Last week we saw Australia push France with structure and belief in the system, but they ultimately fell agonisingly short by one solitary point. Wales pushed the All Blacks until the last 20 minutes before being put to the sword, and looked tired after all their efforts.
The Pumas played a great tempo game and stuck at it for the full 80 minutes while England looked like a team lacking ideas along with tries. New Zealand struggled in a warm-up game against Japan in what was effectively a B side, the team kept kicking the ball away with no effective plan attached to it and Japan seized upon it.
NZ then played Wales and used the forwards with proper grunt and power which Wales struggled with, and that effectively decided the game as the All Blacks ran away with a comprehensive win.
Moving forward a week and how things have changed with the results, some supporters will have their heads spinning wondering and feeling perplexed.
The Coaches
Everyone knows how pressure can lead to players making basic unforced errors and bizarre decisions, and the supporters are left thinking ‘Why did you come up with that play?!’
During the majority of the Rugby Championship, Ian Foster was the coach under the most scrutiny from All Blacks fans for choosing players out of position, not choosing the correct players and having an ever-changing game plan.
Ian Foster (Photo by Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images)
Dave Rennie for Australia had to deal with multiple injuries that no team could cope with by still providing consistent results, he has built up real depth for next year. Many could see the positives with what he is doing, and varying the style of play.
Eddie Jones received the normal ridicule from the media after the loss to Argentina – maybe the English press did not realise that they were up against a very good Puma side.
The New Zealand-born Welsh coach Wayne Pivac was under pressure after facing the All Blacks and heading into the Argentina match. He had to get his players up for the game especially considering Wales had only won one test in seven.
Which coach is now under the microscope?
Wales turned in a much-improved effort, especially in defence. They came out on top and Argentina did not help themselves with poor kicking in general play.
England came back to defeat Japan but still have plenty of work ahead of them before playing the All Blacks. Another performance like that and the English media will be sharpening their knives once more.
New Zealand will play Scotland in the early hours and will look to further improve on their performance against Wales, but the men in Black are looking strong so some of the pressure is off Foster. For now at least.
But with Italy beating the Wallabies for the first time in history, and the way Australia played with so many changes, there is one clear coach under the most pressure. Rennie appears to be lost in translation and is lacking any clear direction for the team. I can only imagine how the players are feeling about exactly what their roles are and what the path is moving forward.
Ireland having just beaten South Africa will be looking for a clean sweep against the best Southern Hemisphere teams by defeating Australia, what will Rennie have to do to inspire the team against the men in green in front of their passionate Irish supporters?
Eddie Jones. (Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)
Fellow Roarer PeterK mentioned Jake White could be the coach to take the Wallabies forward. I fully concur with this. White has successfully coached in Australia with the Brumbies, so he understands the culture and aspirations of the team and supporters. I feel as though Rennie does not have those qualities, he also has to be questioned about the ongoing discipline issues that do not show any signs of improvement.
But would a new coach be under more pressure than Rennie, if he can show similar improvement as Foster is starting to show with the All Blacks?
Over to you Roarers – how do you think Rennie and the other coaches are going?
What can you suggest to how they can improve to provide more strength to their teams? Is the responsibility more with the players or coaches?
Colvin Brown
Roar Guru
Hey Tim Haven't seen you for a while, are you OK. Actually, I've haven't been around so much either. Having some Wi-Fi hiccups but dealing with them slowly but with style.
Tim J
Roar Rookie
Another heartbreaking loss Wax, they just cannot shut out the tight games.
Waxhead
Roar Rookie
@Tim Yes agree he's lost the plot on Hooker too. Porecki is the best we have and also nothing great. I thought the guy from Force, Kaitu'u, was worth developing but he didn't even make the tour squad. QC is unlikely to return so WBs are stuck with Foley now - and he's not even Test standard. Ditto at Centre with Paisami. Aust has Kerevi (great but not often available) and an injured Foketi - that's it at centre. WBs have a better Centre than both Paisami and Foketi in Hodge but he's not picked either. WBs will get flogged by Ireland today, will probably lose to Wales next week and the RWC looks bleak. Good thing I'm also an AB fan :thumbup:
Tim J
Roar Rookie
Hi Wax, it is perplexing how Rennie is not developing a 10 that is the future. Donaldson plays only 5 minutes against Italy and now is not even on the bench. Rennie has obviously decided on Foley as the back up to QC, if QC cannot play in the RWC and Foley himself picks up an injury then who is the cover? Hooker is another area where there is no real strength, not straight throws will be punished by the top teams.
