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Why All Blacks fans should hope the Wallabies become a powerful force again
A penny for Dave Rennie’s thoughts right now.
The man’s appointment as Wallabies coach last November seems a lifetime ago.
His public relations tour two months later looked a smash hit and Rugby Australia (RA) were rightly praised for securing the services of a man much better equipped for international head coaching than the bloke New Zealand Rugby (NZR) had foisted on All Blacks fans.
Now, holed up in Scotland, Rennie must look at reports from Australia and wonder if his contract’s worth the paper it’s written on.
Turmoil seems a fair enough word to describe rugby in Australia, as the game goes broke and the disenchanted and disaffected seek to apportion blame.
Raelene Castle, the beleaguered RA chief executive, appears as if she won’t be the only casualty of a media company’s desire to exert its authority.
News Limited, via its newspaper and online arms, is at war with Castle and RA and determined to insert one of its own – Phil Kearns – in her place. Fair enough, but as things stand it wouldn’t really matter who was at the helm.
The problems with the game in Australia run far, far deeper than the chief executive of RA and won’t be fixed in a hurry.
No, Castle probably hasn’t done a great job of reviving Australia’s Super Rugby fortunes, or handling men such as Israel Folau and Michael Cheika, but there’s only so much an administrator can do in the short to medium term when the game is fundamentally weak.
The AFL will emerge from the Covid-19 pandemic in decent shape, while rugby league has suddenly become the cohesive and cocky force we once knew. For all we know, it might well become the first competition of substance to resume relatively intact.
It doesn’t hurt that there’s a media company driving talk of this rugby league revival. The same company, ironically, which appears so hellbent on aiding rugby’s demise.
That’s what you get when you walk away from the broadcast-rights negotiating table, as RA did to Fox a couple of months back.
All of which must worry Rennie, along with fans on this side of the Tasman too.
Castle has dismissed a lot of this stuff as “noise’’ but things have been pretty noisey in Australia for a while now and, if nothing else, will hardly aid the Wallabies’ cause when Bledisloe Cup rugby eventually resumes.
We all get that rugby will be regional, rather than international, when we finally get it back. Whether it be in franchise, provincial, club, North-South or Probables v Possibles guises, New Zealand’s best will begin competing in time.
But when they do, it won’t be long before eyes turn to Australia.
South Africa and Japan and Europe now look quite a long way away, in this new world order. If the All Blacks – or Silver Ferns and Black Caps and Kiwis for that matter – do start playing fixtures again, it feels fair to assume they’ll be against Australia.
When that happens, those Aussie netball, cricket and rugby league sides are likely to be as formidable as ever, but not the Wallabies.
Frankly, we need them to be outstanding again. To be as tough and arrogant and, occasionally, unlikable as the sides Alan Jones, Bob Dwyer, Rod McQueen and Eddie Jones once coached. To bring intrigue and unpredictability to an annual Bledisloe Cup series that has gradually become a contest in name only.
Sure, Cheika and co cleaned the All Blacks up in Perth last year. But that was once and certainly not sufficient to wrest the trophy back.
Rennie’s appointment, allied to that of Ian Foster here, brought with it great optimism. Australia might not have as good a players as us, but their coach was better (and more popular) and there was a sense the outcome of these games could become uncertain again.
But as RA continues to stumble at every hurdle, and more and more prominent folk seek to discredit them, the more we all lose out. Not just Rennie and the players and the various people who sponsor the game in Australia, but the All Blacks and we fans too.
We’re about to need a strong Australia more than ever and yet, with every passing day, infighting leaves the sport looking prone to collapse.
Sponsors and fans can spot losers a mile off and for now no code in Australia is looking less capable of recovering from coronavirus than rugby.
The Season with Brisbane Boys College 1st XV – Episode 3:
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Comments on RugbyPass
I like this, but ultimately rugby already has enough trophies. Trying to make more games “consequential" might prove to be a fools errand, although this is a less bad idea than some others. Minor quibble with the title of the article; it isn’t very meaningful to say the boks are the unofficial world champions when it would be functionally impossible for the Raeburn trophy not to be held by the world champions. There’s a period of a few months every 4 years when there is no “unofficial” world champion, and the Raeburn trophy is held by the actual world champions.
8 Go to commentsIts a great idea but one that I dont think will have a lot of traction. It will depend on the prestige that they each hold but if you can do that it would be great. When Japan beat the Boks (my team) I was absolutely devestated but I wont deny the great game they played that day. We were outclassed and it was one of the best games of rugby I have seen. Using an idea like this you might just give the the underdog teams more of an opportunity to beat the big teams and I can absolutely see it being a brilliant display of rugby. They beat us because they planned for that game. It was a great moment for Japan. This way we can remove the 4 year wait and give teams something to aim for outside of World Cup years.
8 Go to commentsHi, Dave here. Happy to answer questions 🥰
8 Go to commentsDon’t think that headline is accurate. It’s great to see Aus doing better but I’m not sure they’ve shown much threat to the top of the table. They shouldn’t be inflating wins against the lousy Highlanders and Crusaders either.
