Plenty At Stake For Players And Coach Alike
Sun Herald
Sunday October 26, 2008
When the Wallabies embark on their November tour the win-loss column will be the greatest measure of success.
However, on this particular tour there will be other, less tangible ways to judge progress for coach Robbie Deans.I've often spoken about the need to increase the depth in the Australian squad, hence my decision to take 37 players on the corresponding tour two years ago. Now Deans, with a similar-sized squad of 34, has the same opportunity.Of the 37 players I took across in 2006, 30 played in Tests. And there's no doubt there will be opportunities for players to rise in the pecking order with strong performances to displace more established Test stars. Two years ago Benn Robinson was in his first year of international rugby. Since then he has cemented a spot as a starting prop. Stephen Moore has done likewise at hooker after making his run-on Test debut on the 2006 trip. The tour was also the making of Wycliff Palu.Yet, while some reputations will be enhanced, others may suffer.Outside the Tests there has been no first-class rugby in Australia since May, putting added pressure on the Wallabies to perform.From a coaching perspective I've always said a team can improve more on the road, living with each other day in and day out, than they can at home. It's a chance for great gains. The key to these tours is balancing what you do on and off the field. It can't all be about rugby but the main focus has to be on performing on the field. I've seen teams go off the rails on the road but experienced managers such as Phil Thomson are very good at getting the balance between work and play right. There are worse places to spend a week than Paris and it's important the players get a chance to soak up the culture while improving theirrugby.This will not be an easy tour. In 2005 Australia won one game on their end-of-season tour, against Ireland, and the following year lost one Test on the tour to the same country in blizzard conditions. The conditions, and how we adapt to them, will play a big part. Now we have the added task of facing the All Blacks first up.The fact the match is in Hong Kong means neither side will have the home advantage. The build-up of both teams couldn't be more different. Australia are fresh, having played little rugby.The All Blacks are at the end of a long NPC season, with many of their players backing up seven days after the final between Canterbury and Wellington. The Wallabies have an advantage in terms of being together longer as a team, although the All Blacks are battle-hardened.It's a fascinating contrast.Deans will have a definite plan in mind about the make-up of his team, particularly for the first two games of the tour against the All Blacks and Italy. After that the thinking has to be flexible in order to juggle injuries and to give every player a chance to impress. The word is he will name a very similar team against the All Blacks to that which played themmost recently.Mark Chisholm will come into the second row, with Richard Brown to replace Palu. Dean Mumm will come on to the side of the scrum. If Lote Tuqiri isn't fit Drew Mitchell will replace him on the wing, with Berrick Barnes going into the centres in place of Ryan Cross. That gives Australia a very experienced side - nine were starters in the World Cup, while Chisholm and Mitchell came off the bench. Deans will be mindful of giving Quade Cooper, David Pocock, Sekope Kepu and James O'Connor - the four youngsters in the squad - a run. The challenge is timing, knowing when to blood them. I would expect the strongest side would back up against France and England.This tour will give Australia a reasonable indication of where we are. Just as importantly, it will give players an opportunity to show what they're made of.
© 2008 Sun Herald