The likes of Stephen Larkham, George Gregan and Phil Waugh no longer grace the green grasses of the hallowed rugby grounds across Australia. With it, long gone are the days when Australian Rugby and the Wallabies dominated both Super Rugby and the Tri-Nations.
How about this current generation of Australian Rugby players then? Are they too heavily criticised? Is Robbie Deans the right man to coach the Wallabies? Do they have the potential to win a World Cup or become the number one side in the world? Or are we simply stagnating as a Rugby nation on the world stage?
The fact that the Wallabies have not won a Bledisloe Cup since 2002 clearly demonstrates that New Zealand has well and truly taken over Australia in the landscape of international rugby. The only reason why Robbie Deans is still the coach of the Wallabies is thanks to the large turnover of players that South Africa have faced in the last few years leading to mediocre results and meaning that they and not the Wallabies are currently ranked as the number 3 team in the world.
Taking a step backwards, Australian franchises in Super Rugby have also struggled. Lets face it, Australia does not have the depth to field 5 teams in a 15 team competition! The Western Force in particular have been disappointing in not only their failure to improve on results but in the notion that they have been consistently losing their best players year in, year out with the likes of David Pocock, Drew Mitchell, James O'Connor and Matt Giteau all leaving the Perth based outfit. The Melbourne Rebels on the other hand have not fared much better either. Although the Rebels must be given somewhat a benefit of the doubt as they only started playing Super Rugby in 2011, 2013 looms as a big year where expectations at the Rebels will be higher than merely not finishing last. Their performances thus far however have not suggested that the Rebels could improve on their 13th placed finish last season and with disruptions involving key playmaker Kurtley Beale, it looks like it is going to be another grim season. Just by looking at the Super Rugby ladder, the fact that 2 out of the 4 bottom placed teams are Australian says it all! The underperformance of the Waratahs, where the majority of Wallabies are picked from, for several seasons now is also cause for concern for Australian Rugby in general whilst the Reds have shown that although they can make the finals they are no threat to take out the competition, which leaves Australia with only one side which we can hope to bring home the Super Rugby trophy this season - The Brumbies (who are coached by a South African all be it).
What are the positives then?
To sum it up in one word - potential.
Although the Wallabies have a handful of world class players such as Will Genia, Wycliff Palu and David Pocock they simply don't have the resources to put out a team of 15 that will match the All Blacks stride for stride. Where we do have the upper hand on our neighbours across the ditch is that the Wallabies are a much younger side than the current All Blacks and a more experienced side than the Springboks. It is without a doubt that players such as James O'Connor, Kutrley Beale and Quade Cooper have been under performing and need to get their act together both on and off the field because if they do then the Wallabies may once again become the best side in world rugby! Although the 2015 World Cup in England does seem a long way away the upcoming Lions tour of Australia together with another edition of the Rugby Championship may once again put Australia up there as the favourites to take out the title. If it dosen't well then at least it will clarify the future of Robbie Deans who's conservative and defensive style of rugby has been criticised within Australian time and time again.
- Vladimir Aleksov
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