The coach required to get the best out of Quade Cooper for the Wallabies
“Skill and confidence are an unconquered army.” So said the 17th century Welsh born theologian, collector of proverbs and poet George Herbert. After digesting a recent comment made by Rugby Australia’s new Director of Coaching Scott Johnson, I wonder if some Wallabies fans prayers have actually been answered that would satisfy old George?
In a recent press conference, Johnson is quoted, “What I’ll attempt to do … I grew up in a great era, I worked as a coach and a player through a great era of Australian rugby where we were known for our acumen and skill and I think they were two great credits to the people involved, coaches and the like.”
Therefore, logic would determine that Australian rugby is looking for a confident and skillful player oozing rugby acumen to champion the Johnson mantra. It has one! His name is Quade Cooper. The Melbourne Rebels fly-half is currently the most dangerous fly-half currently on Australian soil, if not the southern hemisphere.
With the Rebels currently leading the Australian conference after seven rounds of Super Rugby 2019, it is apparent that the often-maligned playmaker has energised and refined the Rebel’s play to great effect.
The Rebels are the must-watch side of Australian rugby and full credit must go to head coach Dave Wessels and his staff for enabling a match philosophy that is conducive to Cooper’s natural playing abilities whilst also curtailing his known appetite for risk.
The mark of a great coach is improving a player’s game. I fondly recall the anecdote of 1986 Wallabies coach Alan Jones on the successful tour of New Zealand where it is understood at half time in the second test with the Australians ahead, whilst addressing the Wallaby side Jones looked at his left winger and said, “Peter Grigg, you are playing better than you can!’
That same viewpoint is applicable to players alike. Those playing around Cooper are playing the best rugby of their careers. Rugby they themselves may not have thought they were capable of.
Billy Meakes has been on the Australian scene for several seasons now and has had stints in and out the Wallabies squad but has never broken through for a test cap. Yet since Cooper’s arrival in the Victorian capital Meakes is playing with confidence skill not previously seen and putting his name up for test selection.
“Quade has had a huge input into the way we want to play this year, and with the coaches, spent a fair amount of time on the style of game we want to play,” Meakes told Rugby.com.au.
“I think having someone so creative alongside me just allows me to do my job. He is obviously very specific what he wants from me but it comes with a sense of freedom to allow me to use my skill set to the best of my ability.”
It comes as no surprise that the leading try scorer in Super Rugby is, in fact, Melbourne Rebels winger Jack Maddocks who has crossed the paint eight times this season and the unheralded outside centre Tom English is equal fifth with five tries to his name. It is evident that both are thriving with a skillful and confident Quade Cooper running the Rebel cause.
Yet Director of Rugby Johnson should be wary of simply selecting Quade Cooper and thinking his Super Rugby form with the Rebels will materialise into golden Wallaby performances. They will not under the current Wallaby selections and game philosophy of Wallabies coach Michael Cheika.
Cheika relies on the dual openside flanker back row which ultimately weakens the Wallabies lineout and scrum. These are facets of play where the Rebels do not struggle. In 2019 both the Rebels lineout and scrum operate at over 90%.
Whilst a truly gifted attacker, Cooper like any fly-half will struggle if not given front-foot ball consistently.
Even All Blacks Coach Steve Hansen knows the value of such when he was recently quoted in Stuff, a New Zealand publication, “He’s playing behind the Rolls-Royce pack,” Hansen said of Richie Mo’unga after he had outplayed Beauden Barrett twice in Super Rugby last year.
And that is the second part of the challenge for Johnson. Not only must he convince his fellow selectors in Wallabies coach Michael Cheika and Michael O’Connor to select Quade Cooper, but he must also get them to select a forward pack and game plan that would provide such a platform to allow Cooper to bring his skill and confidence into the Wallabies camp.
Former Wallabies Coaches Robbie Deans and Ewen McKenzie both selected Quade Copper in their respective sides with polarising results. Under Robbie Deans, Cooper was not at ease and appeared suffocated and constrained. The results never materialised for Deans with Cooper as fly-half.
Yet under Ewen McKenzie, Cooper played the best test rugby of his life so far as he was given greater freedom and options and nearly took the Wallabies to a Grand Slam in 2013. No wonder Rebels Coach Dave Wessels has adopted the McKenzie line.
