In rugby terms Dave Rennie’s preseason is over.
It would be fair to suggest that Australians have been somewhat underwhelmed with the side’s progress since the quarter-final embarrassment at the hands of England at the 2019 World Cup. Twelve months at the helm, six Test matches, two Super Rugby competitions – Australia and Trans-Tasman – and several camps, and we have little development to show for it.
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Rennie was recently asked, “If your first day in the job last year represented the foot of a mountain, and the 2023 Rugby World Cup final the summit, where do the Wallabies currently stand in that ascent?”.
Rennie, in his distinctive realist manner, replied, “We’re still at the foot of the mountain”.
Though initially this seemed a justified response, it also raised the prospect of a Wallabies side having made little to no progress over a 12-month period.
For success-starved rugby fans in Australia, this simply does not cut it.
(Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
The upcoming three-Test series against a mercurial French side will in a way be the first true test of Rennie’s Wallabies tenure. The six Wallabies Tests of 2020 were far from meaningless, though the expectations of the Australian public were not nearly as great as they currently are.
Should Rennie lose this series, his opening Test, he will no doubt find himself planted firmly on the back foot.
In his selections for the first Test of the year, Rennie didn’t spring many surprises. It seems as though Tate McDermott will be coming off the bench for some time still, with his best chance yet to start eluding him once more.
With first-choice halfback Nic White ruled out of the series due to injury and with Waratahs skipper Jake Gordon recently returning from a seemingly serious knee injury, the stars looked to align for the 22-year-old Queenslander. However, it was Gordon who was given the starting role, pairing in the halves with Brumbies young gun Noah Lolesio. The two form a brand new halves combination, one which Rennie will be hoping can provide the attacking edge required to overcome an exciting though depleted French side.
Matt To’omua appears likely to act as the experienced glue in a youthful backline, having overcome a neck injury that threatened to rule him out of the first Test at the least.
The French are missing an abundance of players due to the timing of the Top 14 final combined with Australia’s quarantine requirements. Notable absentees include the first-choice halves pairing of Antoine Dupont and Romain Ntamack. They’ll be replaced by Baptiste Couilloud at halfback and Louis Carbonel in the No. 10 jersey, making for a mouth-watering clash of the next-generation flyhalves.
The absence of La Rochelle’s Brice Dulin has paved the way for excitement machine Melvyn Jaminet to make his debut at fullback, albeit under strange circumstances. The 22-year-old has no top-flight experience, having played an instrumental role in earning his side, Perpignan, promotion.
The seven debutants named in the French squad display the true extent of the French omissions, with only three members of the starting side remaining from their final Six Nations match against Ireland.
Regardless, the first Test of the calendar year invariably serves as a period of excitement. The knowns, the known unknown and the unknown unknowns. What is known, however, is that Dave Rennie must begin to deliver results. Beating a depleted French side is a non-negotiable. Anything less – particularly a repeat of last year’s mediocrity – could spell the beginning of the end for the New Zealander.
Kabous
Roar Rookie
I think the Boks will win another WC or two before rugby administrators realise that without their overseas players, national teams are fighting with one hand tied behind their back...
FrancisF
Roar Pro
Kelloway’s performance vindicated by my asssessment of him when he first came out to play in Super Rugby years ago, after which he was left in the rugby wilderness. Kelloway was then a raw diamond waiting to be polished. He has all the ingredients of being a great Wallabies at top level matches. Cheika was too blind-sided to see Kelloway’s potential and nurture it. He still has many areas in his skills that can be refined, without retooling and more exposure in a Wallabie will see him improve tactical game. Credit goes to Rennie. Having said that, Kelloway should NOW work hard to build up his potential to be a Wallabie great. Kelloway should keep a clear head on his two shoulders, off and on the field.
Im always in it Muzzo its just the depth that varies.
Jockstar
Guest
Just because you spend millions on a coach doesn’t mean you get results. Look at the success of Shute shield coaches at RWCUP
Muzzo
Roar Rookie
Hahaha look again Jacko, the knives are out........... again!!!!!! Lol :laughing: :crying: :thumbup: :thumbdown:
Muzzo
Roar Rookie
Yeh Ken, way to go. Another useless Kiwi about to hit the dust, aye mate? Lol. :laughing: Hahaha, As in another one bites the dust!!!Lol :thumbup: !!1 But then again, surely there's plenty of home grown talent ???
