Northern Edition

Select Edition

Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
New Zealand New Zealand
France France

LONG READ 'Freelancer' Izaia Perese shows the need for true inclusivity in Australian rugby

'Freelancer' Izaia Perese shows the need for true inclusivity in Australian rugby
1 week ago

‘Inclusivity’ is a popular term in today’s world. The Cambridge Dictionary definition spells it out as “the fact of including all types of people, things or ideas, and treating them all fairly and equally.” In practice, the path to embracing as many varied, and potentially inconvenient truths as possible is gradual and painful, a case of three steps forward and two back. A linear progression, it is most definitely not.

On planet rugby, the meaning changes according to which side of the globe you inhabit. The need to include club and country in the identity of the professional game, and find a point of balance between the two, has preoccupied administrators north of the equator ever since the big sea change back in 1995-96.

For Australia, ‘inclusivity’ is attuned more to the necessity of wrangling Australians at home and abroad back to the same ranch, treating them all the same in selection and bringing them all within a broad canvas of thinking and planning. Australia is not in any position to neglect its assets, wherever they happen to be living and plying their trade, far or near.

Joe Schmidt
Joe Schmidt’s Wallabies will soon head north to begin their programme of November Test matches (Photo Saeed KHAN/Getty Images

The vastly different points of view quoted in my last piece amply attested to the difficulty. On the one hand, a recently departed RA chairman who saw the need to recruit star quality from league and market it to the hilt; on the other, a current performance director who understood development as grabbing native athletic talent early, and relying on the strength of Australia’s age-group programmes to keep it.

Neither outlook addressed the problem of including Australians playing and coaching overseas into the bargain. Peter Horne focused on the sense of connection between age-group, state and national level, Super Rugby and the Wallabies. He was resigned to losing talent overseas, with no boomerang back to Aussie. At a recent high-performance workshop in Brisbane, he explained it as follows:

“Having four clubs, we have had traditionally 27 foreigners within our system.

“We want to invest in Australians, effectively. Potentially there will always be a need to have foreign talents to pick up where we have some gaps but the idea is over time, those franchises become more and more Australian-eligible.

Over time, we’ll see [a] demographic change. We will lose a few of the older players and they may choose to go to Europe, or choose a different direction.

“But I think what we’ve got now is a pretty robust pathway connected to Super. And those available spots will start to be filled by not foreigners, but Aussies.”

Rugby Australia
Peter Horne is working to connect the dots within Australian rugby (Photo by Mark Evans/Getty Images for Rugby Australia)

So far, so good. But how do you corral the Aussies who have moved overseas, but still want to offer value to the Australian game? How do you tap into their knowledge and experience and make it a part of the programme at the elite end of the game?

The 64-man Wallaby selection for the upcoming twin tour of the UK suggests there is little desire to include that expertise. Will Skelton and Samu Kerevi were added to the mix, but Marika Koroibete was dropped. Their professional club tags were cleverly omitted upon announcement: Skelton was labelled as ‘Wallaby number 883, Wentworthville Magpies’, big Kev as ‘892, Souths Magpies’. Their current provenance in Stade Rochelais [France] and Urayasu D-Rocks [Japan] was never acknowledged.

There were no foreigners at all in the junior ‘Australia XV’ tour party, so the announcement safely devolved to states as well as their origin clubs. But there was no Scott Sio, no Izack Rodda, and no Izaia Perese in the senior squad; no Tom Staniforth, Matt Philip, Josh Kemeny, Tawera Kerr-Barlow or James O’Connor on the stair below. At least two or three of those might have helped, but Australia has chosen to go its own sweet way.

The myopia of the current selection posture is highlighted by current events at the Leicester Tigers club in England. The Welford Road outfit is the proud possessor of a long history of IP exchange with Australia. Bob Dwyer was appointed as the club’s first professional coach in 1996, and trail he blazed has been followed by many others since, with profit to both sides of the conversation: Duncan Hall, Matt O’Connor, Pat Howard, Peter Hewat, Rod Kafer, Phil Blake, Dan Palmer.

Michael Cheika Leicester disciplinary hearing
Michael Cheika expected to return to Australian before the opportunity to coach Leicester Tigers arose (Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)

When one recent Wallaby coach, Dan McKellar, failed to take root at the club last season, Tigers were not at all deterred, promptly appointing another Aussie in his place. And they have been repaid for their faith. Thus far, ex-Wallaby and Waratah supremo Michael Cheika has led his new charges to a five wins out of six, and second place in the league after six rounds of Premiership play.

The benefits of a truly inclusive, open-minded attitude were shown off in no uncertain terms by the comments of the man himself.

“I was actually planning on going back to Australia. My family has gone back there because we were so far down the road of going back after my time with Argentina.

“A club that has got a reputation like this [pre-]existing genuinely piqued my interest.

“I wanted to see inside and see how I could add the next layer onto what is already a great club, and try my best to make it better and challenge myself in that way.”

