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So it comes to pass that the ARU has at last done what it needed to and appointed the ‘people’s choice’, with Ewen McKenzie taking the helm as Wallaby head coach.
Before I go on about how good I am feeling about Link’s appointment and what I think he will bring to Australian rugby, it has to be mentioned that Robbie Deans did some very good things in his time as coach.
Australia had a breakthrough win on the Highveld for the first time in 47 years, a record win against France in Paris and re-captured the Tri Nations for the first time in 10 years.
Additionally was consistent dominance against other top ranking sides including South Africa (9-5), Wales (8-1) and France (5-1). I think under in the earlier years when Deans was coach, from 2008-2010, he helped develop the Wallabies into a great counter-attacking team.
It is obvious that this has repeatedly worked against the previously mentioned teams, but there’s the undeniable fact that he comprehensively failed to construct a game plan that could compete against the All Blacks.
His diabolical win/loss record (3-15) will be a critical black mark on his record in the views of many Australians. To me this shows that while Deans was very good at instructing his players to play on instinct and have a go, sometimes he should have just told the team to pick and go or take the three points.
Isolated losses to Scotland (twice), Samoa and loss to Ireland at the World cup also added a lot of frustration among fans, with the inconsistency a continual source of frustrationt in his five and a half years as coach.
Many senior players have spoken in recent times at the lack of respect that was shown for Deans by the so called ‘three amigos’ Quade Cooper, James O’Connor and Kurtley Beale, with calls of a general lack in player management.
Some of the selections Deans made in his time also were plainly and simply the wrong choice. The decision to not select a back-up for David Pocock at the World Cup and O’Connor given the fly-half role for the Lions series come to mind.
All and all I would say thank you Robbie Deans for your service as Wallaby coach and wish you well for the future. I do believe that, like Peter de Villiers, his time as coach had should have ended at the end of Rugby World Cup in New Zealand and someone new should have been appointed at the start of last year.
Ewen McKenzie has been the coach of my beloved Reds for the past four seasons, and I for one am happy he will be coaching the Wallabies, a position he greatly deserves. I am am also very sad to see him leaving Queensland for at the same time.
When he arrived in early 2010, the Reds team had talent but needed someone to guide them and provide a structural base for that talent to translate into on-field success.
In his four years at the Reds, there have been 43 wins, 16 losses and two draws, and a not too shabby Super Rugby title as well. A remarkable achievement with the style he has been able to incorporate into the team, displaying the traditional running rugby us Aussies love to see.
I was very impressed with how Link approached the press on Tuesday’s announcement in regard to how he will attempt to try and turn around the Wallabies fortunes for the upcoming Rugby Championship and Grand Slam tour later in the year.
He talked of embracing the All Blacks as the best starting for his international coaching career, that there will be selections based on form and commitment to the Wallaby jersey, and that he won’t be afraid to make a tough decision in regards to what’s best for the team and Australian rugby.
However, what impressed me the most was something that he said regarding game plans and tactical nous. He said that the two most important things he would like to incorporate back into the Australian team was genuine intelligence. To know the right play and when to execute them and for the team to be able to adapt to the opposition’s game plan and have a structured way to counter.
I do believe that this is taken straight from the copybook of what has made the Reds so successful over the last couple of years.
I don’t think, nor do I expect, he will try and make the Wallabies play like the Reds do, but I certainly believe some of the characteristics of his days in Queensland will be employed in his coaching set-up.
The Wallabies need to learn to close out games, something they never really could under Deans. Many of those defeats against the All Blacks were when they held commanding halftime leads.
I am sure the Wallabies will play a very much free style rugby game under Mckenzie’s reign, but I won’t be upset in the slightest if, from time to time, the Wallabies also adapt a grinding game to get the victory.
If I was Mckenzie I wouldn’t change the current team all that much. There’s the obvious changes to be made with Cooper to come back in, but essentially it’s the game plan and how well that he can get his team to execute on the day that counts.
Selections in the right positions and knowing your role within the team is the key for Ewen to get right. I wish him all the best, and bring on the Rugby Championship.
My Rugby Championship Team:
1. Benn Robinson
2. Steven Moore
3. James Slipper
4. Rob Simmons
5. James Horwill
6. Scott Higginbotham
7. Michael Hooper
8. Ben Mowen
9. Will Genia
10. Quade Cooper
11. James O’Connor
12. Christian Lealiifano
13. Adam Ashley-Cooper
14. Israel Folau
15. Jessie Mogg
Reserves
Saia Fainga’a
Ben Alexander
Sekope Kefu
Kane Douglas
Ben McCalman
Wycliff Palu
Nic White
Rob Horne
Kurtley Beale
Honourable mentions for Kyle Godwin, Matt Toomua and Henry Speight, all of whom should get blooded into the fray at some point in the very near future.
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.