Incoming Wallaby skills coach, Richard Graham, has given his support to top line players taking short-term overseas contracts as a way of improving their skills and re-invigorating themselves.
Graham took a longer term view about player development, distinctly opposed to the short term view recently put forward by former All Black, Christian Cullen.
Cullen, who had his own sabbatical of sorts with Irish province Munster, albeit at the age of 27 and toward at the end of his All Black career, recently told AFP the whole idea of sabbaticals, was an evil for the game.
“I think it’s dangerous. You give Dan Carter that, you have to give Richie McCaw the same opportunity, Ali Williams, Mils (Muliaina). I think it’s setting a dangerous precedent,” Cullen said.
“You don’t want the All Blacks to become mercenaries where all the good All Blacks are overseas and then they come back and play Test matches, because it will kill the game in New Zealand.”
This is at odds with the longer term view put forward by Graham.
In a recent conversation with G&GR, Graham put forward his reasons why a ‘sabbatical’ was a positive for a player, using the latest international rugby commodity, Rocky Elsom, as an example.
“The great thing about it is, as an international, you can come over here (Europe) for a short period and then go back to the international scene, provided your good enough of course. Using Rocky as a test case, he’s just experienced something for seven months that he’s enjoyed and it has been completely different for him.”
“Whilst people say it’s a sabbatical, he’s probably played more games for Leinster (Elsom’s Irish team) than he would have in Australia. He’s playing against different opposition teams, different players – in the Super 14 he plays the same player’s year in year out, also with the Wallabies he’s up against basically the same players. While that’s not to diminish how special playing a test match is, there’s a sameness there.”
Graham also stated his belief that players returning from these short stints would return better players due to the exposure to new ways of doing things and different rugby styles.
Using Elsom as an example again Graham went further.
“There’ll be aspects of the game over here (Europe) that he picks up and improves on that aren’t so common in Super 14, so definitely there will be an improvement in his play. Playing 20 odd games for Leinster, it stimulates him, refreshes him, it’ll be good for him.”
It is hard to take Cully’s argument seriously when essentially he was the same mercenary that he now decries.
We constantly hear that rugby is a global game, so maybe it is time to embrace this global influence, rather than thinking a player should be bound by his limited local boundaries.
<span class="dsq-postid" data-dsqidentifier="2129 https://www.greenandgoldrugby.com/?p=2129">3 Comments
This one is a strange issue for me. On the one hand I want to see All Blacks playing for my teams in local competition.
But if it makes them a better player [because that’s been our main problem in world cups I think, we haven’t adjusted to the NH style] and there are no problems slotting back in, isn’t it a good move?
But then my brain kicks in with another argument. For instance, what if Howlett was kicking ass in the NH, while Masaga was tearing teams to shreds in S14. Who gets the spot – the tried and true or the one who is putting his hand up as the best of the best?
It’s just a never-ending argument in my head…
Naly D’s last blog post..An American Linebacker in London
I agree entirely with Graham. I think that they should be going over ‘there’ and learning as much as they can. I can’t see how we can lose from having a great diversity of experiences in our teams.
In response to Naly, well, there is squad training. And then if you simply aren’t sure you pick Masaga and Howlett if he really wants it has to come back and put in a season here to show he really has it.
But that dilemma arises more with backs than forwards, and Rocky is in a special class. After all if Carter comes back (and of course he is) no-one doubts that he will start for the ABs (and of course he will).
I would go even further and say that we should expect our young props (at least) to do a couple years in Europe. Because at the end of the day a young Aussie prop typically plays about 200 minutes a year against top-notch opposition, whereas in a Heineken cup squad even training would be a different level of intensity, because even though I think we match them at the top they have much better depth (if nothing else they have 7 recognised nations feeding the one comp, plus Spain, Georgia, etc).
i don’t really see a problem with players going over to different countries & teams for a little bit. there are many different playing styles and cultures for the players to experience.
i also understand the other argument, about losing the top players to wealthy clubs,
the current system, where players aren’t eligible for national duties unless they’re based locally works well.
let the plays go overseas for a year or 2. then make them wait & play a season domestically before picking them again.
of course, i highly doubt the all black selectors will make dan carter wait to be eligible again…….