Wallabies v France, 7.00am AEDT Sunday Morning

[Tomikin]

Like FFS Joe isn't a bad coach, he hasn't been an Eddie Jones... His going to leave the Wallabies in a good position.. not great but good enough.. and when Les Kiss super coach comes in he should be able to ride into the world cup easily...

EDIT: and Im sure... QLD will be happier for him to finish what he said he was going too..

 

[Joe Blow]

I guess that is right. Seems as though the squad has been very flat for this EOYT and the coaching surely has something to do with that.
At least Joe should bring in a couple of Kiss’ assistant coach choices to start to gel with the team? That might make the transition a little smoother.

 

[Mr Pilfer]

I do find the commentary around Tizzano pretty strange. H's never played like a "traditional" Australian 7. He barely gets a turnover all season, and never has.

He's a tackle machine, pretty decent with the ball and clearly really strong organising forward packs, especially around mauls and similar

I don’t mind having the two 7’s on the field for the last 20 minutes when the game speeds up. I am not sure why this weekend he took off McReight instead of Williams or Frost.

Also with so much emphasis on the bench impact and what split to have etc it just seems ridiculous that Schmidt would keep Stewart unused on the bench the whole game. If you don’t plan on using him you could have just used that spot for LSL (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto) etc

 

[Strewthcobber]

I don’t mind having the two 7’s on the field for the last 20 minutes when the game speeds up. I am not sure why this weekend he took off McReight instead of Williams or Frost.

Also with so much emphasis on the bench impact and what split to have etc it just seems ridiculous that Schmidt would keep Stewart unused on the bench the whole game. If you don’t plan on using him you could have just used that spot for LSL (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto) (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto) etc

I think it just shows he doesn't trust Stewart or LSL (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto). Stewart was there purely for injury cover, and LSL (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto) hasn't been picked all year.

He does make metres carrying. The wrap on LSL (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto) is he's not picked because he's a pretty poor defender, gives away too many penalties and doesn't work hard enough without the ball

 

[KOB1987]

I don’t mind having the two 7’s on the field for the last 20 minutes when the game speeds up. I am not sure why this weekend he took off McReight instead of Williams or Frost.

Also with so much emphasis on the bench impact and what split to have etc it just seems ridiculous that Schmidt would keep Stewart unused on the bench the whole game. If you don’t plan on using him you could have just used that spot for LSL (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto) (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto) etc

Re the first point, there was the same query re JAS - maybe he was just trying something different, I think both JAS and McReight played every minute of the tour.

Re the second one, Joe's MO has been to keep an injury reserve on the bench just in case, occassionally he will put said player on for the last 5 but not always.

 

[Tomthumb]

I think it just shows he doesn't trust Stewart or LSL (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto) (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto). Stewart was there purely for injury cover, and LSL (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto) (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto) hasn't been picked all year.

He does make metres carrying. The wrap on LSL (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto) (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto) is he's not picked because he's a pretty poor defender, gives away too many penalties and doesn't work hard enough without the ball

This could be said about virtually every forward though

 

[Brumby Runner]

He wanted to see out his commitments - which means doing the job he signed on to do, or ensuring that the Reds were adequately compensated if he left early.

If Les really wanted to see out his commitment to the Reds as you say Wilson, then he shouldn't have applied for the Wallabies job at the time it was expected Joe was about to finish his tenure. Should have waited for his opportunity post WC27. Think what you're suggesting is bordering on false pretention, which I find hard to believe.

 

[Tomthumb]

Yeah this feels like very revisionist history. First Schmidt was begged to stay on until the World Cup, when he refused they did a coaching search from which Les Kiss was hired, from which we got reports he was about to be announced. Then it got delayed due to Queensland rugby demanding a payout and RA refusing. Schmidt agreed to stay on to ensure his mate still got the job and they worked out his messy solution

RA wouldn't have bothered negotiating if Kiss has said he wanted to coach the Reds in 2026 . The whole situation has made his job infinitely harder and for a first time International head coach I don't think he has been set up to succeed

 

[Brumby Runner]

But the truth was, we requested Joe for more time.. he said yes, contracts whatever. His got a little to go before Les grabs it..

THE MAIN THING IS, WE HAVE SOMETHING IN PLACE... THERE'S NO POINT CHANGING OVER 2 MONTHS !!!!!

It's not 2 months Tom. Les or Joe, whoever is in the job at the time, will be expected to put his first squad of the year together very early in the Super Rugby season, maybe even in pre-season and to follow it up with developments as the season progresses Given Joe's somewhat erratic approach to selections in this past 12 months or so, I reckon there's a lot to be gained in allowing Les that extra time to bring his influence to the task.

 

[The Ghost of Raelene]

I don’t mind having the two 7’s on the field for the last 20 minutes when the game speeds up. I am not sure why this weekend he took off McReight instead of Williams or Frost.

