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Under-siege Wallabies coach Ewen McKenzie has totally overlooked behemoth lock Will Skelton and a fit Will Genia for the third and final Bledisloe Cup clash at Suncorp on Saturday.
McKenzie’s baffling selections of late account for his lowly 52.4 per cent win record over 21 internationals.
In what could be a defining game in McKenzie’s career, on Saturday he faces a fired-up All Blacks still smarting from the shock 27-25 defeat to the Boks at Ellis Park last time out, ending an unbeaten 22-game streak.
The men in black are hard enough to beat in normal circumstances, but even harder after a defeat. Someone has to pay.
The general consensus is the All Blacks only have to perform the Haka on Saturday to take the Test, with the Wallabies a shambles over Kurtley Beale.
Will the Wallabies be playing for personal pride, for Beale, or for McKenzie?
Judging by the constant McKenzie scowls in recent television interviews, he’s the man in the cross-hairs.
So what sort of track record does McKenzie take into Suncorp against the top three rugby nations in the world – the All Blacks on 92.60 points, the Boks 90.41, both well ahead of England ranked three on 85.68, and the Wallabies 85.07?
In five internationals against the All Blacks since his first outing on August 17 last year, McKenzie has yet to chalk up a win, with the 12-all draw this year as close as he’s got. In four outings against the Boks, McKenzie is 1-3, and 0-1 against England.
That’s 10 internationals for eight losses and a draw, so it doesn’t take the current off-field upheavals to see McKenzie is under the pump.
He has the full support of the ARU, but as those before him well found out, public support from the ARU can be the kiss of death.
So let’s be more specific on McKenzie’s qualifications.
In the five internationals against the All Blacks, the World Cup, Bledisloe Cup, and Rugby Championship holders have accumulated 178 points to the Wallabies’ 110, scoring eighteen tries to just eight.
In the four internationals against the Boks, the South Africans have scored 117 points to 54, and 12 tries to four.
In the one loss to England 20-13, England scored two tries to one.
Tally those stats up against the three highest-ranked rugby nations in the world, and the Wallabies have scored just 177 points, given up 315, and are well behind in the try count 32-13.
So there’s a lot at stake at Suncorp, not the least of which is Ewen McKenzie’s career as Wallaby coach, with Waratahs coach Michael Cheika waiting in the wings with a track record, and the full support of the players.