Wallabies tour: Grand Slam vital for future of Australian rugby

The Wallabies winning the Grand Slam is crucial to the future of Australian rugby.

The Wallabies winning the Grand Slam is crucial to the future of Australian rugby.

After the euphoria of the Wallabies’ overachieving to reach the World Cup final last year, Aust­ralian rugby is again back in the doldrums, due to a number of ­reasons on and off the field.

The question that must be asked is who is mainly responsible for Australian rugby’s decline over the past 13 years? Is it the administration, or coaches, or players? No. It is the administration and the coaches and the players.

You can accuse the administration of being weak and indecisive; criticise the selections and game plans of coaches from Eddie Jones to Michael Cheika and question the mercenary motivations of players.

How far has Australian rugby really come, or retreated, in the last 13 years, particularly with our flagship team, the Wallabies?

After the highs of the World Cup in England, the Wallabies have come back to earth with an almighty thud, winning just three of 10 Tests this year, including ­unprecedented three-nil whitewashes by England and the All Blacks.

If it were not for Argentina joining the Rugby Championship, the Wallabies would have won just one Test this year, which is why it is so important they finish the season on a positive note.

When the Wallabies won the historic Grand Slam in 1984 it was like finding the holy grail, but now beating the four home ­nations may well be the saviour of the game in Australia.

This Grand Slam is about more than the Wallabies’ win-loss record. It is about winning back the hearts and minds of disillusioned fans, of which, I must admit, I am one.

If the Wallabies can beat the best of Britain and Ireland for just the second time in history, it will give the flagging game here a tremendous boost. Winning the Grand Slam is the next best thing to winning the World Cup, holding the Bledisloe Cup and beating the British and Irish Lions.

It will not be an easy task, which is why the Grand Slam has only ever been accomplished by Australia once before. Even though the team showed signs of improvement in the dead rubber against the All Blacks in Auckland, there are still problems that Cheika must solve to ensure success in the British Isles and France.

How a team can dominate possession and territory to the extent that they did and still be outscored six tries to one is beyond me.

Of course, the Wallabies’ opposition in Britain and Ireland will not be as formidable as the All Blacks, but they will still be tough to beat on home soil and sensing that the Australians are vulnerable.

The opening Test against Wales in Cardiff will set the tone for the tour. Lose and the dream of winning the Grand Slam is over. Win and you are well on your way.

The Wallabies have an 11-game winning streak against Wales dating back to 2009 and their win against the Welsh in the so-called pool of death last year was one of their best efforts at the World Cup.

Australia should go into the game confident, but not overly so, and unless they play to their pot­ential, it could be a struggle.

Scotland will be smarting over Craig Joubert’s refereeing blunder which cost them an upset victory over the Wallabies in the World Cup quarter-final and they have tripped up Australia on the odd occasion, but I think the tourists should be too strong.

If I were coach Cheika, I would treat the Test against France in Paris as a midweek match and focus my attention on beating Ireland in Dublin, which they are capable of doing.

French club rugby may be paying the way for many Australian rugby players, old and new, but it has definitely lost its way on the international stage and Cheika should feel comfortable giving the next generation of Wallabies such as rugby league convert Marika Koroibete valuable experience and rest some of our established stars.

Hopefully, with three wins in the bag, the Wallabies would go into the final Test against England at Twickenham with huge momentum to seek revenge for the June whitewash and achieve their second Grand Slam.

The Wallabies must be hyper-motivated to turn the tables on Eddie Jones’ men. This will be a Test to savour, but the lead-up may be even more entertaining than the game itself. The cunning Jones is already making wisecracks about “clowns” and will drive Cheika to the edge of his sanity.

With Australian rugby fans desperately needing something to cling to, the Grand Slam could be the life preserver the game is scrambling for.