The Wallabies have lost consistency in the lineout since the arrival of current forwards coach Simon Raiwaliu in 2018 and I suggest he should be removed and replaced by Melbourne Rebels forwards coach Geoff Parling forthwith.
The former English and British Lions lock-forward took up a coaching role with the Rebels in 2019 and prior to commencing the role at Melbourne.
“He’s technically very, very aware and very proficient about a lot of the skills that are needed, particularly from a top-quality line-out forward,” Exeter Director of Rugby Rob Baxter told the BBC.
“But his range is broader than that – he’s got a very good knowledge of all aspects of rugby.
“He could be a fantastic acquisition, particularly in Australia. Talking to some Australian coaches, they feel they maybe lack a bit of detail sometimes in some of their application.
“That will be Geoff’s bread and butter; some of the detail around how the forwards play, but also around the breakdown and attacking patterns and the reasons for doing things defensively.”
In 2019 the Rebels forwards are an intelligent, skillful beast to contend with. In the recent Super Rugby match against the Queensland Reds, the Rebels forwards looked to disrupt the Reds forward attack at its inception instead of nullifying in later phases.
The Reds never quite got their platform from the lineout, nor could they dominate the scrum and attract penalties as they liked to do. The Rebels out-muscled and out-thought their rivals. It appears all that Baxter was saying is materialising and it is that much needed acumen Parling could bring to the Wallabies forwards in 2019.
What is quite clear is that the Rebels forwards have provided Quade Cooper with the requisite platform allowing him to unleash the likes of Maddocks, Meakes and English. The challenge now is to provide Cooper with the Wallaby platform to unleash Kerevi, Folau, Beale, and Maddocks.
Johnson must use his arrival to usher in those who can deliver the skill and acumen he seeks. With the selection of Quade Cooper and appointment of Geoff Parling as the Wallabies forwards coach at the appropriate times he can. The results of the years past echo the loudest. But will the selectors listen?
Perhaps? Or perhaps I should point them towards the prose of George Herbert who in his Outlandish Proverbs included this wisdom, “Who is so deaf, as he that will not hear?”
Michael Cheika talks to RugbyPass:
Comments on RugbyPass
Very unlikely the Bulls will beat Leinster in Dublin. It would be different in Pretoria.
1 Go to commentsI think it is a dangerous path to go down to ban a player for the same period that a player they injured takes to recover. Players would be afraid to tackle anyone. I once tackled my best friend at school in a practice match and sprained his ankle. I paid for it by having to play fly-half instead of full-back for the rest of that season’s fixtures.
5 Go to commentsJust such a genuine good bloke…and probably the best all round player in his generation. Good guys do come first sometimes and he handled the W.Cup loss with great attitude.
2 Go to commentsWord in France is that he’s on the radar of a few Top14 clubs.
2 Go to commentsGet blocking Travis, this guy has styles and he’s gonna make a swift impact…!
1 Go to commentsWhat remorse? She claimed that her dangerous tackle wasn’t worthy of a red! She should be compensating the injured player for loss of earnings at the minimum. Her ban should include the recovery time of the injured player as well as the paltry 3 match ban.
5 Go to commentsArdie is a legend. Finished and klaar. Two things: “Yeah, yeah, I have had a few conversations with Razor just around feedback on my game and what I am doing well, what I need to improve on or work-ons. It’s kind of been minimal, mate, but it’s all that I need over here in terms of how to be better, how to get better and what I am doing well.” I hope he’s downplaying it - and that it’s not that “minimal”. The amount of communication and behind the scenes preparation the Bok coaches put into players - Rassie and co would be all over Ardie and being clear on what is expected of him. This stands out for me as something teams should really be looking at in terms of the boks success from a coaching point of view. And was surprised by the comment - “minimal”. In terms of the “debate” around Ireland and South Africa. Nice one Ardie. Indeed. There’s no debate.
2 Go to commentsThere’s a bit of depth there but realistically Australian players have a long way to go to now catch up. The game is moving on fast and Australia are falling behind. Australian sides still don’t priories the breakdown like they should, it’s a non-negotiable if you want to compete on the international stage. That goes for forwards and backs. The Australian team could have a back row that could make a difference but the problem is they don’t have a tight five that can do the business. Tupou is limited in defence, overweight and unfit and the locks are a long way from international standard. Frost is soft and Salakai-Loto is too small so that means they need a Valentini at 8 who has to do the hard graft so limits the effectiveness of the backrow. Schmidt really needs to get a hard working, tough tight 5 if he wants to get this team firing.
