Wallabies v France, 7.00am AEDT Sunday Morning

[JRugby2]

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

At risk of drinking too much kool aid, I still think despite the fall off the very steep cliff this is still a good coaching transition, and he's more set up for success than any other coach this side of 2000.

I get the argument that Kiss will have little time to plan for the season during super rugby like most international coaches would and that, that is disruptive. However - we have for the first time in a quarter of a century a clean coaching transition. The strategy (rightly or wrongly) was to pick an evolution of Schmidt rather than start completely fresh.

Fast forward 9 months and pretend we're at least 2-1 to start the season, to which we know isn't a complete fantasy as it's historically hard for teams to travel south and win games - suddenly Kiss is inheriting a team on the up.

 

[Tex]

That's Melbourne signing off for the year. Reminder to all to check your Stan Sport memberships, especially now they've jacked the price in order to afford the Premier League content.

Till 2026!

 

[Slim 293]

That's Melbourne signing off for the year. Reminder to all to check your Stan Sport memberships, especially now they've jacked the price in order to afford the Premier League content.

Till 2026!

Thankfully I canned the sports subscription last month with the renewal kicking in after the test weekend...

 

[Tomthumb]

At risk of drinking too much kool aid, I still think despite the fall off the very steep cliff this is still a good coaching transition, and he's more set up for success than any other coach this side of 2000.

I get the argument that Kiss will have little time to plan for the season during super rugby like most international coaches would and that, that is disruptive. However - we have for the first time in a quarter of a century a clean coaching transition. The strategy (rightly or wrongly) was to pick an evolution of Schmidt rather than start completely fresh.

Fast forward 9 months and pretend we're at least 2-1 to start the season, to which we know isn't a complete fantasy as it's historically hard for teams to travel south and win games - suddenly Kiss is inheriting a team on the up.

I hope you're right, but to pretend it was always the plan when Schmidt changed his end date twice is pretty fanciful

Kiss is his own man with his own ideas, I'm not sure I agree with the notion that because he was Schmidt's defense coach for 2 years 12 years ago that he will want to continue doing the same things as Schmidt or is somehow a clone of Schmidt. I'd say there are a number of differences in regards to play style

I'm also concerned about Kiss' assistants. Does he get to make that decision? If so, when? He really needs to be doing this now, but instead he can't as he has to coach the Reds

 

[stillmissit]

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.

Makes me wonder if the spotlight should be turned on the opaque Horne, rather than our current focus on Schmidt, RA and the Players

 

[FNC Rugby]

He looks ok nothing special atm. Time will tell.

the only thing special about him is the surname, likewise the other Baxter in the Waratah 16s this year

 

[FNC Rugby]

We currently have one of the best scrummaging coaches in the world selecting Robertson, he be doing something right

like getting folded every time he runs the ball?

 

[JRugby2]

I hope you're right, but to pretend it was always the plan when Schmidt changed his end date twice is pretty fanciful

Kiss is his own man with his own ideas, I'm not sure I agree with the notion that because he was Schmidt's defense coach for 2 years 12 years ago that he will want to continue doing the same things as Schmidt or is somehow a clone of Schmidt. I'd say there are a number of differences in regards to play style

I'm also concerned about Kiss' assistants. Does he get to make that decision? If so, when? He really needs to be doing this now, but instead he can't as he has to coach the Reds

From memory - the planned end date shifted to accommodate RA's preferred candidate in Kiss - and the preference for Kiss was in large part because of their well reported ongoing relationship and shared values (hopefully they don't share the same philosophy on selection...).

Schmidt wanted out after the Lions originally so yes I agree I don't think it's been ideal but equally I don't think it's been that disruptive to anyone either. We've been sucking completely independent of this.

I think it would be wrong to assume that there isn't 5% of Kiss' attention on the wallabies now, and planning for that job. And then he'll have a month of transition between the end of the Reds winning super rugby and the end of the nations championship to properly assemble his team.

 

[The Ghost of Raelene]

Thankfully I canned the sports subscription last month with the renewal kicking in after the test weekend...

Your'e not alone. I think a lot of canned it and many won't take it back up unfortunately. I got rid of it months ago and managed to get streams on cricfree type knock off sites. Super Rugby won't have the interest to get streams but part of me is at the point of going to Tah games live that arent on TV and then watching the Aus game on FTA. Bugger all interest in watching NZ sides play.

If Stan could offer Stan Sport standalone I may be interested for when Club footy kicks back off.

 

[stillmissit]

I bailed today, but will pick it up again in Feb when Super Rugby starts. I didn't see anything on Stan about an increase in the sports package, but assume it was hidden somewhere.
If we all bail on Stan, then we are only taking the lack of interest to new lows and ensuring the peanuts RA run on gets taken away, then they are forced to hand the hat around....

 

[stillmissit]

From memory - the planned end date shifted to accommodate RA's preferred candidate in Kiss - and the preference for Kiss was in large part because of their well reported ongoing relationship and shared values (hopefully they don't share the same philosophy on selection...).

Schmidt wanted out after the Lions originally so yes I agree I don't think it's been ideal but equally I don't think it's been that disruptive to anyone either. We've been sucking completely independent of this.

I think it would be wrong to assume that there isn't 5% of Kiss' attention on the wallabies now, and planning for that job. And then he'll have a month of transition between the end of the Reds winning super rugby and the end of the nations championship to properly assemble his team.

That strikes me as a rational review of the current situation. If a manager wanted to leave and you pushed them to stay, what do you think the results would be? (May not apply to Joe, but it does to most managers I have known). That's one reason why managers get moved on as soon as they resign and do not work out a month or so.

 

[Rob42]

That's Melbourne signing off for the year. Reminder to all to check your Stan Sport memberships, especially now they've jacked the price in order to afford the Premier League content.

Till 2026!

Thanks for the reminder - GAGR saving me money.

 

[notdeadyet]

not vs england and france though

 

[Yoda]

I bailed today, but will pick it up again in Feb when Super Rugby starts. I didn't see anything on Stan about an increase in the sports package, but assume it was hidden somewhere.
If we all bail on Stan, then we are only taking the lack of interest to new lows and ensuring the peanuts RA run on gets taken away, then they are forced to hand the hat around....

Lucky to be on the Optus Sports deal till Feb. $10 per month including Stan + Sports.