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'Ideally, you see our 5 Super Rugby teams consistently beating NZ teams'

Waratahs captain Phil Waugh leads the team song in their changeroom after winning the round five Super 14 match between the Waratahs and the Lions the at Sydney Football Stadium on March 12, 2010 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)

Phil Waugh is challenging Australia’s under-performing Super Rugby sides to finally stand up to their New Zealand rivals for the sake of the Wallabies and the ailing code in general.

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The All Blacks have enjoyed a mortgage-like hold on the Bledisloe Cup since 2003, way back when Waugh was still playing.

Now the champion flanker turned Rugby Australia chief executive is offering advice on how the Wallabies can break the embarrassing 21-year series-winning drought.

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    And it’s not exactly rocket science: start beating the Kiwis at Super Rugby and that might help when it comes to Test time.

    Last year, the benchmark ACT Brumbies, NSW Waratahs, Queensland Reds, Melbourne Rebels and Western Force managed just six wins from a combined 30 matches against their trans-Tasman foes in Super Rugby.

    Even that 20 per cent winning strike rate was an improvement on two decades of NZ beat-downs that includes a humiliating combined low of none-from-31 return against the Crusaders, Chiefs, Blues, Hurricanes and Highlanders in 2017.

    When it comes to play-off matches in New Zealand, it’s even worse.

    Phil Waugh
    Rugby Australia CEO Phil Waugh speaks to the media. (Photo by Brendon Thorne/Getty Images)
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    The Kiwis have won all but one of 15 trans-Tasman finals encounters since the competition began in 1996 and Australian victories on NZ soil have become alarmingly rare.

    But in 2015, when the Brumbies and Waratahs both made the Super Rugby semi-finals, the Wallabies reached the World Cup final in England.

    “There’s a strong correlation between having a successful Wallaby team and how we perform at Super Rugby level and it’s important for our Super Rugby team to set up the season for the Wallabies,” Waugh said ahead of the competition start on Friday.

    “There’s been challenges around our competitiveness in Super Rugby, and we’ve seen that go through into the late stage of the tournament.

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    “Ideally, you see our five Super Rugby teams consistently winning and beating New Zealand teams.”

    Waugh was reticent to offer a “pass mark” for the Australian teams against Kiwi opposition in 2024.

    “All I know is that every game that you go into, we want to have our Australian sides a genuine chance to win,” he said.

    “I don’t want to be too optimistic but, from early signs in the trials, it appears that we’re prepared.

    “It’s going to be how we perform in the games this weekend and, ideally, we get off to a fast start for all our Super Rugby teams.”

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    Comments

    3 Comments
    S
    Shaylen 363 days ago

    Really unfortunate that Australian rugby is where it is right now scraping the bottom of the barrel hoping for a miracle

    M
    MattJH 364 days ago

    CEO of Rugby Australia, Phil Waugh, is urging Australian sides not to suck this year.
    “It might make the wallabies better” said Waugh in a statement so obvious it could have been made by any human whether they watch rugby or not.

    P
    Pecos 364 days ago

    Blah blah blah.

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    JW 50 minutes ago
    'He wants players to be able to play four positions': Former All Black critiques Robertson's strategy

    Sorta “rent a comment” kinda guy really.

    Haha yep another great way to say it.


    Look I actually agree with the guy, he might have heard something said and seeing as he loves to make a spotlight, and be in it, he decided/mistakenly came up with this headline grabber?


    Despite what I already said was the actual idea for the topic he mistook, I think, at this particular moment, there are plenty of situations people should be sticking. I’m OK with the Dmac situation if its just until Stevenson and Etene start sharing the Fullback job. I’m OK with Barrett being left at 15 and Perofeta being given the job to displace Plummer (easy task for him imo) as the first five (with the ABs in mind). But pretty much all the others, like your suggestions, they are far off optimal understanding of their core positions so should be trying to specialize for a couple of years. Think Ioane and Proctor, one or the other, not trying to get both on. Barrett or ALB/Higgins/Lam, Sititi and Sotutu at 8, Finau/Haig/all the 6’s injured or gone etc.


    From Razors perspective, of a coach on the limit of what can be achieved, he wants to a balance of core and niche. Having players able to cover situations when your down a man, through card or because he’s lying on the ground, you want your players to be adaptable. Does this mean he’d like them to learn that adaptable by playing other positions fully, like for a whole game in another position, or just as in terms of their skills sets. Because if you apply what I suggested Razor was referring to as “four” positions, wingers can be very useful in other roles like a carrying 12, or a pilferring 7, let alone benefit from a tight relationship and understand of what a 13 is trying to do for them.


    This concept applies to pretty much every single position. Take your(my) Lock example, theyre now lifters, they can (size and shape allowing) ruck and maul like the front row, run like a back and offload like a basketballer. Many recent young locks of of this rangy razzle dazle variety.


    Personally I really like and think that adding versatility is inevitable with the amount of training and really early highperformance skill/athleticism work they get through. Max Hicks looked interesting as a 2m beanpole playing openside in France, PSDT showing the frame is certainly viable (as apposed to the typical 6 playing lock), opensides really need a running/carry side to their play these days and could easily play in midfield. Halfbacks are starting to play standing up straight rather than low to the ground, how cool would it have been if the Hurricanes had decided to retain Preston by switching Roigard to 10 for this season? Like Leroy Carter they’re already good wingers with the right pace. I do really see the back three players staying were they are for the most part though, unless theyre special players like Dmac.

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