My rugby hero: Stephen Larkham

David Skippers
Add as a preferred source on Google

During the 2020/21 season, we dig through the archives to highlight a hero from years gone by. Next up, it’s Australia and Brumbies legend Stephen Larkham.

Player background

Stephen Larkham was born on 29 May, 1974 in Canberra and is regarded as one of the best fly-halves to have ever played the game. Starting out as a full-back, he was well known for his pace and footwork, with his graceful and almost effortless running style gaining admirers in Australia. However, it was the switch to number 10 that enabled him to become one of the best players in the world.

It turned out that Larkham was perfectly suited to the pivot position with his passing ability and decision-making skills out of the top drawer. Alongside fellow Brumby George Gregan, they formed an outstanding partnership at both Super 12 and international level, helping the two sides to unprecedented success during their time in the key playmaking positions.

With the fly-half rarely taking place-kicking duties, it allowed Larkham to concentrate on dictating proceedings from the 10 slot. The masterstroke came from Australia head coach Rod Macqueen, who decided to shift the youngster from full-back, and it was a move which many credit as the reason for the Wallabies claiming the 1999 World Cup title.

Unsurprisingly, Larkham would stay there for the remainder of his career – with the odd move to centre – as he played a huge part in a trophy-laden era for the Wallabies and Brumbies. At the capital-based franchise, they won two Super 12 titles, while the national team added to their Webb Ellis Cup by defeating a strong British and Irish Lions side in 2001.

Larkham stayed in Australia until 2007 before ending his playing career at Japanese outfit, the Ricoh Black Rams. Renowned as having one of the sharpest minds in the game, he then went into coaching as the Brumbies’ attack guru before joining up with the Wallabies under Michael Cheika. The former pivot would be unceremoniously dumped before the 2019 World Cup in Japan, but their loss was Munster’s gain as he signed a deal with the Irish province.

His rugby moment

Kicking was not necessarily Stephen Larkham’s strength. He could control games well out of hand and, if desperately required, would take the responsibility from the kicking tee, but it was not something he was particularly comfortable with. It therefore means the idea of drop-goals were somewhat alien to him, particularly in comparison to England supremo Jonny Wilkinson, who played around the same time and was renowned for his dead-eye boot.

Part of the issue early on in Larkham’s career was his poor eyesight. He could barely see the posts, meaning a shot at goal was rather inadvisable, but that’s what the pivot decided to do in one of his, and Australia’s, most important matches. Rod Macqueen’s men were one of the favourites for the 1999 World Cup and had sailed through to the semi-finals when they faced South Africa in the last-four.

They were expected to defeat the defending champions, who had lost four on the bounce earlier in the year, but the Boks had a relative unknown in their team by the name of Jannie de Beer that had stunned England in the quarters. It was a kicking masterclass from De Beer as he slotted an incredible five drop-goals in a 44-21 victory over the Red Rose. That threat needed to be closed down and, indeed, Macqueen’s charges limited him to just one over the course of the 80 minutes.

Instead, the battle took place off the tee as Matt Burke and De Beer traded three-pointers throughout the encounter, leaving the game poised at 21-21. It needed extra time to decide the contest and that’s where Larkham came to the fore, producing an act which proved decisive in his side lifting the Webb Ellis Cup. After collecting the ball 48 metres out, he surprised everybody by swinging his right boot at the ball, but the playmaker connected wonderfully as it sailed between the uprights.

The Springboks, and its drop-goal master, had been usurped as the Wallabies took control of the match and sealed their place in the final with a 27-21 triumph. It was one of the great World Cup moments and gave Australia the momentum they needed to claim the win. The Wallabies then faced France, who had stunned outright favourites New Zealand in the previous round, but with Larkham in typically brilliant form, they were too good for Les Bleus and duly lifted their second world title.

Australia Stephen Larkham

Related Articles