Australia’s miserable defeat to Italy was the worst Wallabies performance in the Dave Rennie era and two decisions from the coach have been skewered in the aftermath of the one-point defeat.
Australia had a chance to win the game after the siren but never led in a game against a team they’d never lost to in 18 previous encounters across 39 years.
Ben Donaldson, who had been brought on the field only minutes before to replace Noah Lolesio – the team’s most reliable goalkicker – missed his chance to win it at the death.
That call was baffling, while Rennie’s decision to make 12 changes for the game was called “poor coaching” by Drew Mitchell on the Stan Sport commentary.
Rennie defended the decision to make wholesale changes from the loss to France but it backfired horribly.
(Photo by Timothy Rogers/Getty Images)
It was tough to find any ‘studs” on the Australian team while the “duds” abounded, and Rennie was front and centre as a target for criticism.
“Dave Rennie you’re behind by six, you know a kick has got to win the game if you’re good enough to get in that position,” said Jim Tucker on The Roar’s Instant Reaction podcast.
“So five minutes from the end of the game he takes off a gun goal kicker in Lolesio and puts Ben Donaldson on with not enough time to influence the game. Shocking adjustment of substitutes by Dave Rennie. He’s got to cop that.
“Dave Rennie ‘discipline’. I don’t want to hear it again. That’s your job. Poor coaching.”
“Poor coaching” was a line echoed by Drew Mitchell on the Stan post-match coverage.
“To me [the result] goes back to 12 changes,” said Mitchell. “Subconsciously it gives you the mindset that you’re expected to win this. That was poor coaching. Seventh in the world, you’re not in a position to make 12 changes.”
Former Wallaby Morgan Turinui said he couldn’t see a better option to lead Australia right now.
“I don’t think he’s going anywhere,” said Turinui. “I’m impressed with a lot of the work he’s done. I don’t see an obvious, better solution. You’ve got to have a better viable solution. I think Dave Rennie’s doing a fine job with the players he has.”
Harry Jones, speaking on the Instant Reaction podcast said there were so many issues in the game that “speak to one thing only, which is coaching.
“[Italy coach] Kieran Crowley completely out coached Dave Rennie. Dave Rennie has to cop that and say ‘I got out thought, out planned. I did not get my troops ready’.
“And then he botched it as well. It’s like in the NBA where you put a guy in who’d never played the whole game for the winning free throw.”
Tucker was scathing about the performance of Lolesio and says his time is up as a Wallabies No.10.
“I think the Wallabies have backed the wrong horse. Noah Lolesio has had 16 Tests now,” Tucker said.
“He was invisible against Italy, and that’s enough for me to say he shouldn’t be an investment for the Wallabies as a flyhalf now.
(Photo by Timothy Rogers/Getty Images)
“Very nice pass to put Tom Wright over but in a match like this Noah Lolesio has to grab it by the horns and just control it and and initiate things and he just was invisible.
“And that’s a hard call. He was the right guy at the right time when Rennie needed a young five-eighth to groom but his progress has been negligible – not in his heart and not in his goal-kicking but just in his ability to take a match by the scruff of the neck when it’s required.”
Brett McKay, on the podcast, defended the Brumbies flyhalf.
“They still clearly played off nine a lot and Hunter Paisami went into first receiver a lot but I actually felt that there was more connection across the midfield in attack most of the time in this game than there had been the previous two weeks,” McKay said.
“I actually feel sorry for Lolesio because his development as an international player has been incredibly poorly handled. It’s been stifled.
“I don’t know how you’re supposed to get better as an international flyhalf when you get three starts in a row and then you don’t play again for six weeks. That’s been his lot for most of his career.
Tucker countered: “I can’t agree with that. He’s had 16 Tests. He’s been in most training camps. He’s had a cotton wool education as a Test fly half. If you want to win a World Cup, you have a guy who controls the game. He has to take more play himself. And if he’s not up to that he shouldn’t be in the team.”
McKay described the loss as “maddeningly frustrating” and one that could have big ramifications for some players.
“We’ve seen some disappointing performances from this Wallabies group this last couple of years, but that was comfortably the worst Wallabies I’ve seen in the Dave Rennie era,” McKay said.
“There are so many stocks falling out of this game. There will be blokes who don’t make the World Cup squad based off this game and I think Folau Fainga’a will be one.
“I don’t know how you can go from one of the better lineout throwers in Super Rugby, to just not even being able to hit the side of a barn with a frozen pea.
“His lineout throwing is absolutely appalling. And when he was hooked in the 55th minute he missed that target by a metre. He was rightly hooked and I don’t know how he plays again on this tour.”
While good performances were hard to spot, Will Skelton’s first start since 2019 drew praise.
“That’s the best that Wallabies have used him since he returned to the side last year,” Tucker siad.
“They had a plan to get him involved coming hard off the back of a lineout. They used him in midfield and he dished off a couple of nice off loads.
“We finally saw the value of Will Skelton. He was right up for the game. He has a big motor, he kept performing, had nine or 10 carries. So I thought he was very assertive. So that’s a big plus for the Wallabies.”
McKay added: [Darcy] Swain and Skelton worked quite well as a combination. [Ned] Hanigan and Skelton in the second half were carrying very well as a pair. They were getting good gain line, they were getting good post contact metres. There was a bit in that. But it feels like it’s clutching at straws.”
Renzeau
Roar Rookie
Really comparing Super to Test match rugby. Plus they have played a full super season.
