The Wallabies - An Opinion

[.X.]

Gday folks, It's been a while.

But this one has been bugging me for a while.

First up, I must say categorically that I LOVE the Wallabies. They are the number 1 reason why I love Rugby. I have watched almost every Wallabies Rugby Test since 1991. However, I must admit I didn't watch the 2023 Rugby World Cup. I was not in the right headspace mentally and I feel it was the right move for my mental health.

Anyway, I love the Wallabies.

Now. According to World Rugby, the Wallabies are Ranked 9th in the World. With Argentina 6th, All Blacks 3rd, and South Africa Number 1, and the current Rugby World Champions.

This is my problem.

I don't believe the Wallabies are good enough to participate in The Rugby Championship. We get no benefit by repeatedly losing to the numbers 1 and 3 Ranks Teams in the world. Even if the Wallabies were able to snag a win off the All Blacks and the Springboks will not see us leap 4 or 5 Nations in the World Standings. It doesn't work like that.

It will take repeated success over a couple of years to see us work our way up the ladder of world Rankings. Lots of Hard Work.
I believe that the rugby-loving Australian public will appreciate the hard graft. And will start coming back. This means competing against Wales, Georgia, Japan, the USA and Canada. On a regular basis. for the next 3 or 4 years. We earn our right to come back to the Rugby Championship. And the Wallabies will hopefully find success again.

Anyway - that's my thought for the day/night.

Please be gentle with me.

[chibi]

I can see your point. Given the situation, I don't think Australia is good enough to participate in Super Rugby; I struggle to see what benefit we gain from losing repeatedly in that competition. It's certainly not a good "domestic" league shop-front if that's its purpose. Nor is it getting players up to world championship standard if that's its purpose.

[James]

I think we are in a slump, but to say we shouldn't be there is reactionary.

We have been comparable to our RC neighbours in the last 3 iterations of the U20s World Championship.

We are just not joining the junior to senior dots.

I don't think it'll take much to work our way back up the world rankings.

People forget, because we have tucked in the last 18 months, we beat RSA twice in 2021, once in 2022. We were agonisingly close to beating NZ last year in NZ and the year before (Foley's time wasting). I think we beat NZ in 2021, but I'm too lazy to check. We had agonisingly narrow away losses to France and Ireland at the end of 2022. It isn't all doom and gloom, it just has been this year and last.

Give Schmidt some time. I think we would've done better against RSA if we had: Tupou, an overseas lock (personally Philip), McReight, Korobeite, Rob Leota. Bell and 7As actually being match fit. We still would've lost, but it wouldn't have been so dire.

Chibi, you are right about Super Rugby, but that problem largely revolves around our poor pathways (no NRC!) and NZ being unwilling to dilute talent.