Rugby Australia have announced the appointment of Scott Wisemantel as an assistant coach to new Wallabies boss Dave Rennie.
The 49-year old, who had been widely tipped to join Rennie after leaving his role with England’s national team, has been confirmed as the side’s attack coach.
Having also coached with the Manu Samoa and Japan national teams before linking up with England in their charge to the Rugby World Cup final, Wisemantel said he is excited to return to the Wallabies fold, having been the team’s skills coach between 2004 and 2008. He also worked with the Waratahs as a backs coach before leaving in 2010.
“I’m really looking forward to returning home to Australia after ten years, and for the opportunity to work alongside Dave Rennie,” he said.
“I’ve learned a few things from working with various programs around the world, and it’s given me another perspective on how to view the game as an attack coach.
“Historically, the Wallabies have been innovative in how they play the game and how they attack, so I want to bring that to the table.”
Rugby Australia director of rugby Scott Johnson said Rennie himself was particularly keen to get Wisemantel on board.
“Dave [Rennie] has been closely involved in the appointment of Scott, and I know those two guys will complement each other really well,” Johnson said.
“Scott’s return to Australia is a huge coup for the Wallabies. He’s got great experience and has had success with club sides in Europe as well as other international sides, but I also know what he’s like as a person and as a coach, and he will add tremendous value to the group.”
Wisemantel replaces incumbent Shaun Berne, who was hired on a short-term deal before the World Cup by then-coach Michael Cheika and has since returned to the Melbourne Rebels.
The attack coach isn’t the only addition to the Wallabies backroom staff to be announced today, with Chris Webb joining as general manager, and Dean Benton given a permanent position as Rugby AU head of athletic performance.
Much like Wisemantel, bringing Webb back into the Australian fold is a feather in Rugby AU’s cap. The Australian was assistant team manager under John Connolly between 2005-2007, and more recently worked with Jamie Joseph as the high performance advisor for the Japanese national team, as well as with the Sunwolves in Super Rugby.
“I have known Chris Webb for many years and have worked with him previously in the Wallabies set-up and I know the qualities and experience he will bring to the management team will pay significant dividends,” Johnson said.
“All three of these appointments are at the top in their fields and will give our teams the best chance for success across the Australian rugby landscape.”
Kick n Clap
Guest
And TWAS and that was NEVER. The Farce have never be Good. Full Stop. Their record speaks for itself?
Kick n Clap
Guest
I hope you kidding with that statement? The Force Defence has always been like a revolving Turnstile in their direction. Their best position was normally under the sticks waiting for next conversion to go over.
Tooly
Roar Rookie
I’ll be pleased to rule a line over the last decade. So much rubbish in selections and the inane Brave Aussie crap. We wasted so many good players and persevered with so many duds. We need to start from scratch, and pick the team solely on the form shown against NZ and SA teams. Not local the derbies. There is little to suggest that Johnson, Rennie and Co hold any aces. I want a change of direction and I wish them well. It won’t happen over night.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
Bill Meakes & Curtis Rona joined the Force a year after Jooste joined the Brumbies. The Force also didn't have Peter Grant first. He joined the Force at the start of 2016, the same time Jooste joined the Brumbies.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
So kinda like how you got players like Pocock that you try and claim as WA products?
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
And the Brumbies could not just be cut legally.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
You still refuse to consider facts. The legality of it is part of an objective criteria. The cost of choosing a different team is part of an objective criteria. You want the criteria not to consider everything that has to be considered.
Paul D
Roar Rookie
Rona, Meakes? In 2015? Rona as a 10,12 option? That’s not rewriting history. That is outright fantasy!!!! He was not Surplus because he was never yours. Brumbies didn’t sign him because they thought he was anything more than a development player either. And the names they already had on the books trump the Forces stable by some margin
Ex force fan
Guest
Paul D. The Brumbies offered Jooste a full Superugby contract while the Force only offered him a Future Force contract. We saw him as a development player that is not yet ready for Superugby, and therefore not needed (surplus) for the 2017 . Remember we already had Grant, Prior, Rona, Meakes etc in the 10-12 positions. Jooste has been playing well in the NRC and I think he will make his mark in 2020 in the GRR.
Gepetto
Roar Rookie
Bring back Quade.
Paul D
Roar Rookie
“we already had players that could not make the Force side that were contracted by other sides e.g. Jooste at the Brumbies.“ Jooste wasn’t surplus to the Force. He was never in the Force System. Brumbies beat you to his signature straight out of school. Stop trying to rewrite history.
