'Pretty average' - Davies gives Burgess a passing backhander

Rupert Guinness | November 27, 2008


WALLABIES No.9 Luke Burgess is "a pretty average" halfback who needs to spend six months learning how to pass when he gets back to Australia, according to former Welsh five-eighth Gareth Davies.

The Australian-based Welshman, who earned 21 Test caps between 1978 and 1985, has followed Burgess's "meteoric" rise this year from his Eastern Suburbs club to the Waratahs and more recently the Wallabies.

While Davies has been impressed by the Wallabies on their European tour, he said Burgess, who by his own strict measure would have been unhappy with his game against France last Saturday, had been a disappointment.

"The one I have been disappointed with - and [who] I must admit I don't think I have ever been a huge fan [of] … I think Burgess at scrum-half is a pretty average scrum-half," Davies said.

"He is a good rugby player, a good athlete, but the guy can't pass. That is a pretty important ingredient for a scrum-half.

"People have worked him out. He takes that step, or sometimes two, and people are just getting to him. He must be a nightmare to play outside."

Davies, however, believes Deans should persevere with Burgess as a halfback, with the tour having revealed the deficiencies he needs to rectify in the off-season and next year.

"You would have to keep with him and spend the next six months [having him] passing," he said. "As a runner with the ball, he is good. He is very committed. But he has huge weaknesses as a top-level scrumhalf.

"Six months of having to pass without taking a step every morning before breakfast … and it's sorted.

"I don't know the guy. From what I hear he is a pretty dedicated guy. For him, I would have thought he [feels he] has had a great year, a meteoric rise and will probably look back at the year as a successful year.

"But he has a few major things he needs to work on. It is not a case of being that harsh on him. He just needs to sort out a few things."

Davies, who is in Cardiff to watch the Test at Millennium Stadium, said the outcome of the match between the Wallabies, who are unbeaten in three Tests, and the Six Nations champions was "a hard one to call".

While the Wallabies could have lost against France had David Skrela not missed five of seven shots at goal, Davies has been impressed by the resilience of the Australians.
"The Aussies have done reasonably well. They have been beset with a couple of injury problems," he said. "It was a pretty average start against Italy. The win at [against England] at Twickenham appeared to be impressive.

"I am not sure against the French. Going to Paris was a big one for them, and you could say that had Skrela [not missed his kicks], possibly they would have lost. [But] they are pretty resilient bunch, the Aussies."

Davies also believes the Warren Gatland-coached Welsh showed promise against the All Blacks last weekend, despite losing 29-9.

"The Welsh were pretty good for that first 35 minutes," he said. "The only thing with the Welsh, I think, is that the problem will be [producing] back-to-back performances. We don't seem to be able to do that."

Davies said Wales were in need of a big win after a disappointing year, despite their Six Nations title victory. "It was a pretty average championship," he said of that competition.

"The pressure is on. If they lose on Saturday, they would have had a miserable six months since the Six Nations."

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