Introducing Joe Schmidt to Australians.
Joe Schmidt, the former coach for Ireland, has embarked on a successful start with the Wallabies after scoring a victory against Wales with a scoreline of 25-16 in Sydney last Saturday. Earlier, Australia suffered a heavy loss to Wales with a staggering 40-6 defeat which knocked them out of their World Cup journey. It is reasonable to assume that Australians are pleased to see signs of improvement.
It’s probable that the majority are content. However, former player Matt Toomua voiced dissatisfaction towards a typical aspect of Schmidt’s strategy, which is notably common in this hemisphere’s rugby discussions.
It would be a gross oversimplification to assert that Schmidt alone led to the surge in the popularity of the scrumhalf box kick in Irish rugby. Nevertheless, it is accurate to state that under Schmidt’s guidance as coach, Conor Murray perfected this kick model, aimed at either pushing the opposition into their own half or reclaiming the ball in the air further along the field.
A number of Australians view Joe Schmidt’s box-kicking tactic akin to an intrusive creature.
Toomua expressed his displeasure towards the amount of kicks originating from Australian scrumhalves’ boots last weekend in his discussion with ‘The Roar’ website. He asserted that this is not typically aligned with Australian rugby. “It’s very un-Australian in a way,” he added.
Will Ireland be able to tackle the rejuvenated Springboks?
“If you pose this question to the typical spectator, they detest it,” Toomua said. He also speculated that a player like Tate McDermott may find it challenging in terms of selection due to this. “There was a time when Nick Phipps only managed two kicks in a whole season for the Waratahs off nine, so it’s not a customary Australian tactic,” he pointed out.
Is there merit in Toomua’s argument? Well, Schmidt certainly doesn’t think so. In contrast, the head coach appears to dismiss the idea that McDermott finds kicking problematic. “He’s got that really nice long kicking game, high kicking game,” averred Schmidt ahead of the Wales series. “Those are elements that I believe we can exploit,” he added.
Whether McDermott was a powerful kicker or not, he didn’t get a chance to start the match on Saturday. It was Jake Gordon who assumed the position of the starting scrumhalf, with McDermott relegated to the bench. Together, the pair performed 15 kicks. In a grim reminder of the World Cup failure against Wales that brought an abrupt end to Eddie Jones’ leadership, Australian scrumhalves McDermott and Nic White performed 10 kicks.
Further statistics seem to support the belief that Schmidt has ushered in a period of increased practicality. In that disastrous World Cup match, the Australian team kicked the ball in play 18 times, resulting in a ratio of one kick for every seven passes. However, this past Saturday saw that figure rise to 31. The Australian side is now kicking about once every five passes.
Therefore, Toomua is indeed correct about Australia kicking more frequently and in greater numbers under Schmidt’s guidance. When Schmidt introduced such practicality in Ireland, critics were silenced as Ireland secured consecutive Six Nations titles in his first two seasons.
Toomua and other critics may find themselves softening their stance if Australia manages to achieve similar success. At first glance, this new strategy appears to have led to victory against a Welsh team that had previously given the Wallabies a beating.
It didn’t take long, however, for critics to return when Schmidt’s Irish team began to flounder in early 2019. As with any strategy, it’s popular when successful but attracts criticism when it fails.
Following just one match as coach, Schmidt seems set to ignite a debate in Australian rugby circles. Whether his approach engenders the same level of success it once achieved will be interesting tosee.
Schmidt’s 13th match leading Australia will be against his former team in Dublin. He has ample time to establish what he perceives as a fresh winning formula for Australian rugby.