Wallabies legend David Campese shocked by lack of basic skills
Back home after spending the last decade living overseas, David Campese just can’t believe what’s happened to Australian rugby.
Back home after spending the last decade living overseas, David Campese just can’t believe what’s happened to Australian rugby.
He made a flying visit to Europe to watch Australia’s matches against Wales and England and what he saw didn’t impress him.
“It was a boring game,” he said. “It just didn't look like they were interested to play.
“For me, two teams didn't want to lose. It looks like they were just going through the motions.”
Like everyone else, Australian rugby’s greatest showman is frustrated by the Wallabies’ run of losses and the dwindling crowds attending matches.
But the one thing that’s really baffling Campes is why the problems haven’t been fixed, because he says the answers are staring everyone right in the face.
Instead of trying to find complicated solutions, what Australian rugby really needs is get back to the basics, not only in how the game is played at Test level but also how it’s coached and structured.
“It’s just the little things. Sometimes just the littlest thing makes a big difference in a game,” he said. “I think we’ve got to go back to doing some very simple things.”
Still Australia’s record tryscorer, Campese said the Wallabies have all the ingredients to be a great team but are letting themselves down because they over-complicate things and don’t think for themselves.
“If you watch how the All Blacks play, they just do simple lateral passes — that’s how we used to play,” Campese said.
“I don’t think we attack the line enough. We attack about five metres from the opposition and pass the ball sideways and the opposition goes sideways as well so when the winger gets the ball he’s got four guys to push him into touch.
“They train hard which is fair enough but I think the coaches have got a lot to do with it with as well. The coaches have got to start letting the players think on the field. At the moment they’re all structured.”
Campese said nowhere is the glaring decline in basic skills and playing on instinct more obvious than with junior players, who weren’t being coached properly.
“I've been away for 10 years so I’ve travelled a lot and I’ve coached and seen a lot and coming back, it’s been pretty frustrating our kids can’t catch and later pass,” he said.
“It’s very scary because that’s part of the way we used to play rugby.
“It’s good to see that they’ve actually realised that you’ve got to get the clubs on board because if you haven't got club rugby there's no rugby.
“That is where rugby started.”
But despite his shock at the way the game has declined in Australia, Campese hasn’t given up hope of the Wallabies winning next year World Cup.
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Originally published as Wallabies legend David Campese shocked by lack of basic skills
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