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Thread: Supremo sought as skills fade

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    Supremo sought as skills fade

    Supremo sought as skills fade

    By Wayne Smith
    April 16, 2007


    AUSTRALIAN Rugby Union chief executive Gary Flowers intends to push hard for the appointment of a national coaching director in the wake of the bleakest interstate match in memory.

    Flowers said yesterday that he would call a brainstorming meeting of ARU president and former Australia captain Paul McLean, rugby manager Pat Wilson, 1999 Rugby World Cup-winning coach Rod Macqueen and John Connolly's Wallabies coaching staff, in coming weeks to address the alarming deterioration of the Australian game.

    "I'm not a technical person, but if you watch the other Super 14 games on television, the ones involving New Zealand and South African teams, it's obvious to anyone that they are playing a different game," Flowers said.

    "A coaching director's role is something we have to look at.

    "I know there is the old bugbear of coaches being territorial and there would be some people who won't want this concept to work, but we're going to have a very close look at it and we'll then put a recommendation to the board."

    On the evidence of Saturday's appalling game between New South Wales and Queensland at Aussie Stadium, there is a desperate need for remedial skills coaching.

    Even Eddie Jones, whose hapless Reds repeatedly were unable to execute even the most basic of skills as they slid inexorably to defeat, conceded yesterday that New Zealand and South African sides had moved well ahead of Australian teams in terms of catch-pass skills.

    "We don't appear as well-skilled as them and we were the best in the world at them," Jones admitted.

    "And once, we had the most game sense.

    "Not any more."

    While there were flashes of inspired opportunism in the interstate match, most spectacularly Waratahs halfback Josh Valentine's stolen try down the narrowest of blindsides and Reds five-eighth Berrick Barnes's deft, if long-overdue, chip kick for Clinton Schifcofske's try, there was no evidence of tactical awareness on either side.

    Kick-and-hope and one-out barging were the attacking weapons of choice for both teams; even the one moment of magic in the whole dreary mess, Lachlan Turner's incisive run from the blind wing for a near-try in the 26th minute, was sparked by a blatantly forward pass from Morgan Turinui.

    New Zealand referee Kelvin Deaker, appointed to control this match in the forlorn hope that he might help it reach even modest heights, wasn't helped on that occasion, or throughout proceedings generally, by his sleepwalking touch judges.

    As has happened across the Super 14 competition this season, both defensive lines spent the match camped offside, exposing already fraught handling skills to an even tougher examination than was necessary.

    Roll on 2008, when law changes will push opposing backlines 10 metres apart at scrum time, although 10 metres is soon likely to become 5.5 metres if the standard of Saturday's officiating happens to spill over into next season.

    The chagrined Reds took the back door out of Aussie Stadium, leaving only Jones and captain John Roe to face the media.

    And the pair faced pointed questions that needed answering about the Reds' aimless performance. For starters: Why were the Reds' two lankiest athletes, lock Hugh McMeniman and blindside flanker Mitchell Chapman, so often stationed out on the wings if no one was bothering to put up crossfield bombs?

    Either use their height to soar above Turner and Lote Tuqiri or else re-assign them to the trench warfare, where every bit of cannon fodder would have come in handy.

    Small wonder that Australia coach John Connolly was reluctant to discuss the match yesterday, presumably having been taught early not to say anything if he couldn't say anything nice.

    But after considerable prompting, he acknowledged that Waratahs flankers Rocky Elsom and Beau Robinson had performed impressively, while McMeniman, who limped off with a worrying recurrence of his early-season ankle injury, had played aggressively, if aimlessly.