Muzzo
Roar Rookie
Ah yes the game itself, wasn't really a win for the Wallaby, but more so a loss to the Frogs, through, well, to be blunt, stupidity. Obviously, would not, the thing to do, prior to that last line out, when receiving that penalty, would be to tap, the pill, then kick for touch? That, would've been game over, seeing the full time siren had already have gone off. A real coaches nightmare!!!! Perhaps after that loss the Frogs, just might bring out Du Pont, & few other class players that are missing. We'll just have to wait & see!
Jockstar
Guest
All great successful coaches in Oz have been from the Shute shield.
Bodger
Roar Rookie
I know I'm being pessimistic but every year at the start I get all optimistic and think we are going to be better. This year I've decided to go the other way, expect little and be happy if we get improvement and some wins. There's some good young players coming through but it's a big ask for these guys to be international standard when they haven't even got hardly any super rugby experience yet.
PeterK
Roar Guru
We play 13 tests this year IF everyone goes ahead. 3 against france 3 against ab's. 2 against Boks. 2 against arg. 1 against scotland, england wales. Anything below 5 is a fail and going backwards and 4/13 is 30.8% so I agree. Even 5 wins at 38% wins at best is treading water in in my book and treading water is not good enough. 6/13 wins would be an improvement.
PeterK
Roar Guru
3 draws actually, 1 against ab's and 2 against arg If beforehand you would have said 1 win 2 losses and a draw against the ab's I would have taken it. That was the plus side. The negative was 2 draws to arg at home and coming last in the rc/tn's.
Objective Observer
Roar Rookie
NZ only dropped from 1 to 3 under there prior coach - and this bloke wasn’t good enough to replace him.
Backrower
Guest
Don’t know mate. I guess we didn’t lose as many. There were 2 draws in there but geez they were ugly to watch. To be fair to Rennie, asking him to make immediate improvements is too much to expect. Said it before....trying to deliver a successful Wallabies team truly is trying to make a silk purse from a sow’s ear.
Highlander
Roar Guru
Oi jacko You got an award in my article today Get over for a read
I can neither confirm nor deny GoldenEye. :laughing: :laughing:
Puff
Roar Rookie
Humey, sounds great to me, why don’t you give Cheika a call or some other unrivaled international rugby coach. Do you honestly believe the Wallabies are so breathtakingly brilliant the best coaches in the world are lining up for his job? Reality is: Rennie is an exceptional addition to an extremely quotidian organization and why he took this back stabbing assignment after much more prestigious offers, who knows? It maybe French C in your opinion but any win for the Wallabies is a positive for the code.
Lara
Guest
DR is a straight shooter, no b s . The super rugby teams were outclassed, skill levels exposed. DR needs to mould a team with what he’s got n that is not easy. That said, he got a few advantages over the opposition today. This may not be a pretty game, don’t care, but a win is imperative….even by one. DR coaching skills will be on show today, more so than the players…keep it simple n confrontation, let the French know it is going to hurt.
Bodger
Roar Rookie
Yeah probably slot in behind Scotland at 8th if we have a poor year and do the Europe tour. Where did we improve last year do you reckon?
Backrower
Guest
Really? Backwards? Number 7 in the world and up against the ABs and Boks on a regular basis. Over the last 17/18 years as a Wallabies supporter, I’ve learned to temper my expectations. Right now, after watching our super teams concede 40+ points in just about every match in TT, I’m not sure how optimistic we can be. The author says embarrassing loss to Eng in the quarters. Eng was an excellent team peaking at the right time. The semi final would attest to that.
Bodger
Roar Rookie
When Cheika came in he motivated the players and they came second at the World Cup. They dismantled England at their own World Cup. They beat Wales with 13 men defending their line. There was heart and belief in the 2015 team. Rennie hasn’t motivated the team or shown tactical improvement. Let’s see if they are any better today.