stillmissit
John Thornett (49)
I thought his first gig was with the Tahs?
Wallabies v France, 7.00am AEDT Sunday Morning
- Thread starter KOB1987
- Start date
Major Tom
Peter Fenwicke (45)
I mean, just start with recruiting an actual defense coach. Fisher is a breakdown specialist. Repeating the same mistakes from 2023 when we had Palmer in charge of the lineout (instead of the scrum) and I think a halfback was in charge of the scrum. Correct me if I'm wrong.
stillmissit
John Thornett (49)
it was well inside my time, but my memory is crap, and I would like to say it's the 'old timers disease', but I have always been like this....
Tomikin
Michael Lynagh (62)
I dont think that's completely true, we were down in the first half of the season and came back really well. I just think we lost a bunch of players and then our impact was effected..
rugbyAU
Jim Lenehan (48)
Joe Schmidt says he would be “disappointed” if he doesn’t finish up with the Wallabies on his own terms, but admits he would be happy to walk away if Rugby Australia determines it’s the best outcome following a horror end to 2025.
Asked whether he was determined to bow out on his own terms in late July, Schmidt said he was only continuing with the Wallabies until mid-2026 because Rugby Australia had asked him to stay on in April to allow Kiss to finish his tenure at the Reds.
“Unless somebody else can do a better job, I’m happy to step away,” Schmidt said.
“I was only really going to be here until the end of the Lions. And then six days later, we were assembling to fly to South Africa.
“I understood that it was very hard for someone to come in and suddenly take over at that stage, and then because of the very tight window before we even came away on tour, again, it’s very hard for someone suddenly to come in.
“As I said before, I absolutely admire this group of young men who are trying really hard.
“So if there’s a sense that somebody else can come in and do a better job, that’s certainly not for me to say. I’ll just play golf a bit sooner.”
Schmidt did, however, say he would be left “disappointed” if he wasn’t allowed to serve out his two-and-a-half-year tenure.
“I’ll be disappointed because I think these guys are working really hard, and I think they will continue to mature.”
The experienced coach added that he didn’t know how Rugby Australia was thinking heading into the new year.
“That’s somebody else’s decision to make,” he said.
Wilson
David Wilson (68)
Cale needs to make it back on the field first, but he could be very well suited to a Les Kiss style of play, particularly if he gives the side more license to off load, as he has done for the Reds to great effect.
Red Runner
Syd Malcolm (24)
no. South Africa in rugby. After starting off in league
Major Tom
Peter Fenwicke (45)
What's the break between the 3 Nations Cup internationals and the following Test matches? Isn't it just gonna be the same issue next year for Kiss? I think it's just cleaner if Kiss coaches the boys in 2026. Yeah, he's got the Reds campaign but it's possible to have your eye on both targets IMO.
rugbyAU
Jim Lenehan (48)
TBC but likely 3 weeks
Wilson
David Wilson (68)
I don't think that early switch would be particularly helpful, given the disruption at the Reds would probably end up off setting the gains at the top in a period where the Wallabies coach isn't really hands on.
Better to look at ways of accelerating the transition in that Nations Cup period with Les Kiss coming into camp. Right now the focus from an RA perspective should really be that broader coaching team (which Joe will probably still have some role in) and ensuring they get the best possible assistants around Les, and get them in as early as possible. I think that probably also means one of Donnelly and Ulugia moves on, I'm not sure having both forwards coaches that inexperienced is ever going to work, particularly if Fisher moves on. Ideally that would probably be Palmer in for Ulugia.
Major Tom
Peter Fenwicke (45)
Well, I don't have a problem If Kiss is there at the training camps overseeing. Maybe this is happening already and RA aren't making it public? Ultimately, it's Kiss' team for the WC and the band aid needs to come off at some point. Coaching succession plans very rarely work because the public pick at the band aid wanting it ripped off. The ones that do work are assistant coaches succeeding their master so there is continuity of ideas.
Wilson
David Wilson (68)
It is to some degree, Kiss was with the side for a while in Europe.
This hardly seems like a good reason to abandon the plan and indulge the public desire to "pick at the bandaid". Better to focus on doing it right. There's a reason Kiss didn't take dual roles as was initially floated, he felt the split focus wouldn't benefit either side.
Brumby Runner
George Gregan (70)
Maybe McKellar in for Laurie?
Wilson
David Wilson (68)
He'd be good to have in the setup but I don't think McKellar has much interest in coming in as an assistant at this stage, I imagine he'd prefer to wait it out and take the top job if things don't go well at the world cup. It might also be "too many cooks" to have another guy that was ostensibly up for the role come in.
Who they get in that defence role will be interesting though - I think Brad Davis (current Reds defence coach) is the likely candidate and a solid base line - he's a career defence coach, is experienced around the world, reasonably well credentialed and has the benefit of a long working relationship with Kiss. He also had the sense to bail on Eddie's horror seup early, which speaks to his good sense. Ideally they'd get a star candidate from elsewhere, but given defence has also been a focus for Kiss then it makes sense to work that existing relationship and go for broke on the attack coach.
The Ghost of Raelene
Tim Horan (67)
Don't think McKellar want's anything other than the HC role.
If he somehow turned the Tahs into the top 4-5 by the end of 2026 and maintained it he will be a leading candidate for the Job in the future.
If he somehow turned the Tahs into the top 4-5 by the end of 2026 and maintained it he will be a leading candidate for the Job in the future.
chiraag
Fred Wood (13)
Before the France game, Tizzano has been providing good impact off the bench. His game has evolved this year to be more than a traditional 7, with good tight ball running, post contact metres and try finishing on top of his very good tackling, ruck and over the ball work.
Tomikin
Michael Lynagh (62)
Just leave it as is, we have the plan already
Major Tom
Peter Fenwicke (45)
Yeah, this decision was made when we were on course, now I'm not so sure. In any case RA have been making this up "this plan" as they go so think it's all pretty flexible. We're also talking about 3 games which is not a whole lot in the scheme of things. So it could be argued either way I guess. I just want the players to transition to Les' gameplan quickly and I worry that Schmidt and his tactics are pretty different.