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'I understand the connotations and it certainly didn't upset me'

By AAP
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Mark Ella claims it was time for rugby to move away from Captain Cook and towards an on-field rivalry with England after the new trophy was named in the Indigenous great’s honour.

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Ella will feature as part of the Ella-Mobbs trophy when the three-Test series between Australia and England begins in Perth next Saturday, replacing the Cook Cup.

The Wallabies legend said he had not personally been offended by the previous name and reference to Cook, who has become an increasingly divisive figure in Australian history.

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However he did think the change was required, but needed some persuading to lend his name to the trophy being designed by his his niece Natalie.

Ella remains among the Wallabies’ all-time finest players, while Mobbs was a centre who scored on debut in the first Test between Australia and England in 1909 before dying in action during World War I.

“I understand the connotations (around Cook) and it certainly didn’t upset me,” Ella said.

“It has been around a long time. I think 25 years (since the Cook Cup was introduced).

“And I think now it is time to recognise the rivalry between the RFU and Rugby Australia and what it means.

“Having two former players as part of the Ella-Mobbs Cup, is the way it should be.”

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Ella watches little rugby now and has largely stayed out of the public eye since his shock retirement at age 25 in 1984.

He has no clear views on the man who should wear his old No.10 jersey in Perth, with James O’Connor, Quade Cooper and Noah Lolesio all battling for the five-eighth position.

Nor does he have any real thought on whether his old friend Eddie Jones should be welcomed back into the Australian Rugby fold next year when his time coaching England is up.

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But Ella does want the new trophy Jones is coaching for England to keep from the Wallabies’ grasp to represent not just he and his brothers Glen and Gary, but all Indigenous players.

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“There is no way I could say Mark Ella deserved it,” Ella s aid.

“I am representing the Indigenous population. We have had a number of Indigenous players over the years with the latest being Kurtley Beale.

“We’re proud of what we have ac hieved within rugby and I’m hoping there is many more to come.

“It’s not easy (to attract more Indigenous talent ahead of other sports). You have to invest in the next generation.

“There are a number of Indigenous players in private schools. You just have to believe it can be done and keep trying.”

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Jon 8 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

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john 11 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

But here in Australia we were told Penney was another gun kiwi coach, for the Tahs…….and yet again it turned out the kiwi coach was completely useless. Another con job on Australian rugby. As was Robbie Deans, as was Dave Rennie. Both coaches dumped from NZ and promoted to Australia as our saviour. And the Tahs lap them up knowing they are second rate and knowing that under pressure when their short comings are exposed in Australia as well, that they will fall in below the largest most powerful province and choose second rate Tah players to save their jobs. As they do and exactly as Joe Schmidt will do. Gauranteed. Schmidt was dumped by NZ too. That’s why he went overseas. That why kiwi coaches take jobs in Australia, to try and prove they are not as bad as NZ thought they were. Then when they get found out they try and ingratiate themselves to NZ again by dragging Australian teams down with ridiculous selections and game plans. NZ rugby’s biggest problem is that it can’t yet transition from MCaw Cheatism. They just don’t know how to try and win on your merits. It is still always a contest to see how much cheating you can get away with. Without a cheating genius like McCaw, they are struggling. This I think is why my wise old mate in NZ thinks Robertson will struggle. The Crusaders are the nursery of McCaw Cheatism. Sean Fitzpatrick was probably the father of it. Robertson doesn’t know anything else but other countries have worked it out.

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