Wallabies coaching coordinator Tony McGahan believes he can give the Australian side a cut-throat edge after arriving back from Irish club Munster to begin his term as Robbie Deans’ new right-hand man.
Munster were knocked out of the Pro12 semi-finals by Ospreys last Friday meaning McGahan can immediately begin work with Deans and his fellow new assistants Andrew Blades and Nick Scrivener in the lead-up to the June Tests against Scotland and Wales.
During his seven-year tenure at Munster as defence and head coach, the club won the Heineken Cup in 2006 and 2008 and also beat the touring Australians in an incredible result in 2010.
McGahan says European rugby is more comparable to the rigours of Test matches than Super Rugby because winning is all that matters and bonus points are irrelevant.
He’s confident his experience will help him bring a ruthless edge to the Wallabies.
“Certainly, it’s linked higher to where Test rugby is with regards to the breakdown, set piece, dominating field position and kicking of the highest quality which means mistakes are punished,” McGahan told AAP.
“As opposed to a normal tournament (like Super Rugby) where bonus points are critical, Test match rugby is win or loss.
“So that cut mentality that’s certainly prevalent in European rugby, that mindset, will mean I can hopefully add value and bring some of those elements back to the Wallabies.”
McGahan says he’s excited by the developments the Wallabies made last year, despite their World Cup failure, and believes there’s a good foundation in place for success in the mid-year Tests and the Rugby Championship.
His main brief will be to coach the Wallabies’ defence but, as coaching coordinator, McGahan will assist Deans and provide support to the whole staff.
During his time as a schoolteacher at Brisbane’s Anglican Church Grammar and Nudgee College and as a coaching coordinator with the Australian under-19 side, McGahan had early experience working with Wallabies Rocky Elsom, Richard Brown, David Pocock, James Horwill, Digby Ioane and Tatafu Polota-Nau.
“We haven’t really seen each other for a long period of time … they’ve certainly changed and grown into very influential international players, not only Wallabies,” he said.
“And I’ve certainly changed a lot too, so it’ll be interesting.
“But having a history with players makes the introduction back into any environment a little bit easier.”
Snobby Deans
Guest
A new coach or co-ordinator or whatever he is is hardly going to come in and say that he won't make a difference. At the end of the day, it's all talk and nothing more. The Wallabies have the top-level talent to be competitive against any team at any time, however they don't have the ruthlessness - or more importantly, depth - to take advantage of that on a consistent basis - and I really doubt that adding one more voice to the mix will make "all the difference". If the Wallabies cannot win all the games that they SHOULD win - v Samoa, v Scotland, etc - then I can't see them winning the games that they MIGHT have a chance of winning. This is what the All Blacks consistently do, and they do it with internal expectation rather than just hoping it will happen. Until the Wallabies get that extra depth, a few more world class players and jettison some of the dross who seem unable to get dropped for whatever reasons, they will continue to deceive. The All Blacks record of ruthlessness (another name for consistency) - not just over the last 100 years or so, but more specifically over the last 10 - 15 - is what all teams should be aspiring to. Take away World Cups as the once-every-four-years-lottery they are, and where do teams sit in comparison to each other. More to the point, given the article is about Australia, what have the Wallabies achieved? Three Tri-Nations wins in 16 years (18% win record), a 1 win/1 loss record against the British and Irish Lions, a 5 year winning streak with the Bledisloe (followed by the current nine year losing streak including 10 straight losses to the All Blacks) and a reasonably patch and mediocre End of Year record. Where I struggle with an article about this sort of thing is, why has it taken Australia so long to supposedly find the right person to deliver the ruthlessness to the Wallabies (if indeed this is how it turns out)? The answer to my mind is that there is no one person who can bring this to a team. If the team can't do it now with the talent and depth they have, then they won't be able to do it once this new guy is on-board. The Wallabies have 2 of the 3 Bledisloe games at home this year. If they cannot make that count to end the All Black's Beldisloe reign, then I'm not sure I can see when they will be able to finally get their hands on the cup. And if that's the case, then I guess we'll wait for the next saviour to be appointed and read the article about he will be The One.
Jerry
Guest
"The few times SA, Oz or France have done so the ABs were in trouble." Which implies there weren't a fair few other occasions when teams were ruthless and did throw everything at them but still lost handily. The AB's never get thrashed, so all their losses are close matches. From that, people have concocted this idea that the AB's are flat track bullies and that they always lose the close ones. They don't. They win most of the close ones too. They win 80 odd percent of their matches in the pro-era, you don't do that by being a flat track bully.
Derm
Roar Guru
"I would be interested in your overall assessment of the AB’s (& Wallabies for that matter) over the last few end of season tours playing these ruthless European Teams at their home grounds, for example." Record since 2000 against European teams in EOYT matches Australia England v Australia – P8 and W3 by margins of 2, 14 and 9. (37.5%) France v Australia – P6 and W3 by margins of 5, 5 and 43 (50%) Wales v Australia – P7 and W4 by margins of 8, 21, 9 and 6 (57%) Ireland v Australia – P4 and W1 by a margin of 16 (25%) Combined: P25 and Won 11 (44%) Best opponent performance: Scotland v Australia – P5 and W4 by 17, 14, 26 (80%) Italy v Australia - 100% New Zealand? Won every match against 6N teams bar 2. That's ruthless.
