Mark Ella
Mark Gordon Ella, AM is an indigenous Australian former rugby union footballer. Ella played at flyhalf/five-eighth and was capped by the Wallabies 25 times, captaining Australia on 10 occasions.
Ella made his debut tour with the Wallabies on the 1979 Australia rugby union tour of Argentina. He would later make his Test debut for Australia during the 1980 Bledisloe Cup Test series, in which the Wallabies defeated the All Blacks two games to one – the first three-Test series victory Australia against New Zealand since 1949, the first series victory over the All Blacks on Australian soil since 1934, and the first occasion the Wallabies successfully retained the Bledisloe Cup. In 1982, Ella was made captain of the Australia national rugby union team and he would go on to captain the Wallabies on 10 occasions from 1982 to 1983. After Arthur Beetson, he was the second indigenous Australian to captain a national sports team. Ella captained a depleted Australian team on the 1982 Australia rugby union tour of New Zealand, which the Wallabies would lose one game to two against the All Blacks. However, Australia scored 316 points in 14 matches on tour, including 47 tries. Ella is perhaps most famous for his performances on the 1984 Australia rugby union tour of Britain and Ireland, during which Australia achieved rugby union's Grand Slam by defeating the Home Nations in four consecutive Tests, with Ella scoring one try in each Test.
He and his brothers Glen and Gary were educated at Matraville High School, where they learned to play rugby. All three went on to play for the Australia national team. Mark also played for Randwick and New South Wales domestically.
Playing career
The five-eighth
, former coach of the Wallabies, in his first autobiography The Winning Way, claimed Ella to be one of the five most accomplished Australian players he had ever seen. Dwyer hailed Ella as number one "for mastery of the game's structure". This is perhaps due to Dwyer's perspective on the five-eighth's role: "A five-eighth's primary function is to draw defence and so open up space for the runners outside him." This conveys how Ella approached playing the five-eighth position.Ella's approach to playing the five-eighth position was unique and different from that of any other five-eighth of his era, and involved many obvious characteristics different from those of his five-eighth contemporaries. Gareth Edwards writes in 100 Great Rugby Players that: "Firstly, he stands closer to his scrum-half than most other stand-off halves I have played with or against, so that he pulls back row forwards on him at an angle which makes it hard for them to change direction, once he has released possession, to harass the midfield". Ella describes the distance from which he stood from the scrum-half in his book Running Rugby, "Generally, I stood about 5 metres from the halfback and about 4 metres behind him. According to the old formula for the right-angled triangle, this means I was no more than 3 metres wide of him".
Relatively straight running was a distinguishable trait associated with Ella's game. This was intended to draw defenders towards him at a certain angle and help unleash his teammates into gaps. Ella wrote:
Standing flat demands exceptional ball handling skills, which were a hallmark of Ella's game. Ella's dependable hands were lauded by former Scottish rugby international Norman Mair in The Scotsman: "Ella has hands so adhesive that when he fumbled a ball against Scotland you would not have been surprised to see those Australians of the appropriate religious persuasion cross themselves."
Concerning the manner in which Ella regularly received the ball from his scrum-half; Ella gave no quarter to the speed at which the ball was delivered to him, regardless of how close he stood, trusting in his ability to safely hold the ball. Ella writes: "Once you have positioned yourself, the next thing is to demand a fast pass from the halfback. The quicker the ball reaches you the better, for every fraction of a second is important to the five-eighth, given that the opposition can be on top of him in less than two seconds. I used to insist on having the ball passed to me like a rocket."
Ella possessed a distinguishing trait of instantaneously igniting a backline movement. His vision and ability to 'read the play' is evidenced by his much-vaunted passing game. Gareth Edwards notes, "Next, he wastes no strides holding the ball he does not want to use, and flips it instantly on its way towards the wide open space down the touchline where danger-men like David Campese prowl..." Continuing his appraisal of Ella in The Scotsman, Mair wrote: "In his deft handling, the ball is often on in a fraction of a second". The London Observer described Ella as "the detonator which explodes the brilliance of the Australian backs at critical moments."
This, however, does not entail Ella passing the ball as fast as possible. The execution of Ella's backline ploys were expertly controlled by the timing and speed of his passes. Ella writes: "Quick passes are often a sign that the five-eighth is not reading the play. He is throwing a quick pass automatically, believing this is what he ought to be doing, without making an assessment of the play and of the opportunities that might exist at that moment. By doing so, he is handing the initiative back to the opposition".
Mair concluded his appraisal of Ella's form in the famous 1984 Grand Slam tour in The Scotsman, stating: "Nothing about the football of the likable Ella excels his backing up. His ability to materialise in a given spot is of the spirit world". The extent to which Ella supported his teammates has been gauged by Gareth Edwards who wrote that, "In rugby the word 'link-man' is almost a cliché, yet it is the term I must choose to sum up Mark's gifts." Edwards continues writing that:
Throughout his career, Ella's ability to 'keep the ball alive' resulted in many remarkable tries. Such "faultless positional play in support", resulted in a continuity of play which was regarded by many to have tremendous entertainment value. In 100 Great Rugby Players, Gareth Edwards concludes his writings on Ella by stating: "In this book, we are mainly concerned with players' outstanding ability to play the game, but it is worth adding here that Mark Ella provided tremendous entertainment to spectators, as well as demonstrating his skills".
International career
Ella came into contention for national selection during the 1979 Ireland rugby union tour of Australia that included two Tests. On 26 May 1979, Ella played for New South Wales in Ireland's third tour game which NSW lost 12–16. Ella also played for Sydney in Ireland's seventh tour game, which Sydney won 16–12. Irish captain and flanker Fergus Slattery stated, following the tour, that Mark Ella was the Australian five-eighth who troubled Ireland the most.Ella was again overlooked for national selection for Australia's one-off Bledisloe Cup Test in 1979 against New Zealand, which Australia won 12–6 in a tryless Test.
Following Australia's 1979 Bledisloe Cup victory, Bob Templeton replaced Dave Brockhoff as coach of the Australia national rugby union team. With Australia scoring one try in their past three Tests, Templeton selected Ella for the 1979 Australia rugby union tour of Argentina. Ella made his debut for the Wallabies during their second touring match against Interior on 16 October 1979, scoring a try in a 47–12 win. Ella played in Australia's fourth touring match against Rosario, which Australia won 21–13.
Ella almost achieved national selection for the first Test following injuries to Paul McLean and Roger Gould. The possibility arose that the Australian selectors might move incumbent five-eighth Tony Melrose to fullback, allowing Ella to fill the five-eighth role. However, McLean played fullback with a broken wrist in plaster, denying Ella the possibility of playing his first Test for Australia. Between the first and second Australian Tests against Argentina, Ella played in Australia's last provincial match against Cuyo, won 43–4.
In 1980 Australia's incumbent five-eighth, Tony Melrose, turned professional to play rugby league. Following this, Ella was selected for the 1980 Australia rugby union tour of Fiji. Ella was a surprise omission at five-eighth for Australia's one-off Test against Fiji in 1980, after Queensland five-eighth Paul McLean was selected at fullback against Fiji. However, Sydney University's five-eighth Michael Hawker was chosen ahead of Ella for the five-eighth position.
1980 Bledisloe Cup Test Series
In 1980 the Wallabies retained the Bledisloe Cup with a 2–1 series victory over the All Blacks. The 1980 Bledisloe Cup Test series victory was the Wallabies' first three-Test series victory over the All Blacks since 1949, and their first three-Test series victory against the All Blacks on Australian soil since 1934.Ella played against the All Blacks in their first touring match against Sydney that was drawn 13-13, in which Ella received the man of the match award. Prior to Australia's first Test against New Zealand in 1980, incumbent Australian outside center Andrew Slack withdrew from the Australian side due to injury. The selectors picked three former players from the 1977/78 Australian Schoolboys to comprise Australia's mid-field – Mark Ella at five-eighth, Michael Hawker at inside centre, and Michael O'Connor at outside centre. O'Connor was originally slated to play on the wing outside of Slack.
Making his debut for the Wallabies, Ella "opened the scoring with a dropped goal" on his non-preferred right boot. With the scores tied at 9–9, Ella set-up a try for Australian winger Mick Martin by looping Michael Hawker. Australia went on to win the first Test 13–9.
Australia lost the second Test 9–12.
Prior to Australia's third Test against New Zealand in 1980, Queensland five-eighth Paul McLean played in a historic Queensland victory over New Zealand, thus challenging Ella for Test selection. However, Ella was retained for the third Test against New Zealand with McLean selected on the bench.
The third Test against New Zealand in 1980 contained one of the most famous moments of Mark Ella's rugby career – his "around-the-body-pass." Ella's biographer Bret Harris documents that:
Four minutes following Ella's "around-the-body-pass" he kicked his second drop-goal in international rugby, once again on his non-preferred right foot. The final score of 26-10 marked what was Australia's then largest victory over New Zealand.