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The Wallabies first loss to Italy last night was of course bitterly disappointing, even though the Italians have improved dramatically from being the perennial…
What an epic Test match the Wallabies played against France in Paris this weekend, with the last-minute, one-point loss being all the more painful…
The try by James Slipper yesterday was a thing of beauty. In reality it could have been called the “tight forward’s try” for the…
Wallaby lock Darcy Swain has copped a right royal schlocking in the media and online for his foul play against Quinn Tupaea in Bledisloe…
I have spent my Sunday like most diehard Aussie rugby fans, darkly mulling over the Wallabies' 40-14 flogging at Eden Park. Three events stick…
The Wallabies may have been pipped at the post by the All Blacks again in the Bledisloe Cup in 2022, but nobody can say…
It is no secret on The Roar that I am an unabashed fan of Matt To’omua as a fly-half. Plenty do not agree with…
The Wallabies have bounced back from a bad loss in Argentina to achieve an excellent win against the world champion Springboks in Adelaide, emphatically…
Nick Bishop’s recent article provided insightful analysis about the “Australian way” of multi-phase attack. The challenges that Dave Rennie’s team faced in the recent…
I do not know whether Rugby Australia CEO, Hamish McLennan, is serious about Australia going it alone in Super Rugby, but after some consideration,…
Friday evening was the last home regular-season match at Suncorp Stadium for the Queensland Reds, with a worthy opponent in Moana Pasifika, who have…
The first inkling that I had during Friday night’s Queensland Reds game against the Waikato Chiefs that something was wrong with blockbusting prop Taniela…
Wayne Smith wrote an article in the Brisbane Times on 12 April titled “'I’d be honoured to coach the Wallabies': Thorn puts hat in…
The vibe amongst the crowd at the Reds versus Brumbies game on Saturday night was one of the more bellicose that I had experienced…
It was great to be back at Suncorp Stadium to watch the Reds play the Waratahs on Saturday, despite having to enduring a torrential…
So, it turns out that Fraser McReight can pass from left to right, which is good because he couldn’t reliably do so at the…
The talk of 2021 was the return of Quade Cooper to the Wallabies 10 jersey, which was key to the success against the Springboks…
The news that Quade Cooper, Samu Kerevi and Sean McMahon will not be travelling to Europe with the Wallabies this year is disappointing for…
I got down from Brisbane to Cbus Super Stadium with my brother on Saturday to watch the Rugby Championship double-header, the two-for-one tickets making…
Reflecting on the Bledisloe Cup and Rugby Championship gives us cause to think about what Aussie rugby’s annual trial at the hands against New…
Thanks BS.
Revealed: The meetings that convinced Rugby Australia to go all in on Eddie Jones for the World Cup
I am just stating the facts Phil, in the last 12 months in the biggest, richest union in the World, Eddie has not been a good coach at all. What he has done in the past is not as relevant as where he is at now, it was Nick Bishop on this site who wrote late last year that Eddie had run out of ideas, it happens.
Together with the inevitable disruption from the change of coaches, at least at the head and the attack coach level, Eddie being out of ideas is likely to mean that the Wallabies are in more trouble more trouble this year than they were under Rennie. On the attack coach situation, do you not think that Scott Wisemantel’s decision to leave right before Jones was sacked, might have been the result of him seeing the writing on the wall and not liking what it said?
And yes, the Wallabies do have to get a good result this year. McClennen’s entire play is aimed at getting people postive and taliking about rugby again in the lead up to the Lions tour and the World Cups in 2027 and 2029. If the Wallabies get flogged this year and are stuck with the same coach who led the failue for the next four, how do you think the Aussie public will react? The NRL and AFL would have a field day making a mockery of rugby throughout Australia, it would completely destroy the code’s credibility here after the fuss that McClennen and Jones have made about contesting the Aussie sports market.
I personally suspect that Jones would have been available in 2024 no matter what, but that McClennen didn’t want to face the potential embarrassment of not renewing Rennie if the Wallabies did well under his stewardship. In covering himself against that, McClennen has lost the opportunity to make Jones’s coaching a positive clean slate in 2024 if the Wallabies don’t do well, as many expect.
