Australia Need An Overhaul

After another defeat this Australian squad is suffering a real lack of confidence. They have only beaten Argentina twice and the Lions in one test in the last ten games. Not the record of a strong Wallaby outfit. They are going through a period of transition with Ewan McKenzie taking up the reins after the longest managerial spell they have ever had, under Robbie Deans. However, two wins from seven is not good enough start for Ewan McKenzie who came in after the Lions series, with the quality that the Australians possess.




This weekend is an ideal chance to stop the rot, a game in Italy where they can prove that they are still a world class team. With Quade Cooper and Will Genia, the Reds half-back combination playing together again for their country they could put on a show when the team finally clicks. But, a win against Italy would not be enough to satisfy the fans, the games that they will need to perform in are the following games against Scotland, Ireland and Wales. They should warm up as this Autumn series goes on which is ominous for Wales who play them in the last game, but still they won't up their performances without a big effort from the squad.

Squad is the key word, the squad ethos is something that doesn't feel apparent in the Wallaby camp right now. The squad has changed a lot in the last few years, with several players being kicked out of the squad altogether, the latest one of these being James O'Connor. O'Connor was kicked out of the squad for 'off the field incidents', a phrase that feels common in Australian Rugby right now, with Beale recently kicked out for the same reason. The scrum-half legend Will Genia has also been dropped recently, added to that Quade Cooper called the environment in the Australian camp 'toxic'. It doesn't feel like a happy camp, the only way to fix that is by keeping a fixed squad and winning games. Look at the way Stuart Lancaster has rebuilt confidence in the England squad after the 2011 World Cup, by shipping out the older players and sticking to his guns with a young and upcoming squad. He has lost games along the way, to 30-3 to Wales, who arguably are further along this process. However, in losing games, the squad has learnt and come out of it stronger, looking assured against Australia on the weekend.

This is the next step for Australia, fix the holes in their squad by getting rid of the problem players however talented they are. Then fill in the gaps with young and upcoming players, they can then hold that squad for the foreseeable future and have some stability in the squad. The 2015 World Cup would have to be considered a write off if this happened, but by the 2019 World Cup the fruits of Wallaby labour would almost have come to fruition.