is set on achieving 2 wins to be considered successful. The Boks are very much rebuilding and struggling to settle on a game plan and managing the quota requirements in the background.
The Wallabies; what have we achieved or learned during the RC and Bledisloe campaign? I have to say that the Gateau Rule (60 caps) really has showed to be of little value. Beyond Genia, who’s from clearly justifies his selection; the other imports have really been additional and unnecessary costs to the ARU and tied up spots delaying the introduction of fresh blood.
What I do find very interesting and a great sign for the Wallabies and Aussie rugby is that of the fresh blood that’s has been slowly trickling in to the Wallabies thus far, the players have not been found to shy of the mark which raises questions around the whole rhetoric of lack of depth and skills issues. I have said it before, but I still hold the view that this may stem from a cultural issue in the game, and be primarily from the old school who are the coaches and administrators.
The other take away that can’t be ignored is that this current Wallaby team winning appears to hold little value or benefit to the game at the moment. The ratings are down, and the public is unsubscribed. The public’s interest seems to hinge on the traditional rivalries such as against the Kiwis rather than invested in the Australian national team itself.
The ARU are on the precipice of some important and defining questions about relevancy of the game and the public’s interest that will determine the future of the game in Australia. It’s hard to argue against the reality of the figures and simply put, the game needs to be entertaining and needs to recapture the public’s interest.
Right now this Wallabies team, even when it is winning, is not capturing the public’s interest for some reason.
It might be harsh, but the question is relevant; but is it a fair on the current batch of Wallabies?
I think that in considering the question and that the Wallabies are the vehicle that we use to market the sport we should take a step back to not only consider the question, but also compare the apples and ask the question in the fight for ratings and public interest are we sending the Wallabies armed with a spoon to a gun fight?
None of our competitors use a team for marketing. They market a game, a sport, a competition. Even the FFA no longer use the Soccerroo’s as the main vehicle; concentring on building domestic interest via the FFA cup (another 32 team domestic competition).
Offering up the Wallabies supplemented by Super Rugby my not be enough of the staple regular convenient and very available diet the public needs to then indulge on the delicacies of Super Rugby and the Wallabies.
Sledging a Kiwi or a Saffer is OK, but not half as much fun as reminding the Queenslander’s how their NRC teams are following in the lead of the Reds – tumbling down the ladder. To the Sydney folk – good to see the Country boys can play, because the Sydney teams certainly can’t! Sydney talent pool my ass! Rebels fans – does it hurt to see a halfback playing 10 better than your 10 who plays better at fullback? The Vikings forwards look good, and will suit Larkham’s game style next year as he has no backs! I promised myself I wouldn’t sledge the Force so how can I say anything about the Spirt when they are really one in the same.
In in the Aussie public’s DNA to want rivalry; we want to loath our interstate cousins, we all want have the weekly banter but rugby doesn’t offer it; the Wallabies don’t offer it, the SR teams offer small doses of it, and the NRC offers a small almost entre size serving of it.
Female referees breaking new ground … again!
Earlier this year we saw Amy Perrett making history, becoming the first female referee to officiate a Super Rugby match, when she was assistant referee during the round 15 clash between the Rebels and Stormers. Perrett is no stranger to refereeing at the top level, having officiated matches at the Women’s 6 Nations, Women’s Sevens circuit and the Rio Olympic games.
This weekend she hit another milestone when she took control of the Vikings v Rams match in Canberra, becoming the first female referee to take charge of an NRC match. Despite some mixed reviews around her calls at the scrum and breakdown (and really, what referee doesn’t get mixed reviews in those areas!) the response to her officiating has been positive, she was very clear in her communication with the players, leaving no doubt as to who was in charge.
This weekend also saw another female referee, Amber Hibbard with the flag as assistant referee during the Rising v Brisbane City match. Last month Hibbard was in New Zealand, along with fellow referee Rachel Horton, as part of an exchange program with New Zealand Rugby to officiate in the Farah Palmer Cup, which is the women’s equivalent of the Mitre 10 Cup.
Between the continued growth in the profile of female referees and the success of the Womens Sevens at Rio, there are a lot of great role models for girls wanting to get involved with Rugby.
Steelers win gold
There has been more success for Australian Rugby in Rio, this time it was the Steelers, our Wheelchair rugby team, who took the gold medal in the Paralympics.
Wheelchair rugby was first played in 1977 and became a Paralympic sport in 2000 at the Sydney Paralympics. It is played in over 25 countries. It is a mixed sport, with both men and women competing together in mixed teams. While there doesn’t appear to be many similarities between Wheelchair Rugby and Rugby as we know it, there are still rucks which are formed when a ball carrier is hit by one or more opposing players (even though they aren’t called rucks) and penalties (it is illegal to crash into an opposing player from behind). There are a number of rugby clubs in Australia, such as Harlequins in Victoria, that have partnered with Wheelchair Rugby clubs in an effort to raise the profile and make clubs more inclusive.
