Ewen McKenzie has pulled no punches amid mixed reaction to his hardline decision to suspend six Wallabies including respected veterans Adam Ashley-Cooper, Benn Robinson and Tatafu Polota-Nau.
“They’ve been given the privilege of being a Wallaby,” said coach McKenzie from the Wallabies tour camp in Edinburgh.
“And with that becomes a responsibility.
“This business is about making sacrifices. It’s not about going on a Contiki tour of countries.
“This is not a pub trip.”
McKenzie has been unafraid to rattle cages in a tumultuous first three months in the job but he produced his biggest shock on Monday by dishing out one-Test bans on six players for late-night drinking in Dublin last week, while nine more were reprimanded.
It came after previous bombshells when McKenzie dumped James Horwill as captain, dropped Will Genia to the bench for two matches and elevated Ben Mowen and Quade Cooper to leadership positions.
But his latest move, designed to lift team standards and instil a strong culture, has left a sour taste in mouths.
Ashley-Cooper, Robinson and Polota-Nau were stood down as well as starting winger Nick Cummins and reserves Paddy Ryan and Liam Gill.
McKenzie conceded some players reacted negatively towards his stance while most accepted it and offered no excuses.
Ashley-Cooper’s mother has told a Brisbane radio station he was upset he’d been painted as a boozer when he’d been punished for staying out late and not setting a good enough example.
But McKenzie staunchly defended his sanctions, saying the players were handsomely paid to represent their country, better was expected and a strong message was needed.
“I’m not draconian and say you can’t drink forever,” said McKenzie.
“It’s never been any different. We play on Saturday night. You have a beer after the game and then you move on.
“The only variation from that is you can have a wine or two at the (Tuesday night) team dinner.
“Some guys are borderline but in the end it’s a strong message to say ‘understand where we’re going’.”
Because 15 players went out after midnight last Tuesday and consumed more alcohol, McKenzie has set a formal curfew for the rest of the end-of-season tour to Europe and alcohol won’t be allowed at the upcoming team dinners.
The hard-line stance is designed to turn the Wallabies, struggling in 2013 with a 5-8 record, into genuine contenders for the 2015 World Cup.
“I’m in the business to make the team that’s best as possible,” said McKenzie, a front-rower in Australia’s 1991 World Cup-winning side. “I’ve been there before.
“I want to help these players get there but you have to display championship behaviours; not behaviours that are consistent with some sort of club trip.”
In-form flyer Cummins has most to lose from his suspension as it opens the door to Joe Tomane to regain his place after he lost out in a 50-50 selection call at the start of the five-week tour.
“I look at both sides,” McKenzie said. “You can look at the one side of it but look at the other side, the guys doing the right thing.”
nickoldschool
Roar Guru
Am with you messa. If the guys were on time and fully operational for the next training session, I see nothing wrong with that. Watching tv till very late can be bad, eating too much/not enough, junk food etc, can be bad. Everything can be bad before a test. A team manager has to trust his guys do the right things and only punish them when it affects their performance. Plus, I really think it sends the wrong message re team bonding. You're on tour, with your mates, rugby being the sport that it is, its crucial you feel part of a group, a family and yes, whether we want it or not, a few bevs or even a drinking session does help (sometimes). I have mentioned this anecdote a few times but I was shocked that no wallabies retaliated when Horwill got bashed by the French in Brisbane a few years ago. IMO, that's where you see the results of team bonding, or not. Sure they are a team of rugby pros but they are also a team of mates who look after each other, on and off the field. If a team can bond playing a giant game of monopoly in the hotel lobby then fine, but if some guys rather hit the town and have a few drinks then fine too (well much better imo!). I just think Ewen is missing the social aspect of our sport by punishing the 'culprits'.
Qldfan
Roar Rookie
Umm, a day off on Wednesday was to recover from the efforts of the weekend, not to recover from a hangover. Out until 1am or 4am and only had a few drinks? Somebody has to be joking
borneo_bug
Guest
"Contiki Tour legendary behaviour",...ahhhh..hazy days gone by..how I miss them ;)
Old school
Guest
I fully support Link, it's about time these spoilt brats come back to reality. They winged and complained about how they are professionals and now that they are paid and treated like professionals they expect to be told what the appropriate behaviour is when representing their country. WTF? Link was treating them as adults and did not put in writing how many drinks they were allowed and what time they should be in bed, so now he is the bad guy? I say grow up and be responsible, I'm not spending my hard earned money to support the Wallabies and have them running around to 4am in the morning during a tour. Also I had no ill feelings towards Ashley Cooper, what's done is done and move on, UNTIL I see his mother being interviewed and telling us how upset poor Ashey is...........really?
