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Yesterday I started my preview of Australia’s World Cup chances with a look at the backline and forward pack. Today I will delve into the Wallabies’ recent coaching carousel.
Australia have experienced some fairly turbulent times since the last World Cup, but they have a talented enough squad to lift the Webb Ellis Cup in 2015.
Following Australia’s disappointing semi-final exit from the 2011 World Cup, their then-head coach Robbie Deans came under huge pressure from fans and media alike. The pressure only grew In the years following the World Cup as the Wallabies continued on a slow regression, their lowest ebb being the 2-1 series loss to the British and Irish Lions in 2013.
Deans resigned shortly afterwards, allowing the highly successful Queensland Reds coach, Ewen McKenzie, to take over. Australia’s first few performances under McKenzie in the Rugby Championship in 2013 were abysmal, with some in the Australian media beginning to question the quality of Australian players as well as the depth of Australian rugby.
However, McKenzie’s new tactics and coaching methods soon reaped rewards, as Australia ended the Rugby Championship with a convincing 54–17 win over Argentina playing some highly creative, fast-paced rugby. They then enjoyed a successful tour of the Northern hemisphere at the end of 2013, with convincing wins over Italy, Ireland, and Wales, the only glitch being a loss to England.
2014 started out promisingly for Australia, with a resounding 3-0 series win over France in June, where Australia played a style of rugby that was becoming increasingly enjoyable to watch. However, despite starting the tournament well with a draw against New Zealand their fortunes changed for the worse in The Rugby Championship.
The Wallabies entered the second Bledisloe Cup match with plenty of confidence, however the match quickly turned from bad to worse. They were beaten 51-20 in an extremely disappointing performance that set the tone for the remainder of the Rugby Championship.
The Wallabies went on to lose badly to South Africa and then suffered the embarrassment of becoming the first team to lose to Argentina since their entry into the competition.
The Australian camp then became the centre of media attention for off-field reasons when Kurtley Beale got caught up in an air rage scandal with team staffer Di Patston. The controversy grew when it was further revealed that Beale had escape discipline a few months earlier for sending offensive texts regarding Patston to another team-mate and accidentally sending the messages to Patston.
These controversies, as well as speculation about a possible affair between McKenzie and Patson, led to the head coach’s resignation following Australia’s narrow defeat to New Zealand in the third Bledisloe Cup game in Brisbane.
The obvious successor to McKenzie was Michael Cheika, the coach who had just guided the NSW Waratahs to a successful Super Rugby campaign. The Waratahs typically supply a large number players to the Australian side, including the captain Michael Hooper.
As a result, the core of the team already respected Cheika and had plenty of experience playing under him. As for the players from other states, his experience coaching in Super Rugby meant that he had plenty of experience coaching against them.
Although the beginning of his tenure has not been successful, with just one win from four against Northern hemisphere opposition, it is remarkable that he was able to put his stamp on the team within just two games.
As well as playing an attractive brand of rugby featuring free-flowing backline attack, Australia now have the hard-nosed aggression up front that is a trademark of Cheika-coached teams.
However, with just five games left on Australia’s schedule between now and the start of World Cup, Cheika has very little time to fine-tune his team’s performances.
What do you think of Australia’s chances at the 2015 World Cup Roarers? Are they a hope of putting it all behind them and turning in a good performance?
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.