Ewen McKenzie: Wallaby Coach

[disco]

Great news I'm chuffed.
Lehman in Charge of cricket & McKenzie in charge of the Wallabies.

Can't wait to see the complete coaching staff.

 

[ChargerWA]

Well, while I liked White for job, I fully understand why Link got job, and say bloody good on him! Hope everyone supports him, and there is one other thing I can get mileage out of, with QC (Quade Cooper) almost guarnateed being in team, I can now say without fear of contradiction from mates the jersey is YELLOW

Better than what my Kiwi mates call it.

Calf shit yellow.

 

[Hugh Jarse]

Is the spirit of Wally Meagher at work here?

Ex-Wicks are now running the Tahs and the Wobs.



(and Japan !)

 

[PaarlBok]

BIG mistake not appointing Jake White.

 

[Zander]

BIG mistake not appointing Jake White.

Do you think the SARU would ever consider employing a foreign coach?

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

BIG mistake not appointing Jake White.

I'm very comfortable with the selection of Link. He's done the apprenticeship and is ready for the step up. At the risk of sounding jingoistic, I want an Australian back in the job. Someone who lives and breathes our rugby and and has been brought up in it. I have massive respect for what Jake has done, both at the Boks and the Brumbies, but Link is the man to take us forward. It's about the first time in around 15 or so years that nearly every rugby fan in Australia has been in agreement on that.

 

[PaarlBok]

Do you think the SARU would ever consider employing a foreign coach?

No but then we have a PoC system going in SA in all sports. Government wont allow this.

Aus had Deans before him. Totally a different animal.

 

[PaarlBok]

I'm very comfortable with the selection of Link. He's done the apprenticeship and is ready for the step up. At the risk of sounding jingoistic, I want an Australian back in the job. Someone who lives and breathes our rugby and and has been brought up in it. I have massive respect for what Jake has done, both at the Boks and the Brumbies, but Link is the man to take us forward. It's about the first time in around 15 or so years that nearly every rugby fan in Australia has been in agreement on that.

All good points BUT Jake White have been there, done that before. Started again as a S15 coach and sure as hell know what needs to be done to be successfull at the level.

 

[Zander]

Aus had Deans before him. Totally a different animal.

That's why Jake never had a chance, he's acknowledged this and accepts it.

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

All good points BUT Jake White have been there, done that before. Started again as a S15 coach and sure as hell know what needs to be done to be successfull at the level.

Oh no doubt. It's a close run thing and we're lucky to have two excellent candidates. I think Link being an Aussie would have swung it in his favour.

 

[Sandpit Fan]

#deansforqueensland

Just think of it. He'll bring Barnes back and sign McCabe.

He'd be a much better fit at the Bulls mate - really

 

[Pusser]

he may not be the Messiah,he may turn out to be just a naughty boy

At least that will be a good laugh. Always look on the bright side...


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[Pusser]

Without getting too far off topic, an overweight, match needing black 7 would be more than welcome sight to take on our battle hardened Hooper or Gill!

You might not have to wait that long. You might see that contest in two weeks.the black 7 has been training and playing club rugby for a few weeks now.


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[Bowside]

A few months ago someone made the point on one of the countless Wallaby coach threads we've had that they still saw the Wallaby Coaching role as a representative position. Just like you pick your best XV of Australian players to wear the green and gold, so to do you pick the best Australian to coach them.

So I think for that reason Link is the right choice.

But what impressed me about White is that he his talking about applying for citizenship in a year or two. If a bloke is willing to become a citizen and make Australia his home I wouldn't begrudge him coaching the Wallabies in the future.

 

[Slim 293]

Apparently the ARU approached White way back in February about the position.........

http://www.canberratimes.com.au/rugby-union/union-news/white-pipped-for-top-post-20130709-2pood.html

And those speculating about the recruitment process should know that White was formally interviewed in Melbourne before the second Lions test.........

http://www.canberratimes.com.au/rug...-not-to-get-wallabies-job-20130709-2pnmf.html

 

[ACT Crusader]

The AB's are a far better team. Yes. Not a far better group of players. Hence the issue. It was his job to make them an equal team.