Waxhead
Roar Rookie
@Tim Late comment :laughing: As always major responsibility lies with the players imo. But the coaches/selectors must choose the right players. I'm a Rennie fan and think he's improved the WBs forwards particularly. Game plans are better and WB kicking game has greatly improved imo. With all their best players on feild WBs are now sometimes a top 5 in world team. But Rennie is not perfect obviously and I think he's made a few mistakes. He's lost the plot on both Flyhalf and Centre positions imo. Repeatedly selecting Foley and Paisami are major errors imo. Doing nothing significant to develop Test quality young flyhalfs is another error. And backrow balance is rarely good either with continued selection of the passive Hanigan. I'm not suggesting Aust has a better alternative coach though. And RA have repeated the same stupid error in agreeing to let the coach be sole selector. Bring back the selection panel of 3 I say. Meanwhile, both Fozzie and Eddie are hanging on by skin of their teeth :laughing:
Tooly
Roar Rookie
No worries if you are contacted by Esportif . They own the game . Coaches , players , referees and CEO s .
Tooly
Roar Rookie
Situations might change but reputations rarely do . . Rennie and Foster are entirely as expected . Nothing brilliant ! . Cheika one of the great motivators and BS artists .
Tim J
Roar Rookie
:thumbup:
CW Moss
Roar Rookie
I can't help thinking it's all about management, just like when I was a senior manager in a bank. We had a simple four-quadrant management method depending on the skills of competence of the "team/staff/players". There are hints that DR is too prescriptive and detailed on the one hand but not demanding on the other. Anyway, as I said, we have made our bed.
Olly
Roar Rookie
None of the Kiwi coaches have been Test level coaches and you have listed teams being coached by highly experienced coaches. DR has coached a SR team and adopted a Team from a very good coach and gone backward with them before joining the Wallabies. The results speak for themselves at SR level... Brumbies seems to have performed and now the Tahs with the same players have dramatically improved. Blaming the players is ridiculous. They have shown they can perform well/beat NZ, SA and other top nations over the past few years. It is up to the coach to get these performances happening consistently. Good coaches bring the best out of players. Anyways as I said if you read my full comment, I said the calls for a AU coach has merit but I don't believe it is what we need. We need an experienced Test Level coach to step into the Wallabies job so our coaches can learn Test Level rugby from.
Tim J
Roar Rookie
That is one of the key issues if not the main one Nick, grassroots has been left behind by RA. Just like players the coaches need to be brought through a proper system before coaching at SR level, also only promoting players from private schools negates the future of the game in Australia.
Tim J
Roar Rookie
It goes both ways Dusty, as the Crusaders have genuine respect for the Brumbies. This has happened since during the Mortlock and Larkham days, Robbie Deans highlighted that the Brumbies were the toughest Australian side due to having a strong forwards pack and a gun backline.
Dusty10
Roar Rookie
Ahhh, the Crusaders... the traditional (respected) enemy of the Brumbies. As opposed to the Waratahs, the traditionally disliked enemy of the Brumbies :)
Tim J
Roar Rookie
G’day Moss, It certainly takes time for the players to understand and have total clarity about what the coaches are doing, and the game plan installed to take them there. I find it hard to see a genuine and positive culture around the squad, this could be due to multiple reasons but only those around the team will know.
Tim J
Roar Rookie
You are too kind Dusty, but thank you.. :thumbup: Like you I want all Southern Hemisphere teams to be strong as it benefits all. I would like RA to arrange tests in the Pacific Islands to engage supporters more there, all the Island teams have great and passionate home crowds. How about the Crusaders top with the Brumbies second? :stoked:
Nick the yabby
Guest
Hey, has anyone here thought about where the current rugby players are coming from. As a coach you are only as good as the players coming into the team. Since my playing day's there has been a consistant drop in grass roots skills coming through. Has anyone bothered to look at the coaching at the junior level that is to be desired. Or the total fish bowl way that the younger players are picked in the rep teams. If we want to fix rugby in australia then start with the juniors and open the game up to everyone to have an oportunity to play the game they play in heaven at a high level.
Brian
Guest
Coaches are often blamed for a team’s poor performance but is there any statistical evidence of how much of a factor they are in a team’s performance?
Dusty10
Roar Rookie
Mate, you are a thoroughly decent human being. I'd really just like rugby across Aus, NZ, and the Pacific islands to remain strong. We all need the strong competition to test our favoured teams and actually feel like we're achieving something meaningful. With the Brumbies on top, of course ;) Cheers, Tim.
Rob
Guest
Scotland and Wales are zero chance of an upset and you left England off your contenders list.
Coker
Roar Rookie
I don't disagree with you, I was simply making the point that the AB travails and inconsistencies over the last 3 years have a more complex underpinning than just who's at 10. Superman could be playing there and many of the same issues would still arise.