Rotation policy won’t stop Aussie teams chasing Super Rugby playoffs

This might be the biggest gamble of Michael Cheika’s coaching career but if the Wallabies win the World Cup this year, it won’t because they were wrapped in cotton wool.

Waratahs and Wallabies star Sekope Kepu has played the most minutes of any Super Rugby prop this season. Picture: Getty Images

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So much for the fears that Australia was blindly following New Zealand’s policy of needlessly resting players to keep them fresh for the World Cup.

This might be the biggest gamble of Michael Cheika’s coaching career but if the Wallabies do get their hands on the Webb Ellis Trophy this year, it won’t because they were wrapped in cotton wool.

With just four rounds left of the Super Rugby season, statistics show the Wallabies are among the busiest players in the tournament, racking up more matches and more minutes that their international opponents.

Veteran Waratahs’ front-rower Sekope Kepu has played every match this season, chalking up more minutes (804) than any other prop in the competition.

The Rebels’ little general Will Genia (831 minutes) has been among the most active halfbacks this season, while no centre in the tournament has been on the field as much as the Queensland captain Samu Kerevi (946 minutes).

Waratahs and Wallabies star Sekope Kepu has played the most minutes of any Super Rugby prop this season. Picture: Getty Images

The Wallabies skipper Michael Hooper (880 minutes) is the second most used flanker this year, while NSW five-eighth Bernard Foley (872) and fullback Kurtley Beale (831) are also among the leaders in their positions, although all three have reduced their workloads after showing signs of burnout when the internationals rolled around in 2018.

That’s all great news for the sceptics who were worried that Australia was blindly copying a system that works for New Zealand but won’t work on this side of the Tasman.

And it’s great news for every rugby follower who subscribes to the theory that the best way to really toughen up for the challenge of a World Cup is by playing tough rugby week-in, week-out instead of watching from the sideline.

Queensland captain Samu Kerevi has racked up huge minutes this season. Picture: AAP

But if those same players run out of gas right when they need it most, the first question on everyone’s lips will be why Cheika decided to roll the dice instead of keeping his powder dry.

The reason is simple. Unlike the All Blacks, who each have to sit out at least two matches during the Super Rugby season, the protocol for the Wallabies was always intended to be flexible.

Although Cheika has been keeping the specific details of his policy a closely guarded secret, what’s now clear is that he’s been true to his word and let each of the four state coaches have the final say about when to rest players depending on the team and the individual’s circumstances.

Wallabies coach Michael Cheika has adopted a flexible rotation policy. Picture: Getty Images

That’s why, with the Reds now effectively out of the playoff race after last weekend’s loss to the Waratahs, Kerevi has been given this week off, his first break of the year.

And it’s also why, with the Waratahs still in the hunt, the NSW coach Daryl Gibson is apologetically playing his best line-up, saying: “It’s just a matter of getting us to a point where we remain competitive,” he said.

“I have debated the strategy of resting our guys through different games but I have got to play the short game, not the long game.”