Stu
Roar Rookie
It’s astounding to me that some national teams never seem to fix their errors in any way whatsoever, no matter how many years they have their training runs etc. Then you get other teams like Japan - instant improvement in weak areas from their training runs, and massive permanent improvements in short timeframes. Exceptional planning and execution seem to be mandatory there. It obviously isn’t here.
Guess
Roar Rookie
I know all the right calls in hindsight too
GC Red
Roar Rookie
I like the idea, let’s hope he has a blinder next year.
graymatter
Roar Rookie
OK I'll bite! Who are the many players Rennie has made worse? Similarly tell us, given you say almost, who has he made better? Actually don't bother. You wouldn't have a clue! And anyway its pure irrelevency. Is it really Rennie's job to make elite players better OR is it his job to weld individually talented players into a cohesive unit? And to develop gameday strategies maximising the skills available to him from his players to counter those of the opposition. On the otherhand if it is indeed mismanagement ruining careers i think you need to lokk past the Coach. He doesn't determine who gets the contracts! Lets identify the peanuts who keep paying big money to league stars and overated celebrity favourites at the expence of players like Irae Simone and a litterny of others who have left the system.
graymatter
Roar Rookie
Not sure what Tucker's agenda is but despite his self proclaimed expertise, he's talking crap here! Lolesio played pretty well. FF's throwing wasn't that bad and his field performance and work rate were great. On the contrary praise for Skelton's performance is overstated. He was big and made several short meters. His defence was non-evident. Not sure who Tucker thinks should be in the side but frankly on the account he's given , who cares and any consideration of his view would be titally counterproductive and worthless!
WINSTON
Roar Rookie
Rassie? He took us from 7th to RWC champions in the space of 18 months
John Wagner
Roar Rookie
It seems that McKellar and Fisher might be influencing Rennie's selections --- to choose Brumbies players who are below par! For that reason (as well as others) that pair must not be handed the Wallabies coaching job(s)! (Forget about Rennie being a Kiwi ----- We did have one very good Kiwi coach in Robbie Deans --- who was treated very badly by Rugby Australia, -- responding to the woeful, unjust calls of Greg Martin and others!)
Phil
Guest
Because Lonergan is one of these kids that are a proud product of our "pathways" program. Somehow when younger these kids get put on this magical pathway and as such, they are provided with the saloon passage to Super Rugby and then the Wallabies, it is about what school you go to, what junior club you play for and which coach you know has the connections to help you get onto this magical pathway. A classic example is the Qld u16 team that lost to NSW yesterday, in Qld there have been numerous players who didnt even get to trial for this team who are far superior players to the selected players.... it appears that if you are the relative of a former wallaby you've made the side. When the Premiership winning u16 team in the Brisbane Junior Rugby Union u16 competition cannot get more than 1 player in the squad then something is amiss.
Ken Catchpole's Other Leg
Roar Guru
If Tane aims up and gets the Tah 10 shirt, then aims up again and challenges some Super ‘stars’ and functions under pressure (unlike the Shute finals) he may get a squad spot, then a shot.
Ben Pobjie
Expert
Trouble with getting a new coach is that anyone who wants to coach the Wallabies by definition must be considered to have terrible judgment.
Tez
Roar Rookie
About NL .... one comment above says a hell of a lot .... Paisami went into first receiver a lot ... why? Noah this was the game where you had to boss it and run the team. Why the hell were you letting Paisami into first receiver? You should have been ordering him back out to his spot and you should have been making the calls. Sorry Noah but that was not good enough.
Ad-O
Guest
I know the media have to give the Wallabies a boost to get people interested, but is anyone really surprised? The team isn't very good. Its been diminishing returns since the sport went professional because the Australian setup is barely professional. Doesn't matter which poor fool happens to be in possession of the poison chalice known as Wallabies' Coach. The sport is going nowhere in Australia. One more thing. The guy further up complaining about the Australian Rugby fan always putting the blame on the 10 is dead right. A 10 is only as good as his forward's ability to provide quality ball. Expecting one to constantly bail his pack out is a low percentage strategy in Test Rugby.
Derek Murray
Roar Rookie
When you put it like that
Tallkev
Roar Rookie
Also FF line out throwing isn’t up to international standard which is a shame cos he’s pretty solid otherwise
Rhys Bosley
Roar Pro
I have explained my reasoning elsewhere, I think it was reasonable last roll of the dice to change the attacking picture when they were a converted try behind at the death.
Rhys Bosley
Roar Pro
Because none of them apart from Foley has had an absolute blinder of a season in Super Rugby like Cooper did right at the beginning of the long, hard road to becoming a good international 10. The idea of uncovering a genius by playing a young player for the Wallabies who hasn’t even cut the excelled at provincial level yet, has to be the stupidest getting around and that really is saying something.
Go you good thing
Roar Rookie
It pains me to say …The Irish will tear us apart.
Ken Catchpole's Other Leg
Roar Guru
“ Both Jake Gordon and Tate poor.” Harry, I have a question here. Our attack template depends on an assertive, narky 9, because we lack an assertive playmaker at 10, (and 12 and 15). So Tate suffers not only for his teenage bedroom passes, but for the fact that he’s not White, the cranky game leader. (Gordon wins selection by being White-ish but without the big game ability). But if we were making play in other channels would our dependence on 9 ability be so crucial?
Rugbynutter
Roar Rookie
Well they made some improvements with Laurie fisher but yes some maybe better other coaches perhaps.