Blinky Bill of Bellingen
Guest
True WALTP on injuries. However Sth Africa has real depth & IF the replacements play well........we will then finally realize what we are facing in Sth Africa and absolutely shite ourselves when we compare our player stocks. :( IMHO what we need are more quality coaches to ensure that our players are as fit and skillful as it's possible to get them. At the moment it looks like we need to clone Jake White. That guy is doing a superb job.
Who ate all the pies
Guest
Completely agree Geoff. The Boks have been waiting for a decent coach for some time. It's a pity for Meyer that the outset of his debut season looks to be disadvantaged by so many injuries to key players.
Who ate all the pies
Guest
Disagree Nick, The occasional loss to the Frogs aside, I would be interested in your overall assessment of the AB's (& Wallabies for that matter) over the last few end of season tours playing these ruthless European Teams at their home grounds, for example. I don't buy this ruthless European thing for a second. I'm with DS. Australia's strength has always been its own brand and refining this and perhaps continuing to develop the performance of the tight five (Wallabies back row will be outstanding this year) will bear dividends IMO. No doubt McGahan will add to the Wallaby mix but importing a European influence will not be his mandate and would be a mistake IMO. My point is that the mimicing of any other style, rather than refining and improving the Wallabies' own brand would be a monumental error, not to mention massively detrimental in the face of adversity. The lack of player depth is/has been the Wallabies' real issue but this has been discussed ad-nauseam on this site and I don't intend to revisit it. However, you could argue that the Wallabies' belief and determination amplifies their abilities already. They remain one of the AB's fiercest and most respected foes.
Geoff Brisbane now California
Guest
I reckon its the Boks who will be the silent assasins Aus may focus on the no 1 team at the moment but watch out who is sneaking up on you. The Boks
Damo
Guest
Coaching remains a mystery
Nicol'arse
Guest
I'm a Wallaby supporter to the hilt and couldn't agree more with the words "...the wallabies need to play and refine their own style …. Deans’ tenure is testament to someone who clearly hasn’t a clue on how he wants to play – the rushed change away from what was working to a rabble at the w-cup shows that clearly..." When we get caught in a stodgy forward battle... we inevitably get rolled 9 times out of 10. Our forward style is more suited to the Macqueen inspired fast ruck ball. I really thought Deans would bring that Crusaders/NZ style of sending pods of 2-3 players coming in waves to Australian rugby. But I have not seen evidence of it. He should look back to the style they were playing in 2010 and stick with it.
Justin2
Guest
:)
Bigbaz
Guest
He tries to tie the front row coach,the lineout coach,the scrum coach,the loose forward coach,the backs coach,the defence coach,the tactics coach, the assistant coach and the head coach together. It's a big job. Most of his time is spent introducing them to each other. Somewhere along the line he has to find time to get them in front of the players.
nickoldschool
Roar Guru
they also lost v France in Dunedin in 2009 but thats not the point. What i meant is to stand a chance v the AB, you have to be ruthless and throw everything you have at them. The few times SA, Oz or France have done so the ABs were in trouble. Yes, they can falter under pressure, they are only humans. Last night, when i watched Hooper i thought this was the kind of guy we need at the breakdwon(like Bonnaire or Dusautoir): a fearless guy who gives it to the opponent. Many nations have a problem when they face the AB: they respect them too much and watch them play (France get a hiding every time they do so). There is not question they are the best team of the last decade in my mind but i also have no doubt that a 'ruthless' aggressive mindset is the (only) way to beat them.
Justin2
Guest
It does in the context of winning the most important matches.
Justin2
Guest
Agree with that.
Justin2
Guest
Hey if they did at least it would be definitive rather than the shamozzle and mish mash it has been since Deans took over.
Darwin Stubbie
Guest
So 1 game in 8 years - really ???? ....they did actually win the other one - so I can't see what you're trying to say there .... But even if you throwin the odd French win over that time it still doesn't add up to a convincing argument
Darwin Stubbie
Guest
I don't see anything wrong with that at all - it same in any team in any sport ... All I'm saying is this so-called ruthless European mindset hasn't dented the kiwis in the past - the wallabies need to play and refine their own style .... Deans' tenure is testament to someone who clearly hasn't a clue on how he wants to play - the rushed change away from what was working to a rabble at the w-cup shows that clearly - if the plan is to continue down a conservative route (and pick the wrong players to try and play it - ie Cooper) then the the RC will be a very long tournament for them
nickoldschool
Roar Guru
DS, "NZ haven’t really had a problem with this ‘ruthless’ European mindset over the last 8 or so seasons" You sure? Well they did have a problem when games mattered most in 2007 and 2011. They lost in 2007 and only just won in 2011.
jeznez
Guest
I don't think he mentioned style anywhere. He said he wants to give the Wallabies a ruthless cut throat mentality - given the up and down nature of the Wallaby's performances over the last few years that sounds like a positive.
jeznez
Guest
DS, do you find it strange that the team ranked 2 in the world is quite set on beating the only team ranked higher than them? I've seen a few of you and your countrymen highlighting this obsession the Wallabies have with the AB's. Of course we are looking to knock you guys over. Consistency against all comers is the ultimate goal but beating the only team above us on the ladder will be that much sweeter than any other victory.