ARU looking at Gatland, Jones & Rennie for Wallabies job

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/rugby/news/article.cfm?c_id=80&objectid=12210795

A report from the Sydney Morning Herald claims Rennie is "high on the Wallabies' coaching list" although current England mentor and former Australian coach Eddie Jones and Wales coach Warren Gatland are said to be the preferred choices among a "dream list" of potential candidates.

The story suggests Rennie's coaching ability is highly regarded by influential figures at Rugby Australia including new director of rugby Scott Johnson.

Gatland to Australia would make perfect sense. However, I'm not sure either would survive/accept the growing pains together - the players adapting to Gatland's methods, and Gatland accepting the player power and the 'need' to play a loose style of rugby. Think he could knock them into shape though.

Think Wales will regret turning Rennie down within 2-3 years. Could go right to the top and Australia would be lucky to have him.

Not sure where EJ goes after England. Can't see him stepping back to a Sharks-level job as he was before England came calling. Can't see him taking an English club job or any other team in the 6Ns. Which leaves Australia as perhaps the only possibility, bar another Japan-type mission. What do you reckon the Georgians would make of him...?

I was just thinking when I saw the headline too, that Wales will probably regret not getting Rennie.

We'll probably end up with Dave Rennie... Eddie and Gats have bigger fish to fry. So the pressure is now on Cheika to produce better results. Frustrating to watch him struggle in the box all the time. I'd hate to be one of the innocent water bottles!

Perhaps an even bigger story, RF:

https://www.smh.com.au/sport/rugby-union/wallabies-match-fixing-investigation-should-be-reopened-says-official-20190307-p512gk.html

Hoping there's something in this in a way - just to break the dismal current state of the game here.

I'm completely sick of all the controversy surrounding sport; especially in this country.
To think that some of them would even dare try to ruin the game through this type of behaviour motivated by greed, money and gambling.

We'll have to wait to see what eventuates of course but I hope nobody tries to sweep things under the carpet and they sort things out properly.

Rennie has a contract with Glasgow until mid 2020 and I'd be surprised to see him leave any earlier than that.

Joey.... so which team were they playing against at the time? Is it known?

miaow wrote:Gatland to Australia would make perfect sense. However, I'm not sure either would survive/accept the growing pains together - the players adapting to Gatland's methods, and Gatland accepting the player power and the 'need' to play a loose style of rugby. Think he could knock them into shape though.

Think Wales will regret turning Rennie down within 2-3 years. Could go right to the top and Australia would be lucky to have him.

Not sure where EJ goes after England. Can't see him stepping back to a Sharks-level job as he was before England came calling. Can't see him taking an English club job or any other team in the 6Ns. Which leaves Australia as perhaps the only possibility, bar another Japan-type mission. What do you reckon the Georgians would make of him...?

Gatland was never able to beat Australia as Wales coach. His record against them is dire. Does he really make that much sense? 2 wins in 15 games. Both wins by a mere 3 points. That's the longest losing run of 13 games v Australia in Wales' history.

You can't really dampen Wales' wins and not acknowledge how close a lot of the defeats were, without looking a little biased in your views.

SecretFly wrote:Joey.... so which team were they playing against at the time?  Is it known?

Shocking review... sorry. Wrong thread.  

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I won't point the finger at any one particular match, fly.
But I can tell you some of those recent home series games were dreadful... a comedy of errors. Looked like complete capitulation to me.

Or maybe simply a case of what could go wrong - did go wrong. All the time.
Huge losses to the ABs might be understandable. They can rack up points real (sic) quick.
But to lose by record margins to other teams is definitely the lowest low point in Wallaby history.
That's never really happened before to my memory.

RiscaGame wrote:You can't really dampen Wales' wins and not acknowledge how close a lot of the defeats were, without looking a little biased in your views.

Sure some were tight but the record is still dreadful. There's no denying that.

RiscaGame wrote:You can't really dampen Wales' wins and not acknowledge how close a lot of the defeats were, without looking a little biased in your views.

I hear you Risca. The Wallabies were very, very lucky to get away with quite a few of those matches.

Remember on here?
Each and every one of those matches was pretty close run.... + or - 3 points average winning margin wasn't it? Only one more penalty basically.

Good to see Wales break that (possibly unfair) drought. They are looking good and strong. I hope for you, lucky & all the others it continues.  

There are probably any one of three reasons why teams put out a group of surprisingly bad performances.
1. (The only honest one) a number of central/influential players genuinely find a period of dreadful form when least needed. And with their lack of form goes the entire squad confidence. When squad confidence goes, the forward passes and missed passes and inaccurate kicking come in a flood.
2. Betting on themselves to lose - and yes, not all players have to be onboard this stunt either. A few players determined to lose is all it requires to kill the rhythm of the others and away we go down the route of lack-of-confidence again.
3. One not often mentioned but one I've suspected quite a bit over the years and not just in rugby. A team wanting to get rid of their coach. Play badly and the coach is under big pressure. Now why would you play badly to get rid of a coach that supposedly might have you winning if you played it like he wants you to? Well, one reason might be that the coach simply isn't liked as a personality on the training ground or in the dressing room...or players might want to play a different brand of rugby and feel curtailed by the one the coach promotes.

So it's obvious.... Ireland are playing terrible stuff right now because they are all making an absolute fortune in the bookies.....

Cheers butt. Yeah, there have been at least a couple of last minute heartbreaks haha.

Collapse, yeah it is poor. But very marginal in a lot of games. I would probably be happier with that. I would have liked Wales to have got a bit closer score wise to be NZ if anything.

Oh there is a 4th! Duping the opposition on the way to a shockingly good World Cup performance. Long term coaching with loadsa deception strategy thrown in.

Yes, could be any one or a combination of all 4, my fine covert insect friend.  

That dastardly Moriarty though. I have a strong feeling he is behind all of this.

RiscaGame wrote:Cheers butt. Yeah, there have been at least a couple of last minute heartbreaks haha.

Collapse, yeah it is poor. But very marginal in a lot of games. I would probably be happier with that. I would have liked Wales to have got a bit closer score wise to be NZ if anything.

I think Wales are going to beat New Zealand in the next 5 years. You heard it here first.

Collapse2005 wrote:

RiscaGame wrote:Cheers butt. Yeah, there have been at least a couple of last minute heartbreaks haha.

Collapse, yeah it is poor. But very marginal in a lot of games. I would probably be happier with that. I would have liked Wales to have got a bit closer score wise to be NZ if anything.

I think Wales are going to beat New Zealand in the next 5 years. You heard it here first.

Maybe.

Or it wouldn't surprise me to see NZ to step up another notch too. Nothing surprises me anymore with regards to them raising the bar even higher.

Pal Joey wrote:

Collapse2005 wrote:

RiscaGame wrote:Cheers butt. Yeah, there have been at least a couple of last minute heartbreaks haha.

Collapse, yeah it is poor. But very marginal in a lot of games. I would probably be happier with that. I would have liked Wales to have got a bit closer score wise to be NZ if anything.

I think Wales are going to beat New Zealand in the next 5 years. You heard it here first.

Maybe.

Or it wouldn't surprise me to see NZ to step up another notch too. Nothing surprises me anymore with regards to them raising the bar even higher.

They usually appoint the assistant coach to head coach and therefore have a seamless transition without a dip. I don't think Foster will get the gig so there may be a transition period. It Robertson gets it I can seem them hitting the ground running though.

Collapse2005 wrote:

RiscaGame wrote:You can't really dampen Wales' wins and not acknowledge how close a lot of the defeats were, without looking a little biased in your views.

Sure some were tight but the record is still dreadful. There's no denying that.

About the same as Irelands record vs NZ is oz vs Wales over last twenty years.
Mind you, wales vs NZ is another level.

Taylorman wrote:

Collapse2005 wrote:

RiscaGame wrote:You can't really dampen Wales' wins and not acknowledge how close a lot of the defeats were, without looking a little biased in your views.

Sure some were tight but the record is still dreadful. There's no denying that.

About the same as Irelands record vs NZ is oz vs Wales over last twenty years.
Mind you, wales vs NZ is another level.

