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History not on rookie's side
By David Campese
Australia legend
September 28, 2007
RUGBY World Cup history cannot be ignored. Every team to have won the title has had an experienced, world-class five-eighth pulling the strings at No.10.
Grant Fox for New Zealand in 1987, Michael Lynagh in 1991, Joel Stransky in 1995, Stephen Larkham in 1999, and Jonny Wilkinson in 2003. It's a pretty impressive hall of fame.
If Australia is to win the 2007 tournament in France, the Wallabies seem increasingly likely to have to rely on a 21-year-old rookie from Queensland who played his first Test, against Japan, only three weeks ago - and that was off the bench.
But Berrick Barnes might just be the player to break a 20-year Rugby World Cup tradition. He has certainly impressed in his two starts against Wales and Fiji.
I like the way he distributes the ball, he is a good kicker in general play, and he has already developed the valuable knack of knocking over field goals.
His other advantage is the depth of experience around him in the Wallabies backline.
That will be crucial in the sudden-death games when the pressure rises and the big teams target him more.
Another sobering fact is that Barnes is yet come up against a side of real quality, one that will put the heat on the Wallabies pack and reduce the time he has to make decisions on what to do with the ball.
Wales can hardly be considered in the same class as the sides Australia will have to beat to lift the trophy on October 20.
England poses a bigger threat than did Wales, and New Zealand and South Africa are at least two steps up again.
But you can only be judged on what you do, and Barnes has shown both unexpected maturity and genuine composure in how he goes about his job.
Maintaining those standards is the challenge he faces as he prepares to perform on the biggest stage the game can offer over the next couple of weeks.
If he can come through that, the Wallabies really have found the long-term successor to Larkham.
I feel Barnes can provide adequate cover for Larkham. My concern over the Australian challenge is how they will respond if skipper Stirling Mortlock is injured again during the knockout stages.
When Mortlock went off at half-time against Wales, the Wallabies' intensity dropped.
He was missing last week against Fiji, and, at times, the Australians looked rudderless.
Not only is Mortlock the key to the backline with his lead-by-example approach, but his captaincy also seems to have taken on the same hard-nosed edge that reflects his play in midfield.
I am sure if he had been on the field in Montpellier, the Wallabies would have been less inclined to let the game drift into an error-filled free-for-all.
There were some great patches from the Australians.They are sure to make a mess of Canada, who had to play only three days ago, but they will need to be more disciplined once the pointy end of the tournament opens next week.
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