3 Go to commentsSorry Morgan you must have been the “go to for a quote” ex player this week. Its rnd 6 and there is plenty of time to cement a starting 15 and finishing 8 so I have no such concerns.
2 Go to commentsGreat read. I wish you had done this article on the ROAR.
2 Go to commentsThe current AB coaching team is basically the Crusaders so it smacks of wanting their familiar leaders around. This is not a good look for the future of the ABs or the younger players in Super working their way up the player ladder. Razor is touted as innovative, forward looking but his early moves look like insecurity and insular, provincial thinking. He is the AB's coach not the Golden Oldies.
10 Go to commentsSimple reason for wanting him back. Robertson wants him as captain. Otherwise he wouldn’t be bothering chasing him. Not enough reason to come back just to mentor.
10 Go to commentsI had not considered this topic like this at all, brilliant read. I had been looking at his record at the Waratahs and thought it odd the Crusaders appointed him, then couple that with all that experience and talent departing and boom. They’ve got some great talent developing though, and in all honesty I don’t think anyone would be over confident taking them on in a playoff match, no matter how poor the first half of their season was. I think they can pull a game out of their ass when it counts.
2 Go to commentsNot a bad list but not Porecki and not Donaldson. Not because they are Tahs, or Ex Tahs, they are just not good enough. Edmed should be ahead. Far more potential. Wilson should be 8 and Valentini 6. Wilson needs to be told by his father and his coach, stop bloody running in to brick wall defence. You’re not playing under the genius Thorn any more. He’s a fantastic angle runner. The young new 8 from the Brumbies looks really good too. The Lonegrans are just too small for international rugby as is Paisami, as is Hamish Stewart at 12. Both great at Super Rugby level. Stewart could have been a great 10 if not for Brad Thorn. Uru should be there and so should Tupou. Tupou just needs good Australian coaching which he hasn’t been getting. I don’t think Schmidt will excite him.
3 Go to commentsIf he wants to come back then he should. He will be a major asset to the younger locks and could easily be played as an impact player off the bench coming on in the last 30. He is fit, strong and capable and has all the experience to make up for any loss in physical prowess. He could also be brought back with a view to coaching within the structures one day. Duane Vermeulen played until he was 37 or 38. He is now a roaming coach within the South African coaching structures. He was valuable in the last world cup and has been a major influence on Jasper Wiese and other young players which has helped and accelerated their development and growth. Whitelock could do the exact same thing for NZ
10 Go to commentsBrett Excellent words… finally someone (other than DC) has noted that Hanigan is very hard and very good at doing what Backrow should do… his performance via the Drua sauna was quite daunting for those on the other side… very high tackle count… carries with good end result… constant threat to make a good 20-25 meters with those long legs… providing his mass effectively to crunching the Drua pack… Finally he is returning to quality form… way to much injury time over the last 2 years… smart-strong-competent in his skills… caught every lineout throw aimed at him and delivered clean pass to whoever was down below… and he worked hard for the whole 80 minutes… Ned has to be in the top 5 for backrow honors… He knows what is required as he has been there before…
20 Go to commentsI think Sam Whitelock should not touch a return with a bargepole. He went out on a high, playing in the RWC Final. He would be coming back into a team that will be weaker than last years, and might even be struggling to win games, especially against the Boks. Stay in France, enjoy another year with Pau, playing alongside his brother.
10 Go to commentsRyan Coxon has been very impressive considering he was signed by WF as injury cover whilst Uru has been a standout for QR, surprised neither of those mentioned
3 Go to commentsIt’s the massive value he brings with regard team culture/values, preparation, etc. Can’t buy that. I’m hoping to see the young locks get their chance in the big games though.
10 Go to commentsAll good, Gregor, except that you neglected to mention Sam Darry amongst that talented pool of locks. In fact, given Hannah’s inexperience and the fact that Holland won’t be eligible until next year, Lord and Darry might be the frontrunners this year, to join Barrett, Tuipoluto, Va’ii and possibly Whitelock. In fact there might be room for all of them if Barrett played 6 (like Ollie Chessum).
10 Go to comments