An open letter to Ewen McKenzie

Morning Ewen, a couple of tough days at the office to kickstart your international coaching career, but zip it on the refs, they are a protected species.

Good sides overcome bad refereeing to win, as the All Blacks do so regularly.

Your problem is your side isn’t good enough. And in fact, apart from odd spasmodic moments of hope, your side has been awful.

Just as well you have this weekend off to allow you to tinker, tweak, or tear apart your 23 for the Boks game at Suncorp on Saturday week.

Ewen, you have four stages to see out 2013.

The first stage is done and dusted losing home and away Tests against the men-in-black totaling 84 points to 45, or eight tries to three.

A distant second in a two-horse race, and this All Black lineup isn’t as strong as usual.

STAGE 2: These are the four remaining MUST win Wallaby home and away games in the Rugby Championship, against the Boks and the Pumas.

So how are you going to make them a MUST?

First cab off the rank, your on-field executive: you have to fire up captain James Horwill and vice-captain Will Genia.

Horwill was better in the second Test against the All Blacks, but still far short of the mark he is used to setting. Genia has lost his intensity, his imagination, and his confidence that made him the undisputed world’s best 9.

All Black half Aaron Smith has comfortably out-played him twice, and if Genia doesn’t fire, there’s no spark in the Wallabies.

Then what to do with the 10 jumper? Matt Toomua will never be anything but an honest toiler, nothing flash, but nothing exciting.

That’s Quade Cooper’s role, as you know better than most. But it’s a lottery: he’s either brilliant, or blatantly annoying, there’s no middle road.

Care to punt coach?

Then Christian Leali’ifano, an above average Super Rugby 12, but missing many a beat at Test level on both attack and defence. But you can’t drop him, his golden boot is priceless with 19 landed from 20 at 95%.

So get attack coach Jim McKay to fire him up, and Adam Ashley-Cooper as well, who has had his best season in ages but has gone off the boil lately.

Before we get to the wingers, return Israel Folau to where he’s best suited at full-back. He made his name and the Wallaby squad in his debut season on his performances in the 15 jumper, and be damned if Robbie Deans and yourself bury him on the wing.

That doesn’t make any sense at all.

He’s the very best under the high ball, his handling and passing is right up there, and he has the speed and the natural ability to beat anyone – so give him the room to move to do what he’s best at.

The wingers?

Whatever rocket you gave James O’Connor is working. While there’s still a long way to go, O’Connor’s ability is unquestionable.

It’s his attitude that has been rotten.

And Nick Cummins deserves a long overdue call-up.

Up front, swapping Ben Mowen (8) with Scott Fardy (6) looms large, but both of them are penalty liabilities and need to get an urgent and prolonged attack of the smarts.

Or do you leave Mowen at 8, bring in Liam Gill at 6, and move Fardy to partner Horwill?

There’s time to think about it, which you don’t have to waste on non-stop Michael Hooper, apart from lowering his giveaway penalty count as well.

The front row?

Time to recall Benn Robinson. All is forgiven.

Stephen Moore is the best hooker, but a lottery liability feeding lineouts.

Then switch James Slipper to 3.

Once you’ve tweaked, tinkered, or torn apart your 23, which won’t include Jesse Mogg, nor Ben Alexander, and having WON those four Rugby Championship games to finish second on the table …

STAGE 3: arguably the most important game left in 2013, taking on the All Blacks at Dunedin in the third and final Bledisloe clash.

The Cup is gone for the 11th year, but surely the pride and passion of the Wallabies is still burning bright?

Having settled the side in Stage 2, this is the one the Wallabies desperately need to win to start making a genuine impact again on the world scene.

STAGE 4: what a perfect ending to 2013 with the Wallabies emulating their 1984 counterparts – skippered by Andrew Slack, magnificently motivated by Alan Jones, and co-coached by Alex Evans – by capturing the Grand Slam.

And don’t be surprised at the impact Henry Speight, the flying Fijian winger, will have when he becomes eligible in November for his gold jersey.

England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales will quite often see the back of him disappearing at speed towards their in-goal area.

So there it is Ewen, the next eight-nine days will probably be the most defining moments of your coaching career.

For the sake of Australian rugby, make them work.