Argyle
Roar Guru
If it was a pub tour I can recommend Kielly's Pub at Donnybrook. ;)
ThelmaWrites
Guest
Now if only MacKenzie would exercise some discipline himself and shut his trap. He's just fomenting more divisiveness in the culture he says he wants to improve. It is so unbecoming of a coach. There is dignity in silence.
niwdeyaj
Guest
Messa, I think you'll find only some of them got back at 1am, others much later (4am) so I find it hard to believe they didn't indulge in more than a couple.. Punishments were handed out accordingly e.g. Some warned, some suspended... Seems pretty fair to me.
RF
Guest
This takes the complacency out of the game against Scotland. I could see us going in against the Scots as cocky w@%kers after our huge winning streak and getting beaten by a couple of points on a track that wont suit our game. The guys that will replace them will try their guts out to disrupt what is shaping to be the starting 15.
niwdeyaj
Guest
When you say "mixed reaction", I think you'll find its more like everyone agrees with Link aside from about 4 Roarers (you know who you are) and one mediocre ex-wallaby... and two-dads' mum...
Tahman
Guest
Great stuff Link. So what messa if they didn't misbehave, 6 players in the 23 were out till 4 am. Do you honestly think that is good preparation for a Test Match and also sets a good example to others not in the 23 - yeah its fine to go out till 3 & 4 am drinking, but you'll still get picked. Everyone whinges about the performance of the Wallabies and then criticizes the coach when he tries to clean it up. This gives those who did do the right thing a great opportunity to show their worth such as Tomane. Seriously if you are that desperate for a drink go and play subbies and tour with them.
TB
Guest
How much of your big nights do you really tell your mum. I'd be telling mine that I was an angel too after a national news story broke. I think he'd be more embarrassed that she went on the radio about it.
Red Kev
Guest
That's actually what concerns me. The 'whispers' of midweek sessions before this. Mckenzie lost patience perhaps? Realised that asking them to be adult wasn't working? David Lord is right (man it's been a while since I typed that) the underlying culture of the Wallabies surfaced - lack of discipline, no respect for authority, booziness.
dr katz
Guest
Geez AAC must be embarrassed by having his mum come to his defense. He's 29 FFS. She must still think he's running around in the Under 8's....
JamesinSyD
Guest
Its not overkill. There has been talk of this sort of thing going on for quite a while and Link is trying to stamp it out. I personally want to see the guys doing everything they can to get the Wallabies back up the rankings.
Nigel Imrie
Guest
Gentlemen this is all about following instructions, no drinking means no drinking, be home by midnight means be home by midnight, simple really!! We should reintroduce the midweek tour match, there is an entire second fifteen that are by all accounts on holidays, they need to be amused plus it is good for the brand to have a game against Munster, Wasps and so forth......
Eddie
Guest
messa I totally agree with eveything youve written.
Stray Gator
Roar Rookie
Wrong, wrong, wrong. Jeebus, Link, I thought you were supposed to be bright. It's cause and effect, innit. We played better after some of the team got on the turps, so if ALL of ‘em had got serious about breaking idiotic team rules, got themselves legless AND rocked in at 5am, we would have played even better, mebbe scored 10 or so tries. You should know this stuff Link. Keep up will yer.
messa
Guest
thats all good and well but the players didn't misbehave.... they got back to their hotels a bit late on a tuesday night not drunk from all accounts... then they had a day off! this is madness and mckenzie knows it by these words he is really trying to justify it. I mean going out to dinner (hich if you've been to dinner in europe is suually much later than ours) and then havinga couple more and getting home around 1am is hardly Contiki tour legendary behavioru!! bad choice of words... he should start writing for the tele mirror! all business and no play!!! (we all know makes a man go crazy) i ask if it is all business business why then did he give them a day off???? he new they needed a break and he should've turned a blind eye to this tuesday night dinner. Yes if the players had've done this say on the thursday or friday night before the match they'd need a good suspension but this is massive overkill.