I personally won’t wish the worst on the Wallabies because I like them and Rugby in Australia suffers if they suffers, but if it happens by crikey there are going to get a lot of people get a wakeup call.
WILL GENIA: I was disappointed by Rennie sacking but Eddie's a winner - this is why he's the right choice
“Sure they will….”
Thanks for the big belly laugh at this 😂. I suspect the Eddie fan club might forgive him if he takes the Wallabies to Horan’s low-ball semi-final “pass mark”, but if the Wallabies are booted in the quarters, he will be turned upon in a flash and nobody will want to admit backing him.
WILL GENIA: I was disappointed by Rennie sacking but Eddie's a winner - this is why he's the right choice
If Eddie was “The World’s best coach” he would have a World Cup to his name instead of two lost finals. In 2022 with all of England’s talent, he failed to beat every team that the Wallabies have to beat next year in the lead up to the World Cup, at least Rennie beat the Boks and Argentina once a piece. Then he has to beat Argentina or England to get past the quarters. Finally he doesn’t have an attack coach, that is even if he keeps the Wallabies current assistants.
Putting aside the way Rennie was treated, this is the biggest Hail Mary play by McClennen ever and nobody is going to give them beyond this year to get sorted, if it all goes to Kak.
WILL GENIA: I was disappointed by Rennie sacking but Eddie's a winner - this is why he's the right choice
I have spoken to CD today, said all I have to say and indicated that I will neither be contributing to the Roar any more nor directing any more criticism at the way it is being run. Therefore you will need to draw your own conclusions about my meaning of self glorification.
Revealed: The meetings that convinced Rugby Australia to go all in on Eddie Jones for the World Cup
Yes and all the people here saying similar things, including your own experts, must just be the voices in my head 😂
Revealed: The meetings that convinced Rugby Australia to go all in on Eddie Jones for the World Cup
Lol, you got me.
Revealed: The meetings that convinced Rugby Australia to go all in on Eddie Jones for the World Cup
A sugar hit of clicks from this garbage is only likely to yield short term success, the brand damage will lead to long term failure. It is a competitive internet and there are plenty of Australians who know far more about rugby than the people mentioned, I don’t think it will be too long before existing alternatives flourish and/or new ones emerge.
Revealed: The meetings that convinced Rugby Australia to go all in on Eddie Jones for the World Cup
This article suggests to me that the Roar has now lost any semblance of independence now. Christy Doran is clearly just a mouthpiece for Rugby Australia leaders and anybody else when they want dirty work done.
Christy’s and the Roar’s reputation is now so invested in Eddie Jones succeeding because of the part he has played in getting him into the job, that it will be very difficult if not impossible for him to report objectively on the Wallabies from now on. This whole story over the last month has just beena sugar hit for this place, which has completely trashed the brand.
Well done Tony and Christy, you’ve romped on and ruined a place a lot of people enjoyed, for the sake of your own self glorification.
Revealed: The meetings that convinced Rugby Australia to go all in on Eddie Jones for the World Cup
You must have missed the beginning of last season, when the SMH effectively out a wish-list of Tahs players to be selected, despite underwhelming results at that time.
Revealed: The meetings that convinced Rugby Australia to go all in on Eddie Jones for the World Cup
Nonsense to the last part about EJ working with DR, it was clearly not a workable proposition. They just wanted DR gone once EJ was available but lacked the guts to just make the call based on the review. I can’t bring myself to hope that the Wallabies fail, but I will enjoy watching these grubs be humiliated if they do.
Revealed: The meetings that convinced Rugby Australia to go all in on Eddie Jones for the World Cup
I would have less of a problem with them making a decision, even I I don’t agree with it,if they kept it under wraps and just announced it after a proper rreview. It it the bullying the Rennie through the media backgrounding, to try to force him out or to get him say something that gives them an excuse to sack them that makes me want to spew. What a horrible bunch of people all involved are, I hope they get their cumuppance.