The Steelers, who are also World Champions and won gold 4 years ago in London, took on the USA in the final. In what proved to be an epic match they defeated the USA 59-58 in double overtime. The USA is one of our biggest rivals in the sport, and The Steelers preparations for the final included making sure they didn’t let the opposition get into their heads.
Australia’s star player Ryley Batt summed up the emotions after the game – “Mate, I don’t think I’ve ever been happier in my life. I really shouldn’t say that, because I’m married, and the wedding day is meant to be the best day of your life. But I think the missus would agree. It’s pretty cool. World champions, two time gold medallists in a row – double over-time game by one point, on top of the world.”
NRC teams prove value in keeping Australian Super Rugby teams (BY NICK WASILIEV)
After passing the midway point in the regular season of the NRC at the weekend, it is starting to become clear who is set for a finals berth this year. With talk of cutting an Australian team from Super Rugby in the news recently (with the Force, Rebels and Brumbies apparently in trouble), the performances of the Perth Spirit, Melbourne Rising and the UC Vikings definitely challenged that, showing that the next generation of solid talent is very much on its way.
By far the most impressive win was the men from the west. The Spirit were favourites against QLD Country, but no one expected a 102 record breaking try-scoring bonanza that the two teams served up on Sunday. What was even more impressive was the Spirit’s defence (almost reminiscent of the Force’s ‘blue wall’ back in 2014), holding Country scoreless the entire first half. It wasn’t just Super Rugby players standing out, but the up-and-coming talent of the Pindan Premier Grade. Coupled with the performances of Haylett-Petty and Coleman down the road in front of a packed crowd at The Force Field, this weekend was one to make us realise that we should be nurturing the talent and support base in the west.
Perth Spirit vs Qld Country highlights:
Melbourne had a much more of a contest against a Brisbane City side desperate to keep their campaign alive. The Rising came flying out of the blocks in front of a healthy crowd at Harlequin Rugby Park, playing some absolute champagne rugby to lead 30-14 at halftime. Brisbane City finally showed some fight in the second half, but (as with QLD Country in the west), it proved too little too late (which is really becoming a habit for both Queensland teams). With the Rising starting to develop some consistency, this will only heat up the race to the finals over the next three weeks.
Melbourne Rising vs Brisbane City highlights:
Finally, in what has been a torrid year on-and-off the field for ACT rugby, the Vikings are now starting to show the potential that have to challenge the competition, overcoming a strong (and determined) Rams outfit in an arm-wrestle down at a soggy Viking Park. In their first ever defence of the Horan-Little Shield, the Vikings were caught off guard by the Rams, who led for most of the match. Eventually turning the tide and winning 22-16, the Vikings will take a lot of confidence out that match, with the win moving them up to second on the ladder. For the Rams it has truly been a luckless year so far, turning up to every game to play, but unable to grab that elusive win. I know I am not the only one who has been impressed with their competitiveness and team culture. They deserve to be higher on the table.
UC Vikings vs Western Sydney Rams highlights:
Eagles now the team to beat (BY NICK WASILIEV)
Well, unlike the Vikings-Eagles bloodbath in round 2, the top of the table clash between the Rays and Eagles at Rat Park lived up to expectations. This was the first time, for me personally, I really got a sense of a City-Country rivalry history to this game, and it was helped by the fact that the Waratahs chipped in, providing several posts of the long rivalry between City and Country in NSW in the build-up to the game. And it was a cracking display of running rugby played in front a solid crowd on the hill. However, while the Rays showed plenty of fight, the 36-16 win to the Eagles put aside any doubt that they are the team to beat this year. Against the only other unbeaten team, the Eagles had to face off a second half fightback, and stood up in both set piece and the backs. While the Rays will be disappointed, the quality of the game they played showed even more how dangerous a side they are this year.
Sydney Rays vs NSW Country Eagles Highlights:
After this round, The Eagles, Vikings, Rays, Spirit and Rising are still very much in the race for a finals berth. For the luckless Rams and disappointing QLD Country, the rest of the season is now looking like they will be playing for pride. Brisbane City still have a slim chance of qualification, but they cannot afford to drop a single game, and will have a tough task against this weekend, playing at home to a Rays side who will be desperate to get their campaign back on track.
Meanwhile, QLD Country will have a tough task against the Rams at Concord Oval, who despite not achieving any wins have looked a dangerous obstacle. I’m backing the Rams to finally get that elusive win. Other matches of the round see the Country Eagles hosting a resurgent Spirit in Orange (which will probably guarantee a finals spot for the winning team), and the Rising putting their season on the line (in addition to trying to reclaim the Horan-Little Shield) in Canberra against the Vikings.
So in short, it’s getting close to crunch time! Not just for the teams, but also for players personally. Cheika and the Wallabies seem to be utilising the NRC brilliantly this year as a place to pick emerging talent for Wallaby games (e.g. Timani and Hodge), while also keeping the Wallabies who didn’t make selection (like Will Skelton) busy. As the Rugby Championship nears its end and the November Internationals loom, many more players will be looking to impress. The more we watch the NRC, the more we see how important it is for Australian rugby in general.
