Mark Ella: With the focus on God, we could sure use some help

The reality is the Waratahs are in a hole and need Israel Folau to concentrate solely on football.

I concluded last week that if the Waratahs lost to the Blues, God help us. Now, unfortunately, I have to go deeper into the mire.

Sadly, we are at that point and perhaps Israel Folau might be able to talk to God almighty himself to see if the Waratahs can repent on their bad ways and somehow produce a miracle by defeating the Crusaders in Christchurch today.

The Waratahs face the best team historically in Super Rugby with the Tahs’ odds at $8.50 and the Crusaders $1.07, which, sadly, is a true ­reflection of the gulf between Kiwi and Aussie teams this season. It’s embarrassing and God aside, apparently Izzy does not like playing on the wing, according to his wife.

This forced Waratahs backs coach Chris Malone to defend the move in what is another unwanted distraction this week but these ­appear to be the norm at the Waratahs these days.

Malone said Izzy was happy to play where it best suited the team after being shifted to the right wing earlier this season, apparently ­because of his aerial skills, which were of limited benefit against the Blues.

But that didn’t mean Kurtley Beale had to take a huge gamble with a only few minutes remaining on the clock and deliberately play to Folau, who was cruising out wide on the right wing, with a crazy cross-kick in desperation, which, of course, sailed out of Folau’s reach and into touch.

Had the Waratahs’ brains trust run out of ideas when controlling possession and simply being ­patient was the obvious option?

I’d say yes because it was on the end of 18 phases and once again an Australian team didn’t have the confidence to remain vigilant, take their time and work as a collective to pursue victory.

The few times the Waratahs ­attacked the Blues by running a ­direct angle at their defensive line they looked dangerous, as evidenced when Michael Hooper scored his try in the second half.

Far too often the Waratahs scramble across field. Spreading possession wide for the sake of it is overrated unless there is a definite overlap. Good sides know how to engage and commit the opposition defence by running straight at them, which creates uncertainty.

I often wonder why coaches continually direct their three-quarters to spread the ball to the fringes when there is no guarantee of success, instead of using their grey matter to confuse the defensive line. Good five-eighths have this quality, but modern No 10s are so structured that they don’t use their natural instincts, which is a shame and one reason the game in Australia is struggling.

On another note, I feel Folau’s Christian beliefs, and the fracas that he has created throughout the entire rugby world, have taken too much focus away from the game itself.

While I respect his right to ­express his views, I feel the time has come for him to consider the ­potential harm to the game they are causing, whatever their ­intention.

The constant headlines and ­response from players past and present along with the thousands who have voiced their opinions in support and in opposition have completely bamboozled the game’s administrators, who don’t know how to handle this delicate issue. At the end of the day, it is all about the game, which is fought between two teams and has no ­relevance to what others think about religion.

Raelene Castle and Rugby Australia have been very tolerant with Folau, but I feel they are at the end of their tether and it would be wise if he would just let this issue die a natural death and concentrate on football.

The reality is the Waratahs are in a hole and need him at his best, particularly when you consider the Crusaders have won 13 of their past 15 games against the Tahs — including eight wins in a row in Christchurch. The Crusaders have won 19 of their past 20 home games, including their past 13 in a row, their best run since winning 14 on the bounce from 2009 to 2011.

The Crusaders’ last four home defeats have all come against New Zealand opposition; they’ve lost just two of their past 69 at home against clubs from outside New Zealand, which is an amazing ­record.

At least the talk coming out of the Waratahs camp this week was positive with prop Tom Robertson insisting the tourists would carry no baggage across the Tasman and couldn’t wait to go toe to toe with the team they beat in the epic 2014 final.

Another positive I can see is Daryl Gibson was a Crusaders great and they might take pity on him, but I don’t think so. Heaven help the Tahs and Australian rugby.