Revealed: The meetings that convinced Rugby Australia to go all in on Eddie Jones for the World Cup
Wow, there really is a sucker born every second isn’t there. It is pretty clear that McDermott wasn’t picked more often because the Waratahs captain Jake Grodon needed to be accommodated because of demands from the Sydney media, despite not being a patch on Tate. They are dropping these lines about Queensland players like Tate and Vunivalu inro the media, to get Queenslanders onside after those disgraceful sacking. Rugby Australia are the biggest pack of deceitful, two faced grubs I have ever observed, I just never realised that the problem goes all the way to the top!
Revealed: The meetings that convinced Rugby Australia to go all in on Eddie Jones for the World Cup
Very good point, the players have far more options now than the players did 20 years ago, and are far less tolerant of abuse. This isn’t England where most get the big pay packets to play at home.
ANALYSIS: Why Rennie had to go and the ruthless Eddie edge that makes the Wallabies World Cup contenders
Like I said, we will find out whether it was right or wrong at the World Cup. If it is going to be a cut-throat, performance based business, then those principles apply to all.
'Major coup': Rennie axed with Eddie Jones returning as Wallabies coach on mammoth deal for two Cups
Yeah, Eddie’s contract is long enough for them to have to pay him out when the Wallabies flatline in 2026.
'Major coup': Rennie axed with Eddie Jones returning as Wallabies coach on mammoth deal for two Cups
Feel very sorry for Rennie, he would have gotten them to at least a semi in the group they are in. If Jones doesn’t at least get the Wallabies to the final this will have been a failure and the scrutiny of all involved will be no holds barred.
'Major coup': Rennie axed with Eddie Jones returning as Wallabies coach on mammoth deal for two Cups
I don’t follow enough junior rugby or league players to identify individuals, but it was Saint Eddie Jones who recently highlighted the need to stop the junior player drain to League, so I am happy to defer to him.
'It was a big call': Junior Wallabies star opens up on decision to leave, hints about Aussie return
I don’t think Lucas should ever be a Wallaby after what he did to the Reds, but if him leaving wasn’t about money and he wants back into Aussie rugby that badly, he could volunteer to come in on a rookie contract with the Force or the Rebels. That way he could show everybody that he is as good as he keeps telling us that he is and earn his spot.
Far better players than him have come back on rookie money for the chance to play for the Wallabies, James O’Connor and Scott Higgenbotham for the Reds are prime examples, so I don’t see why this person should have the red carpet laid out for him with a good contract. There are undoubtedly better prospects than him getting bought by League that the money should be spent on, before it is spent on him.
'It was a big call': Junior Wallabies star opens up on decision to leave, hints about Aussie return
I suspect the “hype” is being generated to maintain a relationship with his agent, who is in turn would be a useful source due to being in a position to pass on information from his players in the dressing rooms of Australian rugby.
'It was a big call': Junior Wallabies star opens up on decision to leave, hints about Aussie return
I was correcting a fact in the article, not looking for a juvenile contest with you. Run along.
'I feel ready': Eddie reveals date of next coaching move as Aussie coach says 'I’ve got a couple of good options'
The Wallabies had a win and draw against New Zealand in 2020.
'I feel ready': Eddie reveals date of next coaching move as Aussie coach says 'I’ve got a couple of good options'
There are other options in the positions of the players listed, I don’t see the point in selecting proven failures.
Reds duo, Pone left out as Tahs cult hero named in 44-man Wallabies training squad to start World Cup year
He will most likely be 12 this year, now that Stewart is with the Force and with Flook at 13.
Reds duo, Pone left out as Tahs cult hero named in 44-man Wallabies training squad to start World Cup year
Perhaps McClennen thinks he is being “tough” by being a sneaky little bully during this episode, but I doubt too many rugby people will be impressed. I always thought he was ok so I am disappointed, I hope he reads your excellent article and improves his approach Geoff.
The Wrap: Rugby Australia get their man but at what cost to their 'junk bond status' reputation?