‘We’d had enough of being bullied’ – Wallabies legend lifts lid on Australia’s stunning mid-season transformation
‘We’d had enough of being bullied’ - Wallaby legend lifts lid on Australia’s stunning mid-season transformation
Wallaby legend Chris Latham says the “bullying” and “crap” thrown at his former team sparked the change in attitude which has transformed Australia’s year, catapulting them into Rugby Championship contention.
The Green and Gold have gone from first Test humiliation by the British and Irish Lions in July to thrashing world champions South Africa at Ellis Park in August and very nearly backing that up in Cape Town a week later.
The metamorphosis from a side schooled by the Lions in Brisbane and losing the series inside eight days, to easily beating Andy Farrell’s side in Sydney and franking that form against the shellshocked Boks has been astonishing.
Next up are two Tests with Argentina, the first on Saturday in Townsville. With Los Pumas coming off a first-ever home win against New Zealand, it has the makings of quite a contest.
There are many theories as to how Joe Schmidt’s side has reached this point. The names of Will Skelton and Nic White feature in most. But Latham says the explanation is less about personnel than frame of mind.
Speaking exclusively to Planet Rugby, the former fullback said: “When Australians are really battered, have their backs against the wall and there’s enough hate, there comes a belief that things are going to turn around and it’s not going to take much.
“How can I best explain it? Look, when Aussies have had enough, we’ve had enough! After the first Test with the Lions, with all that was said questioning whether we deserved to ever host another series, I got a clear sense we’d had enough.
“Enough of being bullied, enough of crap being said about us. That was it, that was all we were going to take. It had reached a point where it was very hurtful and very confronting.
“That’s sport, and you’ve got to understand things are sometimes going to get that way, and it’s what you are prepared to do about it.”
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Irritation due to underestimation
Rewind to July, and Latham, head coach of the Chicago Hounds MLR franchise, was back home in Brisbane with a ticket for the Lions series opener at Suncorp.
He was irritated by Henry Pollock’s claim that a 3-0 whitewash was “definitely on the table”, went public with branding the Lions “cocky”, and said he expected the team he graced for so many years to “shut up” the tourists.
It did not transpire that way at all. The Lions led 24-5 two minutes into the second half, and that was that. It turned out that all the attitude had come from Latham. Nobody backed up his words.
“During that game, I think it clicked with the Wallabies that from a skill point of view, an ability point of view, a game point of view, they weren’t going to be far off,” says the 78-cap World Cup winner.
“But from an attitude point of view, I think they were surprised at how much more they needed a bully, a big physical presence and – I use this word very carefully – an arrogance about them.
“When I talk arrogance, I mean a respectful arrogance, not an arrogance where you’re showing opposition disrespect or going against the ethics of the game. I mean, having a demeanour and an assurance about yourself that you’re going to be successful and that you’re going to show it and not hide and be afraid to put it out there.
“Will Skelton’s actions in Melbourne the following week were exactly what I’m talking about. He didn’t take a backwards step. He showed that dominance – yes, arrogance – that ‘Come at me, try and stop me, or try to go through me. And every time you do, I’m going to put you on your arse or make sure I go through you’.
“The Wallabies really fed off that from an attitude point of view, and their game just built. They were grossly unlucky not to win that second Test, a week after that they were clearly the better team in Sydney, and they carried that momentum into the Springbok Tests.”
First Wallabies win at Ellis Park since 1963
Latham says he felt quite emotional watching the Wallabies win at Ellis Park for the first time since 1963, watching a team maligned only weeks before come from 22-0 down, scoring 38 unanswered points.
“I was proud, I was humbled, I hadn’t seen a win like that for a very, very long time,” he explains. “They played with passion, guts, huge pride.
“After a false start against the Lions, they stood up and performed against a team built up to be the pinnacle of rugby. They learnt and they grew from that.
“They went to one of the hardest places in the sport to play the world champions and beat them. Then they backed it up the week after, taking the Springboks all the way to the wire.”
The challenge now, after a break, Latham says, is to understand how to get themselves back up to that level again. And to do it against an equally hungry Argentina side.
“I’m sure Joe will be looking to see growth in how they control the ups and downs and the roller coaster of rhythm and momentum within games,” he adds.
“How they keep momentum in their favour. How they minimise the damage when it’s not and get it back quickly before taking a lot of damage.
“Those are the things you need to if you want to win a World Cup. You must be able to control almost the uncontrollable.”