Australia sorely needs intellects with that attitude to new experience in unfamiliar settings. It is the kind of inclusivity which virtually guarantees the success of the venture.

One of the players Cheika has brought with him to Welford Road is ex-New South Wales centre-cum-wing Perese. He is one of the players who fell into the ‘unfulfilled promise’ category while he was with the Sky Blues on home territory. After the recent Premiership match against Saracens, Cheika remembered the time he first coached Perese with the Wallabies.

“I saw him coming through as a 16-year-old and we took him as a development player on one of the tours here, and he was excellent,” he told BBC Radio Leicester.

“He’s had a crazy journey but I think he’s getting more mature, he’s understanding his game. He’s more ‘freelance’. We have a system but we adapt to him and how he plays.

“He’s just had a new child, his family’s really integrated to the lifestyle here and he’s really enjoying it.”

After progressing smoothly through the junior Wallaby age-group sides, Perese hit the wall at senior provincial level and stopped progressing. He played three games for Dave Rennie’s Wallabies before disappearing from the green-and-gold selection vista, but all the while he was capable of gilt-edged attacking moments such as this.

 

 

A player with attacking ability like that needs a second look, and he deserved it on one of the twin tours in November. Perese is beginning to move towards a performance peak again, primarily because he feels at home in his new surroundings, and as he explained succinctly: “I’ve fallen in love with the Premiership.”

Perese was anointed man of the match in Leicester’s win at the StoneX, and he fulfilled all Cheika’s requirements of him as an attacking ‘freelancer’. Despite wearing the number 13 on his back, his first three offensive interventions were all off the wing.

 

 

Cheika’s Tigers were always on the lookout for areas in which they could isolate Perese on a single defender, for the very simple reason he always beats the first tackler. So, the ex-Waratah twice received ball out on the right edge – skinning former England full-back Alex Goode in the first clip – and once on the left, smashing England hopeful Tobias Elliott aside in the second.

In the second half, Tigers used Perese’s bull-like strength and quick feet to bust straight up the middle.

 

When the ball needed to be kept tight and they wanted to plough a furrow straight up the middle of the pitch, Leicester even had their ace freelancer trigger strong pick and go sequences up the guts of the defence.

 

 

When you own that kind of ability to keep the tackler away from your feet, there must be a premium value placed upon it in coaching and selection, wherever you happen to be working on the face of the globe. Leicester have given up the fewest points in a high-scoring league [107 at under 18 points per game], so Perese is learning something about the art of defence too.

Somehow Australian rugby needs to embrace the idea of inclusivity; yes, the possibility of including athletes from other sports, but also reaching out to more players and coaches working overseas.

Horne and Schmidt are busy tweaking the vertical alignment of the Wallabies with the states, clubs and the age-group sides beneath them at home. But the horizontal axis cannot be forgotten in the process – the need to interface meaningfully with players and coaches abroad and harness the IP they represent. When Cheika was asked whether his own presence at Leicester would improve the club, he replied simply: “I hope so, otherwise we may as well just go home.”

Comments

81 Comments
O
OJohn 9 days ago

Ironic that Horne and Waugh want more Australian players when they have hired a kiwi living in NZ to coach the Wallabies. Only because they knew they could control him to get more Tahs in the Wallabies. Taking Donaldson and Edmed. Oh dear.

N
NB 9 days ago

They chose him cos he was best coach available, and they are lucky to have him.


The Edmed comment shows how little rugby you follow. The guy actually bothered to better himself by going to the NPC in NZ and testign himself out of SRP season...


Deserves credit but we know he'll never get it from you because of your arbitrary red mist about the sky blue.

d
dw 9 days ago

New material please. Been said before.

J
JS 10 days ago

NB - fully agree that IP and others (especially Rodda) should be in the mix. I do wonder why so many Australians seem to thrive when leaving SR to the premiership/top 14 in particular. Appreciate that a big part is maturity, coaching, systems in those competitions, but also can’t help but think the talent must be more diluted in those comps than in 5 team NZ and 4 team AU? Even if only because they have longer seasons with more games, more rest for top players etc. Do you think the increase in performance by these Aussies overseas might reflect this (even just in part)?

J
JW 7 days ago

That one should be quite clear shouldn't it? The dominance of the NZ sides is an outlier too stark to ignore.


Finally having a partial 6th team has helped somewhat fix the balance. IP was a great midfield in SR, he just had to play for a team not much better than the Blues.

O
OJohn 9 days ago

We've had too many kiwi coaches dragging our players down that's why.

N
NB 10 days ago

They are valued at places like Leicester and Exeter. Ask Scott Sio how he has enjoyed his time in Devon and whether it has prolonged his career and enthusiasm for rugby.


All they have to do is expand their sense of 'connectedness' until it includes the overseas part.


Squads are actually stronger in URC, Eng Prem and Top 14 than they are in SRP. 26 games in France means much stronger 'B' teams, URC is composed of five different nations none of whom have more than four rep sides, England has seen a concentration of talent with most of the players in the three clubs who dissolved going to their rivals.

