Is Link really Australia's knight in shining armour?

24 hour news cycle, short attention spans and the ability to post bile online immediately and anonymously without any forethought or time taken to consider the effect of the commentary. The worlds buggered not just Australian Rugby.

Sorry Ken but this current bunch (with a few exceptions) don't look to be trying their utmost which is what the ABs always do (certainly against Australia).

I think it is fair to say that Link has been a disappointment to those up here in Qld also. Sure, I imagine politics had a lot to do with it, but dropping both QC and Genia, selecting Hooper over Gill, and refusing to try Slipper at THP have certainly not endeared him to Queenslanders hoping for a properly Red-tinted team for the first time in living memory.

well, thats two Kiwis agreeing, any more want to chime in?

Well might as well get used to the AB game in Dunedin being a lost cause and use the opportunity to try and set the team accurate performance goals to support a realistic set of game plans to take on the EOYT. It's one thing to be the whipping boy in the SH, but it would be insufferable to be made a laughing stock in the NH. God, imagine the pommie press...........

Kev that's a very good summary of what has happened.

Rugby Tragic, yes "the way he went about undermining the national coach" is historical now, but unfortunately it set an unfortunate precedent, that I can't help feel is lingering in the Australian team. Horwill and many others where no doubt loyal to Deans for the sake of the national team - and in comes a coach who bagged one of the members of that team (I am including the coach as part of the team here). In WWII, Australia had the highest rate of survivors in Japanese death camps - why ? Because of the "look after your mate" principle; they would by and large look after their mates even when the situation looked hopeless, they would just stick to that principle, that spirit. I hope Link succeeds, and that the EOYT enables all the negatives to be turned around, but it will take him some time, and if the EOYT is a significant failure, the knives will stay out, and no doubt some will undermine Link's position, and then we would back to square one.

"Let’s not forget the posturing that Jim Carmichael, Quade Cooper and Will Genia were putting out in the media. McKenzie was supposed to be the knight in shining armour, the messiah who would save Australian rugby from the “toxic” and lamentable Kiwi Robbie Deans. Deans, the bloke who Greg Martin referred to as a double agent, who plotted the downfall of rugby in this country by not selecting a certain Queensland prodigal son." Yes, this was complete BS from QLD and very immature to play it out publicly against Deans. I think behaviour from QLD individuals mentioned should be just enough rope to hang themselves. That would be justice/karma.

This isn't the best all blacks team also,wow stop making rubbish up to justify the current wallabys being smacked ,I respect the wallabys they don't try any less when they put on their jerseys than the all blacks do but wether it's bad coaching or lack to talent,I don't know what o do know is that Deans did beat the All Blacks a few times and won a tri nations ,Ewen does not look like he will get close before he is sacked but I'll be happy to be corrected if he turns the ship around in the next year.

Nobody but nobody saw the 3rd Lions test result coming - especially the Lions! Other than this and a couple of other tests Deans teams were always competitive. Sooooo.....is there a greater conspiracy afoot? Did McKenzie get to the players? If some idiots truly believe Deans was a NZ Trojan horse then they surely have to entertain this conspiracy as well! Feel for Deans! Thoroughly decent bloke, very, very good coach but not to everyone's style....but nobody deserves to be treated the way he was. I had the privileged of being involved in several community initiatives that he was involved in - he was understated, generous and treated everybody with respect and what I found incredibly illuminating was that he was interested in everybody's take on things! He might not agree and would tell you, but he asked and he listened. Now ARU missed jake White who also seems a bit peeved with Aussie rugby in the way he's been treated - way to go Aussie. Bring back MacQueen, even Eddie! But get rid of the mob I/c at the moment!

They would have at least been competitive which helps maintain self confidence to an extent - this bunch omg! ABs and Boks must honestly be feeling a little disrespected that this bunch think they can bring these standards to test matches! Embarrassing for Aussie.

chivas - harsh but unfortunately totally true and accurate.