Oblonsky‘s Other Pun
Roar Guru
I just think that a merger would have been likely to destroy two teams rather than one. The Brumbies were only saved by the fact that they’re Australia’s most successful team, and were the best this last World Cup cycle also. Otherwise, Brumbies were the logical team to cut in many ways.
Oblonsky‘s Other Pun
Roar Guru
From a junior participation standpoint I agree it wasn’t good. But RA cut a super team for three other reasons: - RA’s partners in SANZAAR that Aus relies on wanted us to cut one. - RA needed to stem the bleeding somewhat by decreasing in teams (and RA likely would have been in a more perilous situation had a team not been cut). - to try and align talent to improve super and Wallaby results. Super results have improved, we will see over the next decade whether Wallaby ones do. The Force weren’t a success in terms of producing lots of Wallaby level players is what I meant. Even Richard Hardwick is struggling for game time now that we have four teams. He certainly isn’t pushing for the Wallabies.
Ex force fan
Guest
Dilington, it depends on what you define as success. The Western Force had an immediate impact at club level with junior numbers in my club doubling from 2005 to 2006. This growth continued across WA until 2017 when the Force was axed. We had 26 under 20 teams in 2017 dropping to 6 in the beginning of 2018. A lot of players came from elsewhere including NZ, South Africa and Eastern States and played club rugby in WA helping the competition to close the gap in the quality of the club competition in the hope that they will be considered for the Future Force or Force. For me that is the kind of success you cannot buy for a few million. The Force delivering what it was set-up to do - develop a pathway to junior players to the Wallabies in WA. Richard Hardwick is case in point and illustrate that it take 10 years to take a 12 year old junior player to get to the level where he was selected for the Wallabies. During the time he played for WA representative junior sides, Western Force Academy, UWA club, Perth Spirit (NRL) and was just cementing a regular spot in the Western Force. I know it was still a tough road but he also managed to get a couple of minuted against Fiji for the Wallabies. As these junior players come through the system, the next step is to play finals, continue to improve the game and hopefully win trophies. As your development pathway produce success you win in the end export surplus players although we already had players that could not make the Force side that were contracted by other sides e.g. Jooste at the Brumbies. From a rugby perspective axing the Force was dumb and an indication that RA has no idea of how important the team is to rugby in WA.
Ex force fan
Guest
We will not be able to compete with Tier 1 nations on player depth unless we grow the game beyond NSW and QLD. The Western Force was the vehicle to achieve this in WA and we had a realistic change to become the #2 football code after AFL in WA. We are not even #2 in NSW or QLD at the moment.
Ex force fan
Guest
The Brumbies were the only team that performed well. The Tahs, Reds and Rebels consistently underperformed compared to the level of investment that RA committed to them. Although WF was not an expensive team to maintain we also underperformed consistently with the exception of 2017 season. Prior to 2017 we normally did well in the early part of the season but our lack of depth caught up with us later in the season when injuries take their tool. The exception was 2017 when a couple of development players were able to step-up from the WA club competition to Superugby level with only one game against the Canes when we were outclassed. However the 2017 was a young team, well lead by Hodgson and coached by Wessels and his team with a strong sense of purpose and belonging building towards the 2018-2019 seasons. There was a realistic expectation that we could make the finals in 2018-2019 if we stayed together.
Ex force fan
Guest
The assumptions were those used by RA to explain why the Force needs to be cut. This was the concentration of player pool in four franchises will improve competition for places that will improve the Wallabies (there is objective evidence that it didn't). The second was to improve the RA financial position by improving the commercial attractiveness of Superugby and cutting costs (the savings from cutting the Force was however spend and the broadcasters now argue about the commercial attractiveness of Superugby).
Ex force fan
Guest
At his age he was not on a full contract like all the other players but on a development contract.
Ex force fan
Guest
South Africa only agreed to drop the Cheetahs or Kings only when they had an alternative for them in Pro 14. The fact that RA was rolled this easy is an indication of the level of commitment (or rather lack of commitment) to rugby union in WA. RA actions after axing the Force confirmed that RA is not interested in WA rugby. This for a national sports body.... What is ironic is that RA now needs WA's support for the RWC 2027 bid as the forth largest population centre with excellent facilities. It is a competitive bid and other national spot bodies like SARU can rely on the support of all their provinces.
Ex force fan
Guest
If RA setup objective criteria from the start and ran a transparent process I also think that the small population would have counted against the Brumbies. If a competent administration would start Superugby today from scratch they will surely favour population centres and a good geographical spread. I still believe that a merger would be a better outcome, most likely Force-Rebels but it could also have been the Brumbies with either the Rebels or Tahs. The merger would only be a temporary measure until another more sustainable longer term option is on the table. It is better than the total abandonment of WA as RA could not offer anything to replace Superugby.