Oh I think he’ll respond well, don’t think assuming he’s tied to the Cheika way now will hurt him. He’ll see the pluses this brings and I think the better structure of the wallabies will improve his game. He might not want the captaincy to focus on his game. Hooper looks the type who never runs from a challenge. He’ll need it to prove he can physically cut it under Rennie, who is certainly used to employing more physical looses, and that may be why he’s singled him out, he may not be a Rennie selection, and is providing his out now. With SH sides clinging to players before they go north, that’s an ominous comment at this time of the season. Rennie will have more than enough Hooper knowledge by now.

Yeah but you’ve only considered the external factors there, and Rennies got no control over that. Oz issues were hugely internal and with improvement in that area alone will result in a rankings shift, without a doubt.
In this very article he mentions ‘speedy’ shift of talent through the ranks. In another he mentions not rushing players back., both items that served to stall oz rugby development.

Checks took a conservative at best approach in bringing talent through , and relied on past wallabies in key areas. With the numbers leaving oz can’t afford that. Players have to know there’s a path to the wallaby jersey if they want one.

There are huge internal shifts that can be made, all ignored by Cheika who lacked vision for oz rugby, focussing only on the next match.

Another is he has adopted a no favourites approach, Hooper told clearly he must win his role and captaincy. Cheika was far to loyal in that respect.

One challenge he may have is getting the Super franchises humming to a similar, if not identical tune, where Rennie is the pied piper.

But for sure, fix those things, and a few more and sixth will be a thing of the past.

Yes we’ll just shows how poor yet desperate they are at this game. Saturated with overseas players and still they need to break rules to win. This is a long way from ‘English rugby players playing rugby’. This is ‘buying’ trophies.

Cool, so am I, cos no it wouldn’t. They would win more, but EVERYTHING suggests the ratio would be worse. Has been with Aus, SA since professionalism brought greater frequencies.

Its really simple. You think more contact, means better results. It doesnt. So distance isn’t my friend….until…it is.

I could agree, and say that that same distance has resulted in 100% of the 6N going to the 6N currently in it, or 5 and 4 before it, rather than 15% if NZ had been the 7th, or 6th, or 5th, all along. And, I’d have the stats to back it.

So in that respect….distance is definitely your friend. 😊

I get it, but I don’t agree with it. You’re saying over that period England were equal to or better than SA or Oz. Well no, they weren’t. Frequency has increased five times yet no improvement. Until there is, it’s a flawed argument. You ‘think’ it would improve, but have zero facts that supports that. Argentina has greatly increased its frequency, yet have still never won.
Best watch what you wish for I say. 😂

2000 is selective but I’ll give you that. But even if its the same the increasing frequency that you talk of- 19 meetings in 19 years yields the same as 23 in 95 years. Once again, where is the improvement?.
If greater frequency- in fact five times more frequently- a massive shift that should easily align with your suggestion- yields no improvement – with the last five years particularly worse…where is your point?
Oh, perhaps the events of the last three months is enough to revise the previous 114 years? …understandable…I guess…

Aha, sure explains the 5 wins and 19 losses in England then huh? 1 win at home in 8 since 79.
Our margins have increased vs I believe everyone in the pro era, England included, so ahh, until we actually see evidence of that, ignorance is your friend. Mind you…an Oz coach has definitely helped. 👍
But until they actually put those things called points on the board, its just more wishful thinking, and we’ve heard way too much of that…
oh, and one win in 10 here in the pro era, so that distance thing, definitely Englands friend. One thing having a ‘feeling’, another having facts. Pretty sure that isnt trump like…
And in all honesty. the reason I can keep saying this is the northern sides find it so difficult in churning out top quality players, that for me is the main difference. Wynn Jones and Sexton were touted by many as the seasons best performers. I mean what does that tel you? That longetiviety trumps talent? Its almost like its like pulling teeth to unerath genuine world beating individuals when I can bet there will be two or three All Blacks at the next world cup that no ones heard of now that will be wolds best in their position.
In no way, shape or form could you ever say that about England.

I feared an English juggernaut in the 80’s, and am still waiting. One popped its head in around 15 years ago, then regressed back into its cave so quickly it was almost added to the extinct species list. 😂
Honestly Neil, there are a quantum of articles about how the Abs have lost their mojo over the years, and yet, never happens bar ‘the odd glitch’. Our failure at the world cup for example exceeded every Irish effort at this tournament.
Theres one reason the ABs will get back on top…they have better players and coaches, and will continue to do so. Full stop.
The only threats will come from new sources- SA’s continuing integration into the sport, perhaps a revival in Japan. But not from the 6 nation sides. They’ve been fumbling over themselves for over a hundred years now. And ONLY when they get the magnitude of input from the SH have they managed to make a semblance of a dent.