Snore. Wales' ranking has been closer to Australia's hence the record is bad. Wales lost some games where they were ranked above Australia.

Not everything is about NZ.

Collapse2005 wrote:

Pal Joey wrote:

Collapse2005 wrote:

RiscaGame wrote:Cheers butt. Yeah, there have been at least a couple of last minute heartbreaks haha.

Collapse, yeah it is poor. But very marginal in a lot of games. I would probably be happier with that. I would have liked Wales to have got a bit closer score wise to be NZ if anything.

I think Wales are going to beat New Zealand in the next 5 years. You heard it here first.

Maybe.

Or it wouldn't surprise me to see NZ to step up another notch too. Nothing surprises me anymore with regards to them raising the bar even higher.

They usually appoint the assistant coach to head coach and therefore have a seamless transition without a dip. I don't think Foster will get the gig so there may be a transition period. It Robertson gets it I can seem them hitting the ground running though.

Yeah agree with that. ABs have had a small period of flatlining, coincides with Hansen running out of ideas for me. After that sort of run they usually pick up and become even more innovative and Robertsons energy has a proven infectious factor even if his experience doesnt. The Henry/ Hansen era has had its run from 80s and 90s foundations, time for players and people who experienced the game first hand in the pro era to come in.
Its a radical move in terms of the current selection process but its the momentum and energy thats needed more now. New ideas, new directions, new levels of excitement in the game here.

Then we’ll see an upgraded brand of All Blacks out there.

Taylorman wrote:

Collapse2005 wrote:

RiscaGame wrote:You can't really dampen Wales' wins and not acknowledge how close a lot of the defeats were, without looking a little biased in your views.

Sure some were tight but the record is still dreadful. There's no denying that.

About the same as Irelands record vs NZ is oz vs Wales over last twenty years.
Mind you, wales vs NZ is another level.

Match fixing. Welsh players paid to throw all of those games. Played like they did anyway!

If you want to rejuvenate the Aus team then Gatland is your man; he has a proven track record of it. I can't see him going to Aus unless the money is good, and he'd probably have a lovely house on the west coast. If Gats wants the ABs job at some point then he'd turn it down anyway and look for a role in NZ.

Collapse2005 wrote:

Taylorman wrote:

Collapse2005 wrote:

RiscaGame wrote:You can't really dampen Wales' wins and not acknowledge how close a lot of the defeats were, without looking a little biased in your views.

Sure some were tight but the record is still dreadful. There's no denying that.

About the same as Irelands record vs NZ is oz vs Wales over last twenty years.
Mind you, wales vs NZ is another level.

Snore. Wales' ranking has been closer to Australia's hence the record is bad. Wales lost some games where they were ranked above Australia.

Not everything is about NZ.

Not just that but Australia seems to be the game Wales hate playing mentally. It's like a clash of styles - Australian sledging and, latterly, maverick performances, v Wales' more disciplined, structured and (since Mike Phillips retired) quieter approach to just getting on with the game.

There are at least 5 games since 2009 (where Australia and a fresh-faced Pocock absolutely took Wales apart) where Wales have objectively bottled the game when they absolutely should have won. Even the win in 2018 was fortuitous - more down to 'not losing' than winning it, Wales did their best to a. not kill the game despite dominance and b. let Australia back into it late on.

The idea that Wales are poor against Australia so therefore Gatland would make a poor Australian coach is a serious logical flaw. Not even worth entertaining.

Collapse2005 wrote:

Taylorman wrote:

Collapse2005 wrote:

RiscaGame wrote:You can't really dampen Wales' wins and not acknowledge how close a lot of the defeats were, without looking a little biased in your views.

Sure some were tight but the record is still dreadful. There's no denying that.

About the same as Irelands record vs NZ is oz vs Wales over last twenty years.
Mind you, wales vs NZ is another level.

Snore. Wales' ranking has been closer to Australia's hence the record is bad. Wales lost some games where they were ranked above Australia.

Not everything is about NZ.

True, Jones is mentioned here as well.

And with a name like that he's clearly Welsh anyway, so...