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Dave Rennie's Wallabies are not lost or aimless, they're on a road to somewhere

By Nick Turnbull
(Photo by Greg Bowker/Getty Images)

After finishing their 2021 season with a controversial 29-28 loss to the Welsh in Cardiff that subsequently ensured a winless European tour the question begs, where are the Wallabies truly at under the tenure of Dave Rennie?

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The ‘talking heads’ will talk – that’s what they do, especially after his uncharacteristic criticism of some of the officiating the Wallabies experienced on tour against Scotland and later Wales, warranted or not.

Rennie said post the defeat in Cardiff, “Kurtley Beale got sin-binned for slapping the ball down; they do the same thing, it clearly goes forward and they get seven points out of us,”

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All Blacks head coach Ian Foster reacts to the loss against France

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All Blacks head coach Ian Foster reacts to the loss against France

“I felt it as important I spoke my mind – I’ve been a professional coach for over 20 years and I’ve never gone to the media and had a crack at the referee or referee group, but I felt I had to tonight.”

Considering the affable New Zealander was ushered into the Wallabies coaching role by former Rugby Australia CEO Raelene Castle to replace Michael Cheika, who himself at times had turbulent and tumultuous interactions with the media when commenting on his perception of questionable officiating, the media conference in Cardiff leaves an ironical taste.

Dave Rennie should be cautious about continuing on such a path in the future as it does not abide by his schtick.

One of Dave Rennie’s greatest assets is that he does appear to be a controlled and considered thinker who personifies the value of respect and values the relationships both internally and externally to the Australian game. It is his example and management of the Wallabies that appears to have his side on the right trajectory both culturally and to a lesser degree in performance thus far.

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For those who define success purely on the win-loss ratio, 2021 has not been a dominant year for the Wallabies winning only seven of their 14 test matches.

However, culturally as a group the Wallabies appear to be in the right space. They are playing for each other and the jersey that has resulted in some breath-taking performances in season 2021 and invites cautious optimism for the future.

A 2-1 home series defeat of a depleted French side exposed the Wallabies inaccuracies in the contact zone, yet despite some dubious officiating in the decider at Brisbane that saw winger Marike Koroibete sent off for a high tackle on French skipper Anthony Jelonch in the 5th minute, the Wallabies still found a way to win 33-30.

It was a seminal moment that illustrated that under Dave Rennie, his Wallabies will not quit despite any adversity and that is what has endeared him to the Australian rugby public.

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The Wallabies were again outgunned by New Zealand in the Bledisloe Cup, not winning a test and that was the most disappointing outcome considering the Bledisloe results of 2020.

Yet a post-series selection masterstroke by Dave Rennie saw the recalling of both Quade Cooper and Samu Kerevi to the Wallaby fold.

Few could question the impetus both selections had on the group as not only did it build a relationship with the foreign-based Wallabies, it showed that the Wallabies can still mix it with the best evidenced by their two defeats of the 2019 World Cup-winning Springboks during the Rugby Championship.

Even if one was not a fan of Australian rugby or often maligned fly-half Quade Cooper, only the coldest of hearts would have not celebrated a career performance such as that the Queenslander put in against the South Africans at the Gold Coast landing a post siren long-range penalty to seal the win 28-26.

The Wallabies had defeated a Rugby Superpower – twice. Would we have seen that if coach Rennie were not brave enough to make the calls?

Even when down to 14 men in Cardiff the Wallabies were not going to quit. They don’t – and they almost snatched another famous victory only losing this time themselves victims to a post siren penalty. But despite losing 29-28, they won respect for the way they refused to yield despite the odds.

To attain this, culturally the Wallabies must be in good places but that culture isn’t yet preventing the Wallabies from making some basic errors and gifting their opponents points or field position through ill-discipline.

If there is a side that knows how to defeat itself, it is Dave Rennie’s Wallabies and that is his greatest challenge for 2022.

The honeymoon period for Dave Rennie is well and truly over and the self-sabotage of 2021 will not be tolerated by the Australian rugby public in 2022. Whilst the grit endears, Rennie must be aware that heroic losses only give one so much credit but he has time on his side.

