Eddie Jones can take the blame - and the credit - for a lot that distinguishes Australian rugby, but NSW coach Daryl Gibson is wrong to hold him to account for hindering the attacking skills of Australian players compared to New Zealanders.
That's the opinion of John Connolly, who at the start of 2006 succeeded Jones as coach of the Wallabies. Connolly has his own criticisms of Jones. He could not believe how neglected the Wallabies scrum had become under five seasons of Jones's coaching or how little depth had been developed as Jones would pick the same side, week in, week out, barring -injuries. 
But Connolly is convinced a fair degree of mythology has built up around Australians as brilliantly instinctive rugby players. Rather, he said, the Wallabies play their best when given a structured environment. And while there is little doubt that Jones took pre--programming to lengths not seen before or since, he alone wasn't to blame for Australian rugby looking stilted compared to the Kiwis'.
"NSW are struggling at the moment and Daryl Gibson is a novice head coach and maybe should look within himself if things are going wrong," Connolly said.
"Eddie last coached the Wallabies in 2005 and I think it's a bit of a stretch blaming him for things that are going wrong today. The fact is that historically New Zealand has always had it over -Australia when it comes to instinctive attack. It's been that way right from the start of Super Rugby, when Auckland were so dynamic.
"Rugby changed in Australia in 1984 when Alan Jones took over as Wallabies coach and changed from Bob Dwyer's flat line to a very structured approach, with big forwards and tall lineout jumpers. To various degrees, Australian coaches since then have provided a framework, right through to -Michael Cheika at the World Cup, attacking through the midfield.
"If Rod Macqueen has six -programmed plays, Eddie being Eddie, he would have to have 12. But when I have joined in coaching clinics in New Zealand, it's -always struck me how they have an incredibly proactive attacking mindset, always focusing on -bending, breaching and breaking the line." Never has that been more -evident, particularly when contrasted with Australia, than this season when four of the five New Zealand Super Rugby sides are putting Australian sides to shame by scoring about 50 per cent of their tries from transition attack - that is, when they create a turnover, or receive a kick, or steal a lineout or scrum. Ironically only the Blues - who are finding it difficult to carry on the tradition of the great Auckland teams at the dawn of Super Rugby - are struggling, scoring just two of their 11 tries this way.
But the Crusaders (15 of 22 tries), the Chiefs (15 of 34), the Highlanders (10 of 20) and the Hurricanes (nine of 16) are blitzing their Australian rivals. The best of the Australian teams, perhaps not surprisingly given that Gibson himself is a New Zealander, is NSW (five out of 14 tries), followed by the Brumbies (four of 21), the Melbourne Rebels (three of 14 tries), the Force (three of seven) and the Reds (two of seven).
"Those numbers don't disturb me in the least," Connolly said. "If you look at major teams worldwide, the South Africans are the worst at playing structured rugby. Even at the World Cup, when, in my opinion, they had the best 13 in world rugby, Jesse Kriel, at their disposal, they still were very rigid in the way they played. Next, there is England but then Australia is the closest team to England." Connolly's words fly in the face of Australia's carefully crafted sense of self-image. But with the exception of the 1963 Wallabies, who drew the series with the Springboks 2-2 in South Africa with an outweighed but untiring forward pack, it is difficult to recall any major Australian triumph not built on a dominant forward pack, albeit supplemented by exciting backs - the 1984 Grand Slam, the 1991 and 1999 World Cups, even Cheika's men, who pushed the All Blacks to the limit in the 2015 World Cup final.
"Just because our Super Rugby teams are going poorly, doesn't mean that will translate to the Wallabies. Remember in 2006, the Reds came 12th and the Force last but Australia blitzed the Springboks 49-0 and were just beaten by the All Blacks in -Brisbane and Eden Park. The thing to remember is that New Zealand can only select 15 players on the field at any one time, same as Australia."PERTH HOODOO P33