It is 30 years since the greatest of all Wallaby touring teams were in Europe, beating all four home unions for the first – and still only – time in their history. There was an anniversary function in Sydney the other day but the names still need no prompting: Mark Ella, David Campese, Roger Gould, the captain, Andrew Slack, Brendan Moon, Nick Farr-Jones, Michael Lynagh, Simon Poidevin, Steve Williams, Steve Tuynman et al.
Together they lit up the autumnal fields of Britain and Ireland with their collective golden touch.
In four Tests against England, Ireland, Wales and Scotland they also scored 12 tries and conceded just one (*quiz question: name the man who scored it?) in the process. Replaying the footage of their grand slam-clinching win against Scotland at Murrayfield on 8 December 1984, you are also reminded of the strength of their pack, more than capable of atoning for any over-ambitious flights of fancy behind the scrum.
Above and beyond the regular flashes of genius from Campese and Ella, however, what really set the class of ’84 apart was how many hearts and minds they won over. Before the squad left home the coach, Alan Jones, was already determined to aim high. He even organised professional singing lessons for the squad to help ensure they would be good post-match ambassadors. Furthermore, on arrival at Heathrow he told every player to write down “Business” in the box marked “Purpose of Visit” on their immigration forms “because that’s what we’re here on”.
His talented squad did not disappoint. Up and down the country they went, pin-balling from the London Division to the Combined Services, Llanelli to Hawick, Pontypool to the Barbarians. A sense of “Will they, won’t they” anticipation followed them everywhere. Over the years historians have glossed over the fact they actually lost four games – against Cardiff, Ulster, Llanelli and South of Scotland – but their form in the Test matches brooked absolutely no argument. As the tireless sage of Australian rugby writing, Greg Growden, wrote the other day, the 2014 Wallabies would probably just edge the 1984 mob in a one-off showdown but only because most of the latter have not played for a quarter of a century.
What is undeniably true is that precious few touring sides are revered these days the way they used to be. New Zealand have just departed these shores having – once again – beaten all three of their opponents (as well as the USA Eagles en route). However, by not bothering with any midweek games they have not left behind an indelible nationwide footprint, the extraordinary Richie McCaw excepted. People know the players’ faces from the television and admire their skills but the modern tour – much of it spent in team rooms in anonymous city hotels – is not designed to encourage leisurely public appreciation.
Brodie Retallick, for example, has just been named World Rugby’s player of the year for 2014. It is a decent shout; the All Black lock has been consistently impressive and is one of those players who has a bigger impact on games than opposing spectators tend to realise. But would anyone approach him for his autograph if he took his strapping off and walked down any high street in Britain? It is a curious irony that at a time when there is a surfeit of international rugby there are increasingly few genuine box-office stars.
With a World Cup coming up, that is something for everyone to ponder. Rather than instructing their players to say nothing remotely controversial or, as the Wallabies are doing, reducing the amount of media engagement with English-based media outlets to a trickle in the buildup to Saturday’s Twickenham fixture, there is a good argument that teams should be doing precisely the opposite.
Hopefully next year’s World Cup will offer a high-profile opportunity to try a different approach. It would be wonderful in 30 years time if Retallick and, say, the hyper-talented Israel Folau are recalled in the northern hemisphere with even half as much fondness as the 1984 Wallabies. With all the corporate duties now involved, the whistle-stop modern international tour – the Lions apart – grows more business-like with every passing autumn. Perhaps the time has come to organise more singing lessons.
*Answer: David Bishop (Wales).
Home Front
One of the biggest games of the English domestic season has just been and gone. The match between Saracens and Northampton, a rerun of last season’s Aviva Premiership final, was played on a soaking wet Sunday lunchtime on a November international weekend, with most people distracted by the previous day’s Test action. What were the fixture planners thinking?
Why schedule a game between two of the strongest pre-season contenders -one of the plum fixtures in the calendar – on a weekend when neither club could field their strongest side? While everyone knows club games and international windows must occasionally clash – pending the day the global season structure is revised – it still felt all wrong.
Club rugby is never going to maximise its potential if its highest-profile games take place when the majority of the population is looking the other way.
One to watch this week ...
England v Australia. Both sides would love a win but England are the more desperate. Next year’s Rugby World Cup is almost a side-issue compared with the opportunity to save some face at the fag-end of a disappointing autumn.
At this stage two years ago England tore the All Blacks apart but their confidence has taken a hit lately. Expect a fast start from the hosts, a skilful Wallaby revival and a tense final quarter.
Something similar to the 2003 World Cup final without extra time, in other words....
