It’s time for Dave Rennie’s Chocolate Soldiers to show some backbone

Based on what Dave Rennie’s Wallabies have dished up so far this year, it would appear we have a Wallaby team with too many “chocolate soldiers”.

Maybe Tate McDermott should be the one to fire up the Chocolate Soldiers

After last week’s performance in Perth by the Wallabies, I’m reminded that when World War II broke out in September 1939, Prime Minister Robert Menzies sent the Australian Imperial Force and all our best trained soldiers to the Middle East and North Africa.

What was left behind was a militia of young, poorly trained troops tagged “the chocolate soldiers”. It was, of course, a derogatory term.

“Chocolate soldiers” was coined by the AIF because the troops were expected to melt in the heat of battle.

Based on what Dave Rennie’s 2021 Wallabies have dished up so far this year, it would appear we have a Wallaby team with too many “chocolate soldiers” wearing the gold jersey. At least the Cadbury sponsorship on the front of the Wallaby jersey is appropriate.

But the question must be asked, what has coach Rennie done with this team for them to be dubbed in such a way.

Since taking over the Wallabies, Rennie’s team has won three out of 12 Tests. In this year’s Bledisloe Cup series, his team has conceded 18 tries.

The Wallabies’ defence has been described as “Tier 2 standard”. That means our defence is on a par with the likes of Italy, Tonga and Canada.

Surely this is unacceptable, considering the vast amounts of money thrown at players and a bloated coaching staff.

According to recent Rugby Australia budgets, more than $20 million is spent on players and almost $10 million is spent on the Wallaby high-performance program, without any high performance.

The coaching team has a lot to answer for. Whether they like it or not, the Wallabies are expected to play to win. That means the national coach should pick the team that will win each Test match. As I have said many times, that is currently not happening.

Noah Lolesio is the perfect example. He is a work in progress and far from the type of experienced number 10 required to win Test matches.

I agree with Sonny-Bill Williams. With James O’Connor injured, Quade Cooper should have started the Bledisloe Tests and Lolesio could have been introduced off the bench.

In the young man’s debut last year, he seemed to crack under pressure and he did again last week in Bledisloe 3; but he should never have been put in that position.

Before you become a good international coach, you have to be first a good selector.

Admiral Jim Stockdale, the American prisoner of war hero during the Vietnam War, said, about selecting men to go into battle with him: “When selected to lead my first mission, I was responsible for selecting those who would fly with me. Very simply, I chose the best flyers, men I could trust in the heat of deadly combat.”

Rennie’s job is to pick the best team, not a team that might win a Test next year or the year after. To argue from that standpoint is to provide a cover for failure.

Rennie has two massive problems. The first is he seems to be a poor selector. The second is, his defence is leaking far too many tries.

I always argue, when there are only two in the contest, you must be a chance to win.

Can the Wallabies beat the world champion Springboks this weekend? Well, as Sun Tzu said in his book The Art of War: “In the midst of chaos is opportunity.”

Tzu believed that in order to win big battles, there are two key elements. First is the “Zheng”, or the direct force; second there is the “Qi”, or the unexpected force.

In terms of the “Zheng”, the Wallabies will need to be outstanding in the set piece and physical at the breakdown.

The Springboks recently bullied the Lions in the ruck. The Wallabies must match muscle with muscle.

On top of that, the Wallabies’ try line defence will need to be completely committed. They must put their bodies on the line, win the body height battle to defend the line and, above all, want to do it.

In terms of the “Qi”, the Wallabies have an opportunity to attack the Springboks’ big men.

Last week, Tate McDermott took on the All Blacks tight five defenders and created line breaks. Support players have to follow him.

He needs to run again this weekend and terrorise the big Springbok forwards. But he can’t do it on his own. If we get front-foot ball, we are a chance. But there must be support inside and outside the ball carrier. No cut-out passes and no absurd intercepts.

Next up on the “Qi”, the Springboks like to box kick. Our number 8 will have to drop back to support the blindside wingers; and our second-rowers have to get into charge-down positions to block the box kicks.

Do these things well and you’re up to your neck in the contest.

The biggest challenge is always the mindset. I’m sure the boys want to win; there is no evidence that they don’t; but they are not used to winning. They seem to fight for 40 minutes and then fall apart. That is typical “chocolate soldier” stuff.

I wonder, as I wrote last week, what Rennie is saying to the team; but if he’s too soft to demand an 80-minute performance, minute by minute, and identify anyone who isn’t giving it, then someone in the team has to step up and motivate the boys to that end result.

Even McDermott called last week’s performance “soft”. Perhaps he’s the voice to fire up the team.

We are playing the world champions. They didn’t get there by accident. Mindset will be everything. We have to accept a massive physical challenge and put our hearts, as well as our bodies, on the line.

There was some good news this week, relevant to the Wallaby team. I don’t know Brad Thorn, who has been re-signed as Reds coach, but he’s had success in Queensland with the under-20s, with Queensland Country and he coached Queensland to win the Super Rugby AU. In other words, he’s done the basic stuff.

I can’t be the only person who wonders why Queensland are so under-represented in this Wallaby side.

But he made a simple point: “I want to be consistently beating New Zealand teams and be thinking about going to that next level.”

This bloke sounds to me as if he’s got something – mindset.

This weekend, the Wallabies get another chance to shake off the “chocolate soldier” tag and make a collective commitment to embrace the grind and revel in the trench warfare.

One thing I should point out. Those militia men, from World War II, proved to be anything but “chocolate soldiers”.

As history records, they showed extraordinary fortitude in their battle to prevent the Japanese advancing along the Kokoda Track, giving the AIF time to arrive and regroup.

There is the perfect example for the Wallabies to follow. Chocolate soldiers one week; men of history the next.