I'm sick of this cop out attitude of "oh the AB's are just so much better than every team". The 2007 or 2003 All Blacks with the players at their disposal would have almost certainly towelled up the 2012 All Blacks. The only positions where they have better players now than then is really where they have the same players like McCaw and Carter who have improved. The All Blacks have regressed since then, the competition has just regressed further.

That 2003 team was an awesome attacking side no doubt but there were issues defensively and McCaw was still learning (refer WC semi vs OZ when IMO he thought he could try and win the game on his own and got pinged).

2007 was a shocking year and many an AB supporter had huge reservations about the merit of the R&R and the "2 XVs". Still to this day I do not know what our best XV was going into game 1 of WC07 given Henry had rotated the squad a hell of a lot. Then the injuries.

Thanks TWS you've brought back a lot of bad nightmares

 

[GTPIH]

No way, with two home games this year, we need to win the Bledisloe Cup THIS YEAR!! If we don't, then we have to play two games away next year to try and get the trophy. No likely.
Then in 2015, with the RWC we are probsbly only going to play 2 tests, so we will need to win home and away. Once again, not likely
If we don't win the Bledisloe Cup this year, I don't see us winning it until possibly 2016 when we will have 2 home games again.

Great in theory, but NZ have two home games this year.

 

[Dam0]

Not at all. NZ have been in a different, and lower, class of performance since the 2012 world cup. The only reason most people have failed to notice this is because of the poor form of SA and Aus. They continued to win,s o no one's clued int hat they're not as polished, by a long way.

Last year was terrible for them, they played poor rugby almost all year, and turned it on for about 70mins the whole year. And were then smashed by England.

They're in the weakest position for a long time and I'm not going to be surprised in the slightest, if we come out of the blocks in Sydney and defeat them convincingly.

Not buying much of that. 1st and 3rd tests against Ireland, 1st and second Bledisloe tests, and the tests away to SA and Argentina were the equal of any All Black side from 2004-2011. There was an alarming downward spiral on the EOYT, starting with the draw in the final Bledisloe Test, but it is not uncommon for All Black teams to take their foot of the pedal once the perceived hard work has been completed. The All Blacks haven't had an undefeated year since 1997 from memory (which included a draw in the final game).

Just speaking for myself, I was pretty happy with the standards we set last year, and expect it to continue this year.

 

[Brumbieman]

Not buying much of that. 1st and 3rd tests against Ireland, 1st and second Bledisloe tests, and the tests away to SA and Argentina were the equal of any All Black side from 2004-2011. There was an alarming downward spiral on the EOYT, starting with the draw in the final Bledisloe Test, but it is not uncommon for All Black teams to take their foot of the pedal once the perceived hard work has been completed. The All Blacks haven't had an undefeated year since 1997 from memory (which included a draw in the final game).

Just speaking for myself, I was pretty happy with the standards we set last year, and expect it to continue this year.

Their first Bledisloe was a shocker. It was the worst game i've seen them play for a long, long time. We just happened to utterly shameful, so hardly anyone realised just how poor they were.

That was the test that KB (Kurtley Beale) dropped the ball half a dozen times, Higgers, Barnes was fucking atrocious, etc etc.

 

[Dam0]

Their first Bledisloe was a shocker. It was the worst game i've seen them play for a long, long time. We just happened to utterly shameful, so hardly anyone realised just how poor they were.

That was the test that KB (Kurtley Beale) dropped the ball half a dozen times, Higgers, Barnes was fucking atrocious, etc etc.

We played fairly well in that game, though it was a bit rusty at times. If I recall correctly we scored two masterful set piece tries and got bitten by a few refereeing decisions that were not necessarily wrong, but different to what we were used to (where we drove past the ball at a ruck so that the whole thing collapsed and got pinged) . IIRC the game result was not in serious doubt from about the 20th minute onwards.

It is very rare that the All Blacks put on spectacular performances one after the other;even in the supposedly glory days of 1996 we were lucky to win in Brisbane v AUS and in Christchurch v SA - and that team is regarded by many as the finest All Black team ever.

I take your point that 2012 was not exactly a stellar year for international rugby, but don't denigrate what was a very good All Black team last year. Our Super teams have been fairly average again this year, but our top 15 look in pretty good nick right now. Link might do better than Deans did last year, but I don't know if that is a fait accompli.