You can't give up Jutsie, but your sentiments are being felt by so many of is currently. You aren't alone. It kills me and if I vent my frustration, I am being a kiwi who should get off this Australian site. The commentary has got boorish and the team is beyond a joke. The guy who came in trash talking others has been shown up as a fool wearing the emperors clothes. Right now the Wallabies have got what so many roarer fans have been demanding.... now look at them. It's absolutely disheartening. I have always supported Deans, not because I think he is the greatest coach in the universe. But because I think he was the best coach in Australia and genuinely bust his back to do everything in his power to improve the game, the culture and the structures here. What did he get for his troubles. Xenophobic, small mindedness. Is this what Australian rugby has fallen to. They are virtually an irrelevance. Look at the commentary surrounding JOC here. People would happily be his judge and jury, demanding he show more respect and pride. Something none of them do judging by their bigoted self righteous comments. So they lose JOC. No big deal except he is the most talented player in the Wallaby side by a long chalk. All talk about how weak Deans' man management skills are... and this is what we have to replace it. I doubt people even know what man management is. How do you change culture or individuals. I actually do it for a job and get paid well for it. The people here who spout about it like they are some kind of authority have not a clue. What is there to support or like. Oh I know the school kids are doing well. So yes you are not alone in your frustrations. Many of is share your pain. But you can't give up as long as people like Ben Mowen, Palu, Lilo etc. are putting there all out there in spite of the turgid commentary which populates blog sites like this. There are still a few interested parties... Mania, Brett, Biltong, yourself, Mick (tongue in cheek) from somewhere beachy etc.

hahahaha

The way I remember it (and correct me if I'm wrong!) Robbie Deans had his suport team selected by the ARU (John O'Neill) - he just had the good grace to go about his job without running to the media with excuses. A case can probably be made that a change was needed, I just didn't like the way it was done. As far as I'm conerned Ewen is fair game! I've just run back through some of his whiteanting comments - why doesn't someone ask him to justify what e claied he was going to do? So far, I've seen nothing! Unfortunately, Jake White is gone and there is no immediate alternative at present. At the end of the NH tour a decisionwill need to be made, not just about the coach, but some of the peole who put him there.

Wallabies need to learn to keep ball in hand and only kick when you really have to. Dont go for penalties when within 5 meters of the opposition tryline! -- Comment from The Roar's iPhone app.

Best Boks team in 30 years is a bit overstated. The Boks of 2009 was sublime, the Boks of 2007 and 2004 and 2005 were very strong teams. The Boks in 1995-1998 was also very, very strong. Please don't make such a statement without considering what you are insulting. The Bok side of 2007 would beat the current one in terms of personnel alone. It's still young and developing.

Actually, Meyer inhereted a team that lost Matfield, Smit, Rossouw, Fourie, Bakkies, Du Preez, Burger, Juan amongst several injuries so he HAD to start basic given that he only had 2 weeks with the team. We lost legends, Australia have better depth this year than last and there is greater continuity. The real problem is that Ewan did exactly the same thing that Peter De Villiers did; he bashed the current coach and boasted of playing this futuristic attacking brand of rugby. Both landed flat on their face. This, and this alone is the truth. No respect, no values and an ego that left him completely unprepared for the rigours of test rugby!

First and foremost, Deans only had real success against the worst coached Springbok side in Bok history. The defence in particular was shambolic and that allowed the Wallabies to use the freely given space. New Zealand, Scotland, Wales, Samoa et al did not gift that space so easily. So Deans' record is in fact bloated. He had a freebie through crooked refs in a world cup where his team was dominated more thoroughly than Ewan's side this year and was thumped by Meyer's Boks more thoroughly last year. Your point is unfounded. Deans stagnated the Wallabies in much the same manner as Peter De Villiers for the Boks, but unlike Heyneke Meyer, Ewan was all mouth and no brains and failed to deliver. So the reality is both are overrated coaches, and Ewan's record is not as impressive as most would have you believe either! They had a shot at Jake White and stuffed it up. Jake beat a 700+ cap Lions team with a patchwork Brumbies side, yet Ewan has only a very lucky win against Argentina. Deans, Ewan; both overrated, the suits running ARU should be sacked!

What if ti told you... It's the players fault as well. You can't just keep blaming the coaching staff. There needs to be some realisation amongst supporters that there just isn't the calibre of tight forwards and gain line presence to flourish in the modern international game amongst the Australian pool of players.