Elton Flatley impressed the Queensland Reds from a young and he was immediately signed on professional basis immediately upon finishing school. Flatley was a brilliantly instinctive player and a natural talent that could slot seamlessly in at centre or fly-half.
Flatley made his senior Queensland debut at just 18, the youngest Red since Michael Lynagh, and with hopes of emulating the recently departed great. Despite receiving the attention of Rugby League club, Flatley Decided to stay with rugby union and went on to make his Wallaby debut against England in 1997.
He remained on the fringes of the Wallaby team until 2001, when his big-game reputation was enhanced by starting in the deciding game of the British and Irish Lions series, following an injury to Stephen Larkham. Though not a stand-out, he was solid at flyhalf, particularly as Australia defended their line in the final minutes, and helped the Wallabies seal their first-ever series win over the Lions.
He emerged as a genuine Test star over the 2002 and 2003 seasons and after limited playing time in the early 2002 international season, Flatley was elevated to starting flyhalf for the big match against England at Twickenham. Flatley was exceptional throughout the match, scoring one try cutting through England’s defence and another length-of-the-field effort, picking up on a loose ball and out-sprinting fullback Jason Robinson. His efforts helped Australia’s surge to a 31-19 lead before an excellent England team forced their way back and earned a heart-stopping 32-31 victory.
He became vice-captain and a prominent figure throughout the 2003 Rugby World Cup, as he scored 17 of Australia’s 22 points against New Zealand in an absorbing semi-final victory. He went into the final against England as inside centre and Australia’s first-choice goal-kicker, contesting with the boot of English fly-half Jonny Wilkinson. After missing two early attempts, he showed some composure late in the game, nailing a difficult penalty to send the game into extra time and another to even the game in the 99th minute. England’s surge forward and Wilkinson’s drop-goal made his efforts futile, but heroic nonetheless.
Flatley played one Test in 2005, a loss to the All Blacks, but was then ruled out for the rest of the season, medical advice suggesting a long lay-off to recover from repeated concussions.
Despite the layoff, though, Flatley continued to suffer from headaches and blurred vision and so he announced his premature retirement from the game in 2006.
JW April 2017
Career
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Australia Fly Half |
1997 - 2005 |
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Queensland Reds Fly Half |
1996 - 2006 |
