Ex-Wallabies skipper joins growing chorus calling for independent review of Rugby Australia following World Cup disaster
Former Australian captain Andrew Slack is among the voices calling for an independent review of both the Wallabies coaching role and the Rugby Australia hierarchy following the World Cup debacle.
With Michael Cheika falling on his sword after their disappointing quarter-final exit in Japan on Saturday, there are demands that more figures from Rugby Australia follow him out the door.
Director of rugby Scott Johnson, who came on board in January to rein in Cheika after a series of dismal results, is set to conduct a World Cup review and find the new Wallabies coach.
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Rather than rush to appoