WHEN William Webb Ellis first took a ball in his arms and 'showed a fine disregard for the rules of football' back in 1823, few would have believed a country which was host to thousands of convicts would eventually rule the game of rugby.

Australia has come a long way in the 230 years since Captain Cook claimed the East coast for Britain. As well as proving a spectacular venue for the Sydney Olym-pics at present, it also boasts world champions in rugby and cricket.

And down the road at Sixways a mini Australian revolution is also beginning to gather pace.

Adrian Skeggs was only made director of coaching in the summer, but his influence can already be seen throughout the club.

As soon as you come through the doors, you sense a new optimism, a new dawn. You feel that the wounds from last season have well and truly healed and the club are looking forward instead of wallowing in the past.

It is that type of mentality which has made Australia head and shoulders above us Brits in so many sports today. They look forward, they are positive and more than anything adaptable and receptive to new ideas.

That, in a nutshell, is why, as a nation, we continue to fail at international level. We stood still while the Southern Hemi-sphere moved on. Recent British Govern-ments have only just cottoned on to the fact that we are so far behind and have belatedly tried to put some money back into sport.

However, the damage has already been done. For years our schools have been deprived of the proper teachers and coaches with Local Education Authorities happy to employ academic teachers who could 'help out' with games and do two jobs for the price of one.

The sport of rugby at grass roots level in Britain is in a dreadful state compared to Australia because the politicians Down Under know the value of sport for a nation. Can you remember how good you felt when Rob Andrew kicked that dropped-goal in 1995 to knock the Aussies out of the World Cup?

Trouble is, it doesn't happen anymore because we've been overtaken by the Southern Hemisphere nations, especially in rugby.

The only problem is -- it doesn't add up. There are around 400,000 rugby players in England alone compared to Australia's poultry 35,000. So why are they so far ahead of us? It's not as if we're even still in the rugby fast lane -- we're stuck on the hard shoulder!

At Australian rugby academies, players play hockey, get on trampolines and even wrestle to improve specific skills in their game. Ask any British coach if you can take up gymnastics to improve your second row skills and you would be laughed out the clubhouse.

It is our level of coaching though which is the joke and not far behind in the comedy routine is the management of rugby.

Sport in Britain has been blighted for decades by mismanagement at the top level. Will Carling's 'old farts' statement seemed to sum up the nation's feeling towards institutions like the RFU.

Individuals such as Cecil Duckworth have had to grab the game by the scruff of the neck to make a difference. And it is beginning to show at Sixways.

Skeggs was brought up in Australia to make a difference and the ambitious Aussie is already putting Worcester on the rugby map.

Having experienced rugby in South Africa with Natal, he is bringing a fresh approach to Worcester with new ideas and coaching techniques. Some may not be in the RFU's coaching manual but you sense the book would never have seen the light of day in the 36-year-old's office anyway.

"I believe people need to make a difference in life and in sport. Before I leave here, that is what I hope to have done," he said.

So, when you are next at Sixways taking in the game William Webb Ellis once played and you are ever tempted to think "It's not like the good old days", give yourself a sharp nudge, look up to the sky and thank your lucky Aussie stars.