Mortlock: Axing Giteau Law would set Wallabies back further
While some former Wallabies are plumping for greater selection of overseas-based players, ex-Test stars Ben Darwin and Stirling Mortlock feel it could see Australia slide further down the world rugby rankings.
Following a record Bledisloe Cup defeat by New Zealand, Rugby Australia is reportedly looking at lowering the existing 60-cap selection requirement for players outside the domestic competition.
Test greats such as Will Genia called the "Giteau Law" out of date and restrictive and said the Wallabies needed to be able to pick the best Australian players.
Former World Cup prop Darwin has a business called Gain Line Analytics, which uses data analysis to prove that cohesion is the key to success.
He said it wasn't rugby-specific, using the stability of the Melbourne Storm or Penrith, who have a strong core of juniors as examples.
"The understanding between the participants of a team is far more predictive of the outcome than the level of skill of the individuals of that team," Darwin told AAP.
He said that while bringing overseas players back may work in the short-term, the ramifications for Wallabies could be grave.
The 28-Test prop said that by reducing the number of teams feeding into the Wallabies, there would be greater cohesion.
"The Welsh have a much more cohesive system than they did when we were successful and they did it by reducing the number of teams they were drawing from, from 12 domestic teams to four.
"When a singular club dominates the Wallabies we've won."
He said that while it appears to work for South Africa, it was due to a large cohort of Springboks in the last World Cup coming from one team, the Stormers.
"You can only play that card once, you can't do that again if you've got an overseas-based model.
"They've used some of their prior cohesion to help them be successful now but it's a very short-term answer.
"We already don't have cohesion with our domestic product and this would 100 per cent decimate that and set us back further."
Former Test captain Mortlock backed Darwin's theory and used his experience at the title-winning Brumbies career to being an inaugural Melbourne player, with players drawn from around the world, as an example.
"With a team without cohesion, occasionally you can play really well but consistency is extremely challenging," said Mortlock, who played 80 Tests.
"I agree that highly cohesive teams create long-lasting success - in rugby union look at the Crusaders, who have big cohesion numbers.
"To bring back players open slather from overseas who aren't forming combinations with the bulk of your squad, that's going to undermine your cohesion numbers.
"Getting rid of the Giteau rule is illogical."
Mortlock said prioritising the Wallabies, as Argentina did in effectively playing the national team in the Super Rugby competition, or a bigger focus on the under 20s program, could help with increasing shared experiences.
Latest Comments
John, McKenzie was 10 years ago and he only lasted 15 months until the disgustingly unfair affair that brought him down. I thought that if he didn't get another gig over Eddie V2 then he was done. I read that he had been approached but declined to put his name in the ring.
There are no potential Wallaby coaches outside of McKellar unless you have some inside info?
Go to commentsThe way they are defending is sometime pathetic to be honest. Itoje is usually on the inside of the rush and he is paired with a slower tight forward. Unable to keep up with the rush we have seen the line become disconnected on the inside where the big boys are. How many times have we seen Earl rush past the first receiver almost into no mans land covering no attacker. It looks like a system without any guidance. Tome Wright, Ikitau and a number of Wallabies went back to this soft centre as did Williams, Jordan and several others. Also when the line is broken the multiple lines of defence seems to be missing. The rush is predicated on a cover and recovery system with multiple lines of defence but with England you dont see it any more. Fitness and conditioning seems to be off as well as players are struggling to keep up with the intensity of the rush. Felix Jones has left a huge hole. The whole situation was and is a mess. Why they insist on not letting him go and having him work remotely is beyond me. Its leading to massive negative press and is a hot button issue thats distracting from the squad. Also the communication around Jones and his role has been absolute rubbish and is totally disjointed. While some say he is working remotely and playing a role others are saying theres been no contact. His role has not been defined and so people keep asking and keep getting different answers. England need a clean break from him and need to start over. Whatever reason for his leaving its time to cut the rope before the saga drags the whole Borthwick regime down. As for Joe El Abd well good luck to him. He is being made to look like an amateur by the whole saga and he is being asked to coach a system thats not his and which has been perfected and honed since 2017 by Nienaber, Jones, Erasmus and Co and which was first started by White in 2004. He is literally trying to figure out a system pioneered by double world cup winning coaches at the highest level and coach it at the same time. Talk about being on a hiding to nothing.
Go to comments