GRAND SLAM TOUR WAS A ‘DEFINING MOMENT’

Queensland Rugby Hall of Famer and former Australian captain Andrew Slack believes a Grand Slam tour provides the Wallabies with the perfect opportunity to capitalise on their performances in the 2015 Rugby World Cup.

The Australian Rugby Union this morning announced that in 2016, the Wallabies will return to the northern hemisphere for a history-making shot at the ‘Grand Slam’. 

Not since the Alan Jones-coached and Slack-captained 1984 Wallabies has an Australian side been successful in conquering the four home nations of Britain and Ireland on the same tour.

Slack, who earned a total of 133 Caps for Queensland and 39 Test caps, led the Wallabies in 1984 to wins over England, Wales, Ireland and Scotland to help assert the Australian side as a legitimate Rugby powerhouse. 

The Wallabies used their 1984 success as the catalyst for a period of success which saw them claim the Bledisloe Cup from New Zealand in 1986, winning their final Test against the All Blacks 22-9 at Eden Park to claim the coveted trophy. 

Slack believes that a Grand Slam tour provides the Wallabies with the perfect chance to capitalise on their performance in the 2015 Rugby World Cup. 

“I think the Wallabies’ performance at the World Cup provided Australian Rugby fans with the chance to see the team play at the best of their ability. They played as well as they could have and the brand of Rugby they produced was entertaining which was beneficial for the game in Australia,” Slack said. 

“The 2015 World Cup was the most consistent performance we’ve seen from the Wallabies in the last 10 years and it’s just what Australian Rugby needed.

“The Wallabies have helped recreate interest in the game. Fringe fans are back on board and new observers and kids have been taken by the World Cup. The key now is to build upon that success and unless the Wallabies can continue to perform next year their good works will be undone, unfortunately that’s the way professional sport works. 

“We’ve got to capitalise on the current situation the sport is in and the chance to create history and claim a ‘Grand Slam’ provides the Wallabies with that chance. However the team has Bledisloe Cup and Rugby Championship matches to play before then so that will be the first step.” 

Slack reflects on the 1984 Grand Slam tour fondly, rating the achievement amongst his best. 

“It is definitely up there. I think it was a more difficult accomplishment to win the Bledisloe Cup back from New Zealand in 1986, but the Grand Slam tour gave us the confidence to go on and do that,” he said. 

“Each match was a special moment on the tour but we didn’t get ahead of ourselves. Cheika said it throughout this year’s World Cup - ‘the Wallabies hadn’t achieved anything until they had won the cup’ - and we carried that same mentality. We secured the win over England and that was great, but we went back to work against Ireland and Wales and when we got the win over Scotland at Murrayfield. It was certainly a defining moment.

“The Grand Slam tour certainly wasn’t easy and no other team has achieved the feat. There is a sense of satisfaction to think that 30 years down the track we’re still talking about it.”

SLACK EXCITED TO SEE NEXT GENERATION OF REDS STARS

Long before the Wallabies take the field in 2016, the St.George Queensland Reds will be underway in Super Rugby and Slack said he was looking forward to seeing the next generation of Queensland stars run around Suncorp Stadium.

In particular, Slack is excited about the prospects of scrumhalf Nick Frisby and centre Samu Kerevi, who he thinks will play a big part in the team’s fortunes.

“The Reds have a great forward pack heading into 2016 but there are a couple of players in the backline that I think we will see step up,” Slack said. 

“Samu Kerevi has made great strides forward in 2015 and I’d like to see him take the next step. The other player I think is moving forwards is Nick Frisby. 

“I think Frisby is a good footballer and we need him to perform for Queensland in the absence of Will Genia. He has been in the squad for the number of years and he has the foundations of a great player and it’s important that we see his game mature."

When asked about the Reds’ Wallabies prospects for 2016, Slack believes there are a number of individuals who could potentially push for selection. 

“I think Frisby and Kerevi could both push for selection next year, but there are also a number of Queensland players, such as Chris Feauai-Sautia, who have shown us glimpses of what they’re capable of who need to stay fit and play consistently in order to be in the frame. 

“As good as the Wallabies back row was this year, Liam Gill is always knocking at the door and will be looking to earn more Test caps. 

“Anyone who plays for the Reds next year could progress through to the Wallabies. Greg Holmes has shown us this year that anyone can break through to the Test side through solid performances.”