The English will tour Australia in 2022 and nothing will soothe the pain of a winless 2021 European tour than a series defeat of an Eddie Jones coached England. As a Kiwi living in Australia, he may now have some insight into how much each country revels in defeating each other in just about anything. He appears to be building a squad capable of defeating the English.

2021 offered so much in terms of selections; Did anyone predict at the beginning of the year Andrew Kellaway would be nominated as one of the World Rugby Players of the year? That Will Skelton, Rory Arnold, Tolo Latu, Kurtley Beale, Quade Cooper, Samu Kerevi and Sean McMahon would be recalled into the squad? That at 38, Greg Holmes would get a final run in Wallaby gold, or Australian rugby’s ‘Mike Whitney’ – Ollie Hoskins would earn his maiden test cap and who could forget the emotion he showed and how his new teammates, most strangers days before got around him.

These are all good stories of Australian rugby that need to be told and celebrated thanks to Dave Rennie.

The evidence suggests that Dave Rennie’s Wallabies have the cultural foundations to build greater success upon. The challenge moving forward is can Australian rugby harness all of its playing diasporas when required? Can the Wallabies themselves shoot more downrange, than themselves in the foot? The former may be in the hands of World Rugby and Rugby Australia whilst the latter is firmly in the hands of Coach Rennie and his staff.

All things considered – the Wallabies under Dave Rennie are not lost, aimless or without merit. Yet they are a side that has not truly found themselves but are on a road to somewhere. That where will depend on their discipline more than anything else moving forward.

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Jon 5 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

35 Go to comments
j
john 8 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

But here in Australia we were told Penney was another gun kiwi coach, for the Tahs…….and yet again it turned out the kiwi coach was completely useless. Another con job on Australian rugby. As was Robbie Deans, as was Dave Rennie. Both coaches dumped from NZ and promoted to Australia as our saviour. And the Tahs lap them up knowing they are second rate and knowing that under pressure when their short comings are exposed in Australia as well, that they will fall in below the largest most powerful province and choose second rate Tah players to save their jobs. As they do and exactly as Joe Schmidt will do. Gauranteed. Schmidt was dumped by NZ too. That’s why he went overseas. That why kiwi coaches take jobs in Australia, to try and prove they are not as bad as NZ thought they were. Then when they get found out they try and ingratiate themselves to NZ again by dragging Australian teams down with ridiculous selections and game plans. NZ rugby’s biggest problem is that it can’t yet transition from MCaw Cheatism. They just don’t know how to try and win on your merits. It is still always a contest to see how much cheating you can get away with. Without a cheating genius like McCaw, they are struggling. This I think is why my wise old mate in NZ thinks Robertson will struggle. The Crusaders are the nursery of McCaw Cheatism. Sean Fitzpatrick was probably the father of it. Robertson doesn’t know anything else but other countries have worked it out.

32 Go to comments
A
Adrian 10 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

Thanks Nick The loss of players to OS, injury and retirement is certainly not helping the Crusaders. Ditto the coach. IMO Penny is there to hold the fort and cop the flak until new players and a new coach come through,…and that's understood and accepted by Penny and the Crusaders hierarchy. I think though that what is happening with the Crusaders is an indicator of what is happening with the other NZ SRP teams…..and the other SRP teams for that matter. Not enough money. The money has come via the SR competition and it’s not there anymore. It's in France, Japan and England. Unless or until something is done to make SR more SELLABLE to the NZ/Australia Rugby market AND the world rugby market the $s to keep both the very best players and the next rung down won't be there. They will play away from NZ more and more. I think though that NZ will continue to produce the players and the coaches of sufficient strength for NZ to have the capacity to stay at the top. Whether they do stay at the top as an international team will depend upon whether the money flowing to SRP is somehow restored, or NZ teams play in the Japan comp, or NZ opts to pick from anywhere. As a follower of many sports I’d have to say that the organisation and promotion of Super Rugby has been for the last 20 years closest to the worst I’ve ever seen. This hasn't necessarily been caused by NZ, but it’s happened. Perhaps it can be fixed, perhaps not. The Crusaders are I think a symptom of this, not the cause

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