For too long the Wallabies have played like pampered pups rather than needing to fend for themselves in the wild.
Chief executives, chairmen and coaches have paid the price for the players not delivering on the field.
That must change, and it’s about time the playing group look themselves in the mirror and ask themselves are they doing enough.
The Wallabies are the nice guys of international rugby.
But in a game played by giants where physicality is everything, the Wallabies have regularly failed to bring the necessary sting in the contact zone to come out on top.
(Photo by Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images)
It’s time they took a leaf out of South Africa’s book and played with some fire.
There’s a fantastic scene in the South Africa World Cup documentary Chasing the Sun 2 where the Springboks take umbrage with the commentary surrounding their “abuse” off the bench.
The fire is lit in the belly and everything about their intensity lifts – not just on Saturdays but on the training paddock daily.
Have the Wallabies played with such a chip on their shoulder over the past decade? It’s a failing several Wallabies coaches have highlighted in Australian rugby in recent years but rarely been able to address.
Schmidt might not have any of the social and political struggles to draw upon that Rassie Erasmus does to inspire his side – “In South Africa, pressure is not having a job. Pressure is one of your close relatives being murdered. There are a lot of problems in South Africa – which are real problems. Rugby shouldn’t be something that creates pressure, rugby should be something that creates hope” – but he only needs to draw on the commentary from the north late last month to reveal what the rest of the world thinks of the Wallabies.
In the eyes of the north, the Wallabies are a laughingstock so much so that calls sounded loudly for the Lions tour to be shifted to South Africa to ensure a competitive, compelling series.
Their defeat to Los Pumas in Argentina was described as “proper dark” while they were taken to the cleaners by the Springboks to kick-start The Rugby Championship.
If the Wallabies don’t use that commentary to play with a chip on their shoulder, why not?
At least Schmidt has a squad starting to emerge, particularly after the welcomed returns of Will Skelton and Samu Kerevi.
Samu Kerevi. (Photo by Hannah Peters/Getty Images)
Recently, the Wallabies have resembled a featherweight fighter in a heavyweight division.
It’s no surprise, therefore, that they’ve regularly come out second best.
The foreign-based duo will bring sting in the contact zone and their late arrival means regular starters Angus Bell and Rob Valetini won’t be effectively lone wolves.
Many can change their perception over the coming five weeks. Taniela Tupou is one.
Fitness is what’s plagued the giant tight-head over the past three years.
Going back to Chasing the Sun 2, Erasmus tells hooker Bongi Mbonambi that “now you must train” after Malcolm Marx goes down injured early in the World Cup last year and is ruled out of the remainder of the tournament.
The hooker does that, and more. He’s further injected into the leadership team.
It culminates in the larger-than-life character breaking down in tears after their great escape in the semi-final over England at the Stade de France.
Would the Wallabies ever put Tupou into their leadership team?
More aptly, would Tupou take it upon himself to do everything he can to lead?
It’s no surprise that Schmidt, and Eddie Jones before him, struggled to settle on a leader with the Wallabies because there are not enough of them.
Skelton’s arrival helps put some meat on the bones with the pack.
With Fraser McReight growing all the time, there’s a semblance of balance starting to emerge. But it won’t be where it needs to be for a couple of years until Jeremy Williams, Nick Frost and Harry Wilson become hardened.
Kerevi’s arrival is just as important as Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii’s – at least in the short-term because it’s more than likely the NRL convert will be eased in rather than being thrown in the deep end immediately despite his call-up.
Without Kerevi and Jordan Petaia, the Wallabies’ backline had a sameness that didn’t present enough threats.
Kerevi, who hasn’t played for the Wallabies in 13 months, will at least provide a threat in the midfield even if he’s not at the top of his game.
He’ll take the pressure off Noah Lolesio by being a strong ball-carrier who regularly gets over the gain line.
If used well, his size should be able to create some space for those outside him as two defenders look to bring down the Japan-based midfielder.
Lolesio stands to benefit the most from Kerevi’s return because for all of Hunter Paisami’s endeavour, he’s no Bundee Aki, Manu Tuilagi or Damian de Allende and can’t always just trudge the ball up and provide go-forward.
After all, the international game is not Super Rugby – a tournament Paisami looks comfortable in.
Schmidt won’t talk about what represents a pass mark because it will only set him up to fail, but two victories from their four end-of-year Spring Tour Tests will give them confidence they’re on the right track ahead of next year’s important Lions series.
A first grand slam in 40 years is unrealistic but they have enough threats now to challenge every opponent if they stay fit and healthy.
Now, it’s about the Wallabies finding the missing edge haunting them for years.