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    One step that I think could have a far greater effect than appointing yet another layer of argument in suits is to place far greater importance on Sevens in the Australian development landscape.
    Having watched the full Fox broadcast of the Adelaide 7's and Hong Kong highlights over Easter it was pretty clear that the ball skills of pretty much the top eight Nations was better than the average in Australian Super 14. Including the Australian team!
    With nearly as many passes in fourteen minutes as your average 80 minute fixture (ok, slight exaggeration) the accuracy, catching and vision of these players was outstanding following weeks of error ridden Australian Super 14.
    Of course, despite public opinion, Sevens isn't just about attack either.
    Valuable lessons are taught about accountability in the tackle, keeping the defensive line and being ready to counter attack from a turnover.
    Such things are always difficult to implement and cause initial angst from the Clubs however, I believe that all four teams should be required to provide three Under 23 players at any one time during the Sevens Season (current season 1 December - 3 June) with the only "out" being by agreement for excessive injuries in the respective S14 Squad from the ARU.
    This doesn't mean the same three players, they would be able to be rotated as required however, there would be an expectation that each player would be available for the two week block of two Tournaments (ie the season is divided into eight Tournaments, two over consecutive weeks and then a break of a couple of weeks).
    This would mean that the player would be absent for two weeks prior to the first plus the gap week between the Tournaments.
    With the early start to the Sevens Season a player such as Pocock who is vital at his club could be available for the December window where as a player such as Stapleton who isn't getting selected for the Force may be able to do two blocks during the Super 14 Season.
    A player such as Quade Cooper who was required for the full S14 sooner than envisaged would be able to extend his Senior experience by coming into the Sevens Squad for the late May - early June window rather than flirting with the fringes of a Wallaby Squad or just going back to Club Grade.

    The second initiative which I believe should be implemented is a "Scrum School" for the tight fives around the country.
    While each S14 team in Australia is to be competitive against each other, ultimately the competition is to develop our best players for each position for the Wallabies.
    With this in mind, I believe huge gains in scrummaging could be made by having a couple of weeks "Summer Camp" for any Australian S14 tight five player not committed to the Spring Tour.
    This would be a time for all Scrum Coaches to meet and discuss ways of improving players and having similar approaches for what to expect.
    Likewise, specialist Coaches could be brought in (Cron, Evans etc) to work with the players for a specific dedicated period.
    As players 1-5 generally aren't that suited to the open running of Sevens (even you Boof!) this would be their equivalent extra of the above plan for the rest of the players.

    I believe in general that we have some very skilful players in Australian Rugby.
    However, there are aspects missing that need urgent attention and I believe that these two initiatives could go a long way to helping assist that.

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    Champion Contributor jazza93's Avatar
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    i dont see whats wrong just because the crusaders and blues players are great at keeping the ball alive doesnt mean that aussie teams are bad. thats there style of playing all teams are coached differently and have there own style of playing and mentality.

    why do they keep winging on how good nz are. having meetings and winging doesnt get them anyware they should stop kissing nz`s arse and do something about it.

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    Veteran Sagerian's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Wayne Smith
    ...in the wake of the bleakest interstate match in memory.
    Short memory "Wayne", if that is your real name... Tahs/Brumbies 2005, look it up. Tahs/Reds 2006, look it up. Reds/Brumbies 2007, look it up.

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    Quote Originally Posted by jazza93
    thats there style of playing all teams are coached differently and have there own style of playing and mentality.
    Knocking on, dying with the ball (and giving away possesion or a penalty) and forward passing isn't a "style" though, that is just basic Rugby skills.
    Generally the skills of Australian teams is down on NZ teams and is probably just below SA teams too.
    Doesn't matter what style you play, you still have to protect and retain the pill.

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    Champion Contributor jazza93's Avatar
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    i dont think its that bad and its not much a problem, maybe for the reds but it could be alot better and the crusaders and blues are the benchmark at ball skills and control.

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    Quote Originally Posted by jazza93
    i dont think its that bad and its not much a problem,
    We must watch different footage then

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    The litmus test will be in October, I can't see us bringing Bill back with what I saw on the weekend, but the other thing that isn't being mentioned yet is the inexorable ability of the All blacks to look unbeatable in the lead up to a world cup, only to get knocked out in the semis, by France or South Africa. I'll wait until then before I say too much more.

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    C'mon the

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