Australia newest sporting coaches – Darren Lehmann, Ewen McKenzie, and Ange Postecoglou – have a lot in common.
All three took over from foreign coaches – Lehmann form South African Mickey Arthur, McKenzie from Kiwi Robbie Deans, and Postecoglou from Germany’s Holger Osieck,
All three assumed command with their teams in the international toilet.
All three are former internationals – Lehmann 27 Tests and 117 ODIs, McKenzie 51 Tests, and Postecoglou four.
None of the three are starving. Let’s be kind and say they are not built like sprinters.
All three have coached premiership sides at a lower level – Lehmann took Queensland from the basement to win the 2011-12 Sheffield Shield, and the 2012-13 Ryobi Cup, McKenzie did the same in Queensland to win the 2011 Super Rugby title, and Postecoglou won back-to-back A League championships with the Brisbane Roar in 2011, and 2012. (Note all three successful in Queensland.)
And all three want their troops to enjoy playing for their country and displaying the pride and passion such an honour deserves.
But most of all all three have great analytical brains, and are masters at communication.
They want their troops to enjoy playing for Australia, yet retaining the same pride and passion that honour deserves.
So the sun is starting to shine on all three.
Yesterday was Lehmann’s first Test win in six, the team’s first in nine with seven defeats.
And what a way to break the drought with a whopping 381-run Ashes win inside four days.
Last Saturday, McKenzie chalked up his first three wins on th trot with the Wallabies beating Italy (50-20), Ireland (32-15), and Scotland (21-15),
Up until then McKenzie’s CV read two wins from eight.
And Postecoglou won through at his first attempt with the Socceroos last week with a 1-0 win over Costa Rica which sure beats the daylights out of successive 6-0 floggings by Brazil and France under Osieck.
So where to from here for the real amigos?
For Lehmann it’s obviously the Ashes, having lost the last three series that cuts deep.
But there’s also the pecking order in the Test world rankings where the baggy greens are fifth behind South Africa, India, England, and Pakistan.
That cuts deep as well.
For McKenzie it’s to win the Bledisloe Cup for the first time in 12 years, even more so that the Rugby World Cup.
The Wallabies have lost 10 of their last 12 clashes with the world champions, the litmus Test for any nation.
There are 100 nations playing international rugby, but only four have won the seven RWCs – the All Blacks, Wallabies, and the Boks twice each, and England,
So for McKenzie it’s Bledisloe first, RWC second, and at least number two in the world ranking.
For Postecoglou, there’s plenty of room to move. Among the 200 nations playing internationally, the Socceroos are currently ranked 57th.
But when it comes to World Cup time only eight countries in 200 have been successful in the 19 tournaments – Brazil (5), Italy (4), West Germany (3), Uruguay and Argentina (both 2), and England, France, and Spain one each.
If Postecoglou had one future aim it would be to be very competitiive in Rio next year. But in the interim keep winning.
And that goes for all of them – Darren Lehmann, Ewen McKenzie, and Ange Postecoglou.
The last few days have been like a breath of fresh air. Long may it continue.
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