Link or White?

[Joe Mac]

For a bit of Friday fun I am going to put a hypothetical out there;

At the conclusion of Robbie's contract, who would you like to see replace him as Wallabies coach? You can chose between Jake White and Link McKenzie.

On one side you could chose having an Australian back coaching the Wallabies who has transformed the Reds into a rugby powerhouse.

One the other side you have another foreigner, but a foreigner who has already gone the distance with South Africa. He has also done a pretty special job at turning a team of nobodies into Australia's strongest franchise.

Discuss

 

[No4918]

Link.

 

[GaffaCHinO]

Both?

 

[Brumbies Guy]

Has to be Link. We need White down at Brumby land, and Link isn't coaching next year so is available.

 

[Joe Mac]

I am leaning toward White. Link, like Deans when we signed him, is untested at national level. I know you have to start somewhere but White has proven he can take a team of champions to the top and that he can take a team of youngsters to the top...

There isn't many coaches out there with that kind of record.

The other thing about Link is that he is young and will almost certainly be the next coach if he doesn't get this gig. White being a Saffa might head home in a few years never to return...

Under the circumstances- Jake White is my pick

 

[Hugh Jarse]

Of the two, I think White is the better candidate, however....

Do you think the Saffers will allow one of their own to coach a Tier 1 National Team, potentially against their the Bokke, and beat them?

Slightly different to have one of theirs coaching a team like Italy which is not likely to seriously threaten the Bokke.

Can the Ponys afford to lose him? Who will backfill him, Australian wandering minstrel of rugby, Richard Graham?

I just want to an assurance that the Lords of Darkness do not offer us up Pat Lam at a cheap rate. Auckland Blues rejects have failed to deliver the U20 Jnr RWC, we do not need another one.

 

[RugbyReg]

the australian

 

[Bowside]

Has to be an Australian after deans, and white has unfinished business with the brumbies.

 

[Slim 293]

I think White would be great for the Wallabies, but I'd rather have him finish up his contract with the Brumbies and hopefully by the end of that period they will have a successor for him.......

 

[waratahjesus]

Neither.

 

[Boomer]

the australian

Interesting call.

If the best rugby brain was not from Australia, do you still want an Aussie coach, or do you just want the best?

 

[Tangawizi]

Link - I want to win the Mandella Plate at some stage over the next decade....

 

[RugbyReg]

Interesting call.

If the best rugby brain was not from Australia, do you still want an Aussie coach, or do you just want the best?

I always prefer the Australian. Always. But here we are talking about two possibly equivalent coaches from a skills/performance perspective. One is an Aussie though. So he should be preferred.

 

[aussie1st]

I'd take Link just to get an Aussie back there but I'm sure White wouldn't let us down.

 

[Budgie]

From those two. McKenzie

From all non contracted coaches. Sir Graham Henry - he has coached internationally before with Wales and Lions.

 

[The Red Baron]

Sir Graham Henry - he has coached internationally before with Wales and Lions.

He would never coach us. If Henry was inclined to coach internationally again, he would coach any team that played us regularly!

White has more credentials, but Link would be the man for the job. Link has the innate understanding of how Australians approach rugby, something that is very hard for an foreign coach to pick up on. Currently, the Wallabies suffer because the coach approaches the game in a totally different way to how Australia has always played.

 

[Antony]

Neither.

Who, then? I'd prefer neither as well, but then I support New Zealand.

 

[Joe Mac]

He would never coach us. If Henry was inclined to coach internationally again, he would coach any team that played us regularly!

White has more credentials, but Link would be the man for the job. Link has the innate understanding of how Australians approach rugby, something that is very hard for an foreign coach to pick up on. Currently, the Wallabies suffer because the coach approaches the game in a totally different way to how Australia has always played.

White seems to have done pretty well coaching an all Australian team at the Brumbies...

 

[The Red Baron]

White seems to have done pretty well coaching an all Australian team at the Brumbies.

And Link has done well coaching the Reds.

I did actually say that White has credentials, but in the context of Australian rugby, Link is the man. Jake White has taken over a provincial team, we are talking about the national team here.

 

[Slim 293]

I'm not sure that the large Waratahs contingent would appreciate White's fitness regime.......