aha, when has any team ever beaten NZ again and again? They said that after Ireland the year before, hmmm, not quite. And will England get two years prep for the next one again? hmmm…

Its quite humurous how some ride high off the back of the odd win…Chicago and Dublin were ‘history defining’ yet the quarter annhialation was ‘ho hum’ back to normal…

Why is that? Youre not thinking theyll all actually stay there do you? Theyll jump ship on the first lifeboat out. And pain? from England and the Lions? When has that ever happened? oh…that one match… 😂 gotcha…

Oh, first it was Leicester, then Leinster, then Saracens, now…Exeter? The whole point about beng the ‘Crusaders’ of the north is that over a long period they dominate their comp. Amazing that there are several teams that do that, especially since thats actually impossible. 😂

Yes, the wrong ‘north’ I believe… 😂

I think the top notch players will look elsewhere. Who wants to play dregs rugby because their ‘managers’ couldnt play by the rules? Will Saracens fans continue to turn up to second tier rugby after being dealt that?

Yes so much for the supposed Crusaders of the north. got to the top through fixing the system. Oh well…good to see a NH side with that much greed get pummeled. They have it all…and more, suck players in the world over, and still they want more.
Great stuff. 👍

I think Smith would be an exception when looking at other sports or rugby players to get the same, not that really I care who gets them. Names like Whineray, Lochore, Meads, Henry, Hansen were all leaders in the sport. Exceptions would be John Kirwan and Michael Jones who, besides being in the very top echelon of All Blacks as players, of which there are about a handful, both had significant contribution as head coaches and or/ other areas since mental health, community etc. Wayne Smith might fall into that category having played ‘fairly’ successfully and been an integral part of the AB success, but its also where Henry and Hansen generally took the plaudits during his coaching era so another ‘might’ be seen as overkill.
Regardless, I’d give him one simply for his hugely under appreciated impact but then again I don’t give em out. 😊

Be a Dame wouldnt it?

Really? Its all about leadership, responsibility, standing out front and representing your country as an individual. ALL things Smith consistently wanted to avoid, so no, a knighthood wouldn’t be appropriate here, and he would probably be the first to admit that, not wanting the limelight at all.

Yes a little bit ignoramus our Gloria. You’d think she would have got an anti-spite gun under her tree this year. 😂

He’s a legend around the Rapa. Fro Wiki…
has won the New Zealand Golden Shears contest a record 16 times.

From Te Kuiti, Fagan has set 10 world records, and won five world, six world team, and 16 national titles, making him New Zealand’s most successful competition sheep shearer.

In 1990, Fagan was awarded the New Zealand 1990 Commemoration Medal. In the 1999 Queen’s Birthday Honours, he was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to shearing. He was promoted to Knight Companion of the same order, also for services to shearing, in the 2016 New Year Honours.

Do they knight chimney sweeps in England still? 😂

Can’t help but think we have too many Chiefs and not enough Indians in coaching now. The Wayne Smith/ Tony Brown roles are rare. If we lined up our best coaches who are in professional roles and picked the best for each role thats required these days it would look nothing like Fozzies lineup.

So that automatically tells you that like our players going and leaving gaps, so are our coaches and the huge combined impact of all that is going to continue to serve against us.

We are producing IP and talent of such quality now that we are exporting far more than we are retaining. and for the sake of our own game lets just hope others catch on a little quicker than they are in producing their own. They are from a players perspective, but far from it from a coaching perspective.

Our template on how we play is such now that why invest so much in one player when you can get a coach in to produce 20 or 30 of them? Blokes like Schmidt who has changed the face of Irish rugby ‘across Ireland’ has proved far more valuable than any single player.

Which golfer mostly wins every week? 😁

Yeah all good but they now need to open test rugby up to let anyone play for any country they qualify for if thats the same with club rugby and if test coaxches can ‘jump the fence’ all over the place.
Piutau for instance is a better outside back that 90% of those at the tournament so if the premiere showcase for the sport wants to put on show its best, hunderds of players shouldnt be hidden away in club rugby.
Chances are all the PI players playing in club rugby would prefer to play for their Island of heritage. Far stronger sides would be present, far better players and a much tighter competition would result, with higher quality rugby being played.
We saw it with Tonga in League and in these days of ‘allegiance to one country’ now beyond a joke, test rules should be relaxed similarly. Its ridiculous allowing clubs, coaches to play anywhere and everywhere. Can’t make one country, play for the next one. Dont want to play for one country, play for whoever you qualify for based on residence or heritage.

Good on you sheek, I have no idea what you’re on about ‘but I loves’ the passion! 😊

I think you’ll be ok, that makes it about 8 on the list you aint…well down on the chiefs priority list. 😂