John Eales has offered his usual insightful view in regards to where the Wallabies are in their difficult time with their Trans-Tasman rivalry, and for the future.
But the former Wallabies captain has also praised his former test mentor and foundation Melbourne Rebels coach Rod Macqueen for his ethos as one of the country’s great rugby leaders.
Speaking in his column in the Australian Financial Review, Eales made some important references that easily translate to the Rebels as they look to take on the cream of Southern Hemisphere domestic rugby in 2011.
The Rebels will quickly be given a harsh initiation to their new life as the world’s newest rugby team, playing against sides well established with the nations own borders; in the case of Queensland and New South Wales, unions with over 100 years of history.
When the competition moves to the second phase and the Rebels play teams outside of the Australian conference, they then cross swords with the best that both New Zealand and South Africa have to offer.
Even in the immediate weeks, and eventually over time, this will prove extremely beneficial.
As Eales said in the case of the Wallabies, their great advantage is that they play the All Blacks more regularly than any other test side.
“…that privilege, in turn, allows us to gauge ourselves against the best, many times a year. Each of these experiences, so long as they don't destroy our confidence, may enlighten our path forward,” Eales said to the Australian Financial Review.
So it will be for the Rebels.
New teams to the competition rarely begin well, with the Western Force and Cheetahs being the most recent examples when the competition expanded from 12 to 14 teams in 2006.
The Cheetahs are a unique case, as they draw the bulk of their Super rugby team from the Currie Cup side the ‘Free State Cheetahs’. When they were re-admitted to the competition (they played in Super rugby in 1997*), they won five matches to finish tenth on the ladder.
But at the time, the Free State Cheetahs were ruling the Currie Cup, winning titles in 2005, 2006, and 2007. In many respects their provincial dominance has always confused as to why their Super Rugby hybrid the Cheetahs have not performed better.
The Force, Australia’s fourth franchise, came last in their first year with just the solitary win.
But staying true to Eales statement that if confidence is not destroyed then “enlightenment” (or rugby development) will follow from being exposed to the best, the Force improved their results dramatically in 2007 to finish seventh with six wins.
While the Rebels will be excused in many quarters if they have a year or two to adjust to life in arguably the world’s premier provincial showpiece (with the Heineken Cup), Macqueen and co have already set the goal of achieving results from the first match.
Here though the Rebels, who will assemble in October, will not only target their first season and opening matches, but will view their success in the long term.
Something that Eales noted about his old coach.
“One of the reasons Rod Macqueen was a great coach was that he operated with the dual focus of present and future,” Eales said in his column for the Australian Financial Review.
“Not only did he prepare fastidiously for the weekend, he also had a view on how the game would be played in 12 or 18 months' time and trained to be the first team to do so.”
“Some things like physicality and accuracy don't change but the nuances of tactics do and that's where the difference is realised.”
* In the early years of Super Rugby, South African participation was based on their Currie Cup teams, before they created a franchise model in the same style of the New Zealand sides.