M
Mitch 10 days ago

At a time when the Ausdie backline could do with some X Factor, Perese can definitely consider himself unlucky not to be part of the 64 selected for the Wallabies or Australia A.

N
NB 10 days ago

I wonder whether he was even considered Mitch.


But tackle-busting has been a real issue for Aussie this season and he is one guy who can give you it.


I don't undertsand why they reject improvement simply because where they would have to go to find it.

B
BM 10 days ago

Nick, like many in the Tahs setup IP didn't have the best of seasons in '24. I guess being in a new environment and away from the negativity the surrounds Oz rugby is bringing out the best in him, hope he goes well

J
JW 7 days ago

Really? What was he doing wrong?

N
NB 10 days ago

He seems to be thriving, and I think the wya the Prem is now suits him down to the ground. It's become a very attack-minded, high-speed league and that's right down Perese's alley...

A
AM 10 days ago

Hmm I remember you telling me on another site that AA can scrummage so I’m not sure I can put much stock in your writings…


But the blue print for Aus was written long ago by Rassie and by the poorer soccer nations like Argentina. Australia had an early advantage from the professionalism of league but everyone caught up. It now lacks the numbers, money and coaching expertise to do well so they should follow Rassie and form good relationships with OS clubs to ensure players are available, even pay part of their comp, and let their players benefit from better coaching, higher standard comps and more money OS then incorporate that into Aus. They should also align the start and finish dates of the domestic comp with OS comps to facilitate that.


The front row is a good example Sio and Ainsley have been playing well for Exeter and Lyon qnd benefitted from better S&C and coaching. Both should be on the bench to shore up the scrum. Latu and Skelton are both playing well for La Rochelle. Arnold is consistently one of the best lineout jumpers for Toulouse, the best club team in the world.


Sprinkle in guys like Hodge, Kerevi, your man and even Kerr Barlow and the team would be far more competitive.


Alas Aussie managment and coaching standards lost in the nostalgia of the 90s while the world marches on.

C
Carlos 10 days ago

“Poorer soccer nations like Argentina“. What on earth does this mean?

N
NB 10 days ago

As Mike Cron said the other day the recovery from an achilles injury is a long process, so you could cut AAA some slack - if you know anything about scrummaging.


I've been suggesting exchange deals with to European destination clubs for Aussies [like Exeter and Leicester] in the UK now for years, til I'm blue in the face! They could extend those schemes to coaches and young players so there is a thriving overseas conversation and stronger links.


If you read my previous articles you will know I advocated the selection of several overseas based players in the two touring squads, inc Sio, Rodda [better option than Arnold], Tom Staniforth, TKB, James O'Connor, Peres and others... Look in the back catalogue and you'll find it.

A
Ardy 10 days ago

I was of the opinion that he was like for like with Paisami, a good strong ball carrier but reluctant to offload. Paisami is learning that. The clip you showed of the bust up the middle had me thinking that he didn't seem to be looking for an offload.

N
NB 10 days ago

I think he plays better in space tha Hunter - while Hunter is more north-south as a runner. I can't see him ever playing 12 for example. He will look for offload but I reckon he prefers contact!

d
dw 10 days ago

Great analysis Nick. Firstly it is ridiculous they don't mention Skelton's French club but mention a junior rugby league club in Sydney!?


I remember you did an article on the potential of Perese a few years back. Sadly aus rugby never really seemed to get the best out of him. And interesting to see how the no foreigners thing plays out in super rugby. Haven't we benefited from foreigners and even some that have eventually become eligible for the wallabies?

N
NB 10 days ago

It did strike me as a bit weird DW. Perese has always had top-level ability with ball in hand, D has been a problem but Tigers seem to be working on it because that is how Chekko's team is built.


The foreigners thing I don't quite understand. A while back they had the chance to naturalize guys like Spink, Simpson, Kibirige maybe even Manasa Mataele. Some if not all of those could have been Aussie-qualifed by residency but now they've all gone. Was it considered?

S
SA 10 days ago

Nick FYI Goode was a late drop out from the Tigers Saracens match, the player you identified as Goode in the article was Tom Parton

N
NB 10 days ago

He's even wearing Alex's under-armour!

H
HJ 11 days ago

good article

N
NB 10 days ago

Cheers!

A
AD 11 days ago

Thanks Nick

Shame about policy inflexibility, and shame that most (but not all) Australian coaches etc don't recognise talent that isn't conventional.

N
NB 11 days ago

Cheika seems very enthused by his situation and so does Perese. I'd guess both will progress quickly at the club.

D
Derek Murray 11 days ago

Amen to that. We signed an awful lot of outside backs in the last 12 months but lost a gold nugget in Izzy. Blokes who routinely beat defenders don't grow on trees.

N
NB 11 days ago

I can easily see him on a WB wing DM. Aussie lacks guys who can beat the first tackle whatever the pressure and that is exactly what he gives you.

Load More Comments

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Sign up for free
Search