The Serve Grill: John Connolly
Australian rugby was only seconds away from being completely humiliated, before a Steven Hoiles try after the siren gave the Wallabies a very unconvincing win over a weakened Welsh side. John Connolly has a lot of questions to answer. Those answers are right here
TS: John, were you embarrassed by what transpired last night? You were up against a second string Welsh team and almost lost…
JC: Oh no. Not at all. We want to go to France fully equipped. That means having as much experience in as many different scenarios as possible. I think it’s terrific that we were behind on the scoreboard all game.
TS: Something you should get used to?
JC: Absolutely.
TS: Given the closeness of the contest, do you now think resting Lote Tuqiri was a mistake?
JC: Definitely not. There’s a long term plan here. There’s a big prize at the end of all this. By the end of the year, no-one is going to care about this game..
TS: As evidenced by the attitude of the team…
JC: Exactly. Look, this is all about managing high performance athletes that are being put through a very long season. Lote played in thirteen Super 14 matches, we’ve got a seven test program on the books, so that’s twenty games. Torturous. Then consider every game he’ll touch the ball, what, four, maybe five times. Do the math’s and you can see why he needs to be rested. They’re not machines, you know.
TS: But isn’t that devaluing the Australian jersey?
JC: Oh, I think the players are doing a good enough job of that without my help.
TS: Matt Giteau was your starting half last night, but you’ve already indicated that George Gregan will probably be in the number nine next week, with Giteau going back to the centres. Is this chopping and changing doing them any good?
JC: It’s all about processes, and about systems and finding which systems work with which processes. Then it’s about combinations and permutations, alternatives to the permutations and different combinations in different conditions, with different alternatives and what processes go with what.
TS: Can you please explain that in English?
JC: It means we’re stuffed.
TS: You still have the weekly newspaper column in The Sun Herald, but do you miss having the freedom to say what you really feel when you were watching the team from afar?
JC: Like you wouldn’t believe. Geez, I’d have plenty of material.
Interview may not have actually happened
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