Rugby World Cup: Wallabies kicking coach has local experience team needs

THIS is the man whose local knowledge earned from a decade spent playing in foul English conditions will prove crucial for the Wallabies in the World Cup.

READING, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 26: Chris Malone of London Irish takes a penalty kick during the Aviva Premiership match between London Irish and Harlequins at the Madejski Stadium on February 26, 2011 in Reading, England. (Photo by Paul Gilham/Getty Images)

THE appointment of a kicking coach with a decade’s experience in foul English conditions made all the sense in the world on Monday as rain and wind greeted the Wallabies on arrival at the World Cup.

Australia finally got their feet on British soil in after flying from in from the USA and the gloomy weather gave a timely reminder that UK conditions, and their tactical consequences, will have to be mastered to get a shot at victory.

Goal-kicking is always decisive at World Cups but it will more crucial than ever at this tournament, with forward pressure and sharpshooters sure to feature heavily.

The Wallabies are working on hard on the forward strength but goalkicking has been a headache for Australia all year, and poor form of kickers in Super Rugby saw ARU national kicking coach Damien Hill replaced by Chris Malone last month.

Malone, who is also stepping up from Sydney Uni to be an assistant to Daryl Gibson at NSW next season, joined the Wallabies in the US and has already impressed coach Michael Cheika with his results.

Bernard Foley put a horror night against Argentina to bed with a much-improved six from seven against the USA.

But it’s Malone’s history in England, where he amassed 775 points in 140 Premiership games as a goalkicking five-eighth, that could be a big factor in the Wallabies kicking well at the World Cup.

Former Australian under 21 Malone played for London Irish and Harlequins in London but he is most remembered for his five seasons in the town where the Wallabies are now based: Bath.

“We wanted someone a bit more game orientated, I suppose,” Cheika explained on Malone’s appointment.

“He had done some work with some of the lads before, and he has filled the void quite nicely. He has been working with us quite well.

“He was doing some things with us during the Rugby Championship and I was just waiting to see if he could come to the US with us, and he could get some load done then without games on.

Chris Malone’s local knowledge will help the Wallabies in the World Cup.

“He came to the US and we asked him to come over to the World Cup as well.

That gives us the opportunity to keep going with the progress that we have been making there.”

Statistics compiled at World Cups show a team doesn’t stand a chance of winning without a good goal-kicker. The pool stages tend to be try-fests but playoff matches are the exact opposite: penalties are so valuable they win or lose tournaments.

In 2011, there were only four tries combined in the two semi-finals and final, but ten penalty goals. In the last three tournaments, just 15 tries have been scored in those same three matches — but 36 penalties.

In 1999, there were 32 penalties in the trio of finals and just nine tries. And so on and so on.

Foley, who’ll share goal kicking duties with Quade Cooper, Matt Giteau and Kurtley Beale at the World Cup, has repeatedly said he wasn’t worried about only kicking 70% in Super Rugby this year and that consistency was key to improving.

Cheika agrees.

“He had that one bad game and he hadn’t really had a chance to kick until last week (in Chicago). He has being doing a lot of work. All the boys have been doing a lot of work,” Cheika said.

“That’s what you need, more practice. And that’s what they’ll get​. Just keep practising.”

The Wallabies will have their first training session on Tuesday night before their official World Cup welcome ceremony is held at the famous Roman baths in Bath on Wednesday morning.

Originally published as Rugby World Cup: Wallabies kicking coach has local experience team needs