Gregan's bark now worse than his bite

Australian captain George Gregan sits on the bench after being substituted. Picture / Fotopress

If this was George Gregan's valedictory statement it was a strangely incoherent one.

From minute zero when he had to make a pre-game dash down the tunnel, telling the ref he'd forgotten to put his jumper on - unforgivable given he's had a mortgage on it since 1994 - to the last sad minutes of a sad test, Gregan looked and played like a condemned man.

His bravery and commitment couldn't be questioned - a massive hit on Rodney So'oialo was proof - but as long as the Australian team he commands keeps losing he must be on borrowed time.

That Australia lost last night was no surprise - they are ravaged by injury and uncertainty - but that the All Blacks seemed so determined not to let them lose was surprising.

Gregan was gone by minute 75, replaced by Chris Whitaker. The game was gone by then at 34-24. Whether Gregan's career is gone is for other people to decide but he hardly launched a compelling argument for his retention.

It is hard to remember the last time George Gregan wasn't barking orders at his forwards; wasn't barking orders at the referee; wasn't making try-saving tackles; wasn't taking delight in sledging his opposite number with such witticisms as "four more years, boys".

But what it is equally hard to remember is the last time Gregan caused defensive headaches with his sniping in and around the fringes of rucks and scrums.

He's become merely a conduit between forwards and backs. A good one, yes, but that's just not enough.

As was demonstrated last night during the All Blacks' routine victory, Gregan doesn't draw Nos 6 and 7 into the fray. Instead he enables the likes of Richie McCaw to fan out early and target the outside halves and inside backs.

He could get away with it when Australia were the kings of recycling quick ball from rucks, setting up phase after phase after phase. But with rucks and mauls more fiercely contested than they were four years ago, he does not have the same platform to work from.

His 114 games are a monumental achievement but you sense longevity and experience is Gregan's only weapon. He talks of France '07 but surely that's fanciful. If he is still wearing No 9 and the captain's armband by then it will say as much about the lack of depth in Australian rugby as it will about his survival instincts.

Gregan still commands respect among New Zealanders who look upon the opprobrium heaped upon the halfback in his home country in the same way as the Australians who were bemused by the arrows aimed at one J. W. Marshall here. At least the All Blacks had adequate replacements in Byron Kelleher and now, Piri Weepu. Australia do not have the same luxury.

Chris Whitaker is a workaday type player who will do little wrong but is not feared. The Iceman Henjak seems the most logical replacement but obviously has a few issues of his own. A radical solution would be to put the prodigiously talented Matt Giteau in No 9. That would be an exercise in cost-benefit analysis as to what you would lose in the pivots.

- HERALD ON SUNDAY