Also with so much emphasis on the bench impact and what split to have etc it just seems ridiculous that Schmidt would keep Stewart unused on the bench the whole game. If you don’t plan on using him you could have just used that spot for LSL (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto) (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto) etc

It's never been a successful option. Pocock and Hooper are probably the only semi successful stint of it and I think it's due to both being generational talents with differing strengths and Pococks physicality was one of a kind. Smith and Waugh wasn't a success by Eddie.

Good point about Lukhan. I can only assume it's the lack of play-makers there and in the side meant he was obliged to carry a guy on the bench otherwise it was who Jorgo moving there....?

Big part of replying to this is trying to move on from HC chat.

 

[Strewthcobber]

This could be said about virtually every forward though

It's all relative though.

The starting team against France were far better at this then the finishers against Italy. Samu etc were diabolical

 

[fatprop]

Why was Thomas over Lonergan - he's just there as injury cover while Tate is out, it's devaluing to say we're giving someone minutes because theyve trained well, Lonergan will clearly be our third halfback when all fit for the WC and can goalkick, so why not give him opportunities

I would guess they wanted an option on the bench with more zip/threat

 

[Slim 293]

Why was Thomas over Lonergan - he's just there as injury cover while Tate is out, it's devaluing to say we're giving someone minutes because theyve trained well,

No…

Frankly, that’s some bullshit right there.

 

[Slim 293]

Yeah this feels like very revisionist history. First Schmidt was begged to stay on until the World Cup, when he refused they did a coaching search from which Les Kiss was hired, from which we got reports he was about to be announced. Then it got delayed due to Queensland rugby demanding a payout and RA refusing. Schmidt agreed to stay on to ensure his mate still got the job and they worked out his messy solution

RA wouldn't have bothered negotiating if Kiss has said he wanted to coach the Reds in 2026 . The whole situation has made his job infinitely harder and for a first time International head coach I don't think he has been set up to succeed

RA weren’t aware that Kiss was contracted with the QRU until 2026?

Let’s dive deeper into this “revisionist history” you speak of…

 

[Tomthumb]

RA weren’t aware that Kiss was contracted with the QRU until 2026?

Let’s dive deeper into this “revisionist history” you speak of…

No of course Joe, it was all planned perfectly and part of the master plan. The months long delay was all planned and the multiple changes to Schmidt's end date wasn't a contingency plan at all

As we all know, everything at RA has always been very buttoned up, organized & efficient....

 

[rugbyAU]

Rugby Australia has tangled itself in knots. Less than two years out from the World Cup, with the Wallabies winning just one of their past eight Tests, the incoming coach, Les Kiss, won’t take over until August, whilst the current man in the driver’s seat, Joe Schmidt, is looking forward to getting on the golf course, having twice tried to finish up his tenure with the men in gold.

Only Australian rugby could get itself into this mess.

As Rome burns, RA, whose chief executive Phil Waugh has been swanning around following his old side, is, for now at least, sticking to the plan. They believe that the “continuity and consistency” of having Kiss replace his former boss at Ireland will have the Wallabies best placed to make a run to the World Cup.

If Schmidt was taking the Wallabies through to the World Cup, the discussion around the New Zealander’s future would be entirely different.

But he’s not – and it’s why RA has made a rod for their own back.

Les Kiss will succeed Joe Schmidt as Wallabies coach following next year’s Super Rugby season. The governing body could have compensated the Queensland Reds for the early release of Kiss.

Waugh and RA high performance director Peter Horne chose not to, believing they could have their cake and eat it too by keeping Schmidt on the books until mid-2026 and then having Kiss take over.

All that has done is delay planning, disrupt the Reds’ incoming campaign, where insiders believe cracks are already appearing, while going all in on a head coach who has yet to win anything, let alone make a final.

Now, Kiss is a man under huge pressure – and he’s not yet pulled on the Wallabies tracksuit.

He’ll not only have the spotlight on his every selection decision and performance, but he’ll also inherit a Wallabies side that is coming off winning five of 15 Tests (33 per cent) – and that’s before the three games Schmidt has left in July against a trio of Ireland, France and Italy all of whom have beaten the Aussies this month.

And Kiss will have a little more than a year to turn the nation from chumps to champs.

Good luck.

 

[Slim 293]

No of course Joe, it was all planned perfectly and part of the master plan. The months long delay was all planned and the multiple changes to Schmidt's end date wasn't a contingency plan at all

As we all know, everything at RA has always been very buttoned up, organized & efficient....

That's the kind of response of little substance I expected...

Keep grinding that axe.

 

[Tomthumb]

That's the kind of response of little substance I expected...

Keep grinding that axe.

Keep drinking that kool-aid

 

[Brumby Runner]

RugbyAU, that is telling it exactly as it is.

 

[Slim 293]

RugbyAU, that is telling it exactly as it is.

I feel like I've read that somewhere else...

I wonder where?