3 Go to commentsSuch a shame Roigard and Aumua picked up long term injuries, probably the two form players in the comp. Also, pretty sure Clarke Dermody isn’t their coach. Got it half right though.
3 Go to commentsOh the Aussie media, they never learn. At least Andrew Kellaway is like “Woah, yeah it’s great, but settle down there guys” having endured years of the Aussie media, fans, and often their players getting ahead of themselves only to fall flat on their faces. Have the “We'll win the Bledisloe for sure this year!” headlines started yet? It’s simple to see what’s going on. The Aussie teams are settled, they didn't lose any of their major players overseas. The Crusaders and Chiefs lost key experienced All Blacks, and Razor in the Crusaders case, and clearly neither are anywhere near as strong as last year (The Canes and Blues would probably be 3rd & 4th if they were). The Highlanders are annually average, even more so post-Aaron Smith and a big squad clean out. The two teams at the top? The two nz sides with largely the same settled roster as last year, except Ardie Savea for the Canes. They’ve both got far better coaches now too. If the Aussies are going to win the title, this is the year the kiwi sides will be weakest, so they better take their chance.
3 Go to commentsThe World Cup has to be the gold standard, line in the sand. 113 teams compete for what is the opportunity to make the pool stages, and then the knockout games for the trophy. The concept is sound. This must have been the rationale when the World Cup was created, surely? But I’m all for Looking forward and finding new ways for the SH to dominate the NH into the future. The autumn series needs a change up. Let’s start by having the NH teams come south every odd year for the Autumn/Spring series games?
8 Go to commentsWhat’ll happen when the AI models of the future go back in time and try to destroy the AI models of the past standing in their way of certain victory?
41 Go to commentsThanks, Nick. We (Seanny Maloney, Brett and I) just discussed Charlie as a potential Wallaby No 8, and wondered if he has truly realised how big he is in contact (and whether he can add 5 kg w/o slowing down). Your scouting report confirms our suspicions he has the materiel. No one knows if he has the mentality (as Johann van Graan said this week about CJ, Duane and Alfie B) to carry 10-15 times a game.
57 Go to commentsHe would be a great player for the Stormers, Dobbo should approach the guy.
3 Go to commentsGood article. A few years back when he was playing for the Cheetahs, he was a quiet standout for exactly the seasons stated here. I occasionally get to see his games in the UK, and he has become a more complete player and in many ways like an Irish player. His work ethic is so suitable to the Leinster game. I wonder if Rassie would have him listed somewhere.
3 Go to commentsResults probably skewed by the fact that a few clubs have foreign fly halves in their 30s, but most teams have young English scrum halves. Results also likely to be skewed by the fact that many teams rely on centres and fullbacks to provide depth at 10, whereas they will need to stock a large number of specialist backup 9s.
1 Go to commentsI really get the sense that when all is said and done, the path of least resistance will end up being a merger of Wasps & Worcester that essentially kills the Worcester Warriors brand and sees Wasps permanently playing at Sixways. I’m not saying that’s what should happen or what I want to happen. I just think it’s the easiest rout to take and therefore, will be what happens. Wasps will definitely return to play first, and I suppose it all depends on if they can find support at Sixways. If people turn up and support Wasps in that community, at that ground, I bet they drop the Sevenoaks plan and just remain at Sixways. Under the radar but not totally unrelated, it looks as though London Irish are going to be brought back from the dead by a German consortium and look set to return, likely to the remade Championship. It’s set to have 12 clubs next season with 14 in 2025/26, what do you want to bet those extra 2 are Wasps and London Irish?
3 Go to commentsThe shoulder is a “joint” with multiple bones. You don’t “fracture” a shoulder, you fracture any one or more of the bones that make up a shoulder.
2 Go to commentsOh dear, bones too suspect to continue?
2 Go to commentsBold headline considering the Canes and Blues are 1 and 2 and the Brumbies were soundly beaten by the Chiefs and Blues. Biggest surprise is Rebels 4 Crusaders 12 - no one saw that coming. If Aus are improving that’s great 👍
3 Go to commentsAnna, You are right, we need to have patience whilst the others catch up to England and France. Also it is the PWR that has been the game changer for England. the RFU put money into that initially at the expense of the Red Roses. I was sceptical at first but it has paid off in spades.
1 Go to commentsI think Matt Proctor became a 1 test AB in the same fixture. Cameron is quality and has been great this season, can’t believe’s he only 27. Realistically how would he not be selected for ABs squad this year. Only Dmac is ahead of him as a specialist 10. With Jordan out, it will come down to where and when Beauden Barrett slots back in, and where they want to play Ruben Love. Cameron seems an absolute lock in for the wider squad though. Added benefit of TJ-Cameron-Jordie combination at 9, 10, 11 too.
1 Go to commentsFarcical, to what end would someone want to pay to keep this thing going.
1 Go to commentsHavili, our best 12 by a mile, will be in the squad, if he stays fit. JB is the most overrated AB in the last 50 years.
61 Go to comments