The Front Row: Expert opinions fail to fan passion in Wallabies

The little Wallaby badge on Michael Cheika’s lapel said it all. As if shot, the team symbol had slipped downwards so its tail pointed upwards and its nose had hit the deck.

Australian coach Michael Cheika. Photo: AAP

RUGBY Australia shouldn’t have been considering banning the disgruntled fan who clashed with Lukhan Tui following Saturday night’s loss to Argentina. They should be rewarding him with free admission for life.

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Sure, his behaviour crossed the line (something the Wallabies couldn’t manage in the last play of the game) but at least it diverted media attention away from the team’s woeful performance.

Can we now say Australian rugby is officially in crisis? Surely so.

Wallabies coach Michael Cheika. Photo: Getty Images

I read one report yesterday that said “the Wallabies are plumbing depths never experienced before during the professional era”.

While I think that might be overstating it somewhat — the hoo-ha surrounding the demise of the Ewen McKenzie regime four years ago will take some beating — it’s neck and neck.

The little Wallaby badge on Michael Cheika’s lapel at the post-match media conference said it all.

As if shot, the team symbol had slipped downwards so that its tail pointed upwards and its nose had hit the deck. Much like the coach himself.

Not that Cheika should have to take sole responsibility for the way his side performs. He has a team of supposed expert assistants in charge of specialist areas of the players’ preparation.

Might I suggest that the performance of these experts should also come under the microscope?

What is the story with the lineout?

From my vantage spot in my lounge chair it appeared that the ball was being thrown in by our hooker before his teammates were set and ready. Not entirely his fault. The game lasts 80 minutes and he can only wait so long before the referee penalises him for time-wasting.

Shouldn’t our forwards coach be suggesting to the lads that rather than meandering into line like schoolkids after little lunch a sense of urgency might be appropriate? The Argentinians seemed to have grasped the concept.

Then again, I must admit to being a little surprised when Cheika appointed former Fijian international Simon Raiwalui as his forwards coach earlier this year. I would love to be proven wrong, but I’ve never thought of the Fijians as being at the cutting edge of set-piece technique.

And while the Wallabies’ skills coach Mick Byrne came highly recommended after a stint with the All Blacks, on Saturday nights’ showing it would seem he needs to do some extra work with certain players.

Israel Folau for one. Cheika and just about everyone else associated with the team has stressed that Folau’s astonishing decision to run into the Argentinian defence rather than pass to an unmarked Bernard Foley in the final seconds didn’t “lose” the Test match.

Perhaps so, but there’s no arguing that it was responsible for the Wallabies not winning it.

It’s all about taking advantage of opportunities when they present themselves, and right now Australian rugby isn’t doing that — a fact made all the more painfully obvious because its two opposition winter codes are currently making every post a winner.

The AFL has already broken all finals crowd records with two weeks still remaining, and both NRL matches on the weekend were showpieces.

Rugby Australia’s solution to its current woes is reportedly to consider bringing a “new voice” such as former captains John Eales or George Gregan into the mix. From my close-up observations of Michael Cheika over the past few years, I’d say that will go down like a lead balloon.

Seems to me if they are looking to instil some passion into the side I’d be handing a Wallaby jersey to the member of Lukhan Tui’s family entourage who ejected that offensive fan out of Cbus Stadium like he was on roller-skates.

That was without doubt the most dominant Australian performance of the night.