Much is happening in the world of rugby these days. The Experimental Law Variations are here, the Six Nations is about to climax and Heineken Cup high drama is guaranteed after that.

In the other time zone, another Super 14 has just commenced. It would be easy to forget that some players who were part of the furniture for nigh on 15 years are not with us on the field any more.  One such man is George Gregan.

There is no today without yesterday, no tomorrow without today and hence no rugby scrum-half manual from now until infinity can be uninfluenced by Gregan. The Australian No.9’s contribution to the game would fill a few books and this is as good a time as any to remember what he gave to the game. 

'Whereas Gregan was the role model of captaincy at times, and set records, I can’t get away from the feeling that his career could have been more than it actually was were it not for these nagging issues'


I was in Galway in 1994 after a game of tennis, showered down and enjoying a pint when I saw ‘that tackle’. In retrospect it is still incomprehensible and jaw-dropping.

Despite being toyed with by Victor Matfield in the Tri-nations decider in 2004, Gregan continued to put in crucial tackles, such as the miraculous in-goal one that deprived England of a certain try during the last England summer tour of Australia.

He was once described by Gordon Bray as resembling ‘’an angry Koala’’ during a game because of his tackling.

Gregan led and commanded respect from his teams and no doubt this continues outside rugby. There are only five men alive to have captained the losing side in a Rugby World Cup Final but Gregan also won a final in 1999 and has thus seen both sides of RWC fate.

However, this is the stage where the Gregan saga deteriorated. Fast forward eight years (during which time he notched 100 caps) to Marseille last October and some English beef. Where was the benefit of 120-odd caps? Where was the leadership then and what are the 120 caps worth if there is no leadership in a World Cup knockout game?

Australia had enough ball to win, if only the tactics were right. That would have got them into the semi-final and perhaps beyond. Gregan was not the only experienced ‘George’ in the side in Stade Velodrome - but he was the most-capped man in the biggest game of the last four years. Simply, he was not the player who made ‘that tackle’ any more.

There is a remarkable parallel with the All Black loss in Cardiff. I suspect that the imminent move to play in Europe was a distraction to players in both camps. Unfortunately, you cannot at the same time call yourself a high-performing professional and be distracted in this way.

Rugby is the essence of confrontation. The beauty of it is that the limits of this are usually respected. Notwithstanding the approach required on the field, it is necessary to drop this mindset after the final whistle blows.


Bearing that in mind, Gregan’s sledging of New Zealand after the Sydney semi-final in 2003 is regrettable. Sledging is a blight on the game and George was more the problem than the solution.  

In the Tri-nations  2006 home game against South Africa, Australia scored three fine tries and 55 minutes into the game were comfortably ahead at 25-17, having made a great comeback from 1 -0 down.

The remaining third of the game was a procession of errors, fumbles and mishaps until an injury-time Springbok counter-attack from deep that ended with a fumble. Gregan oversaw the descent of a fine Test into something resembling cows**t. The viewing public deserved better.

Whereas he was the role model of captaincy at times, and set records, I can’t get away from the feeling that his career could have been more than it actually was were it not for these nagging issues.

However, when I see the name Gregan, the first thing that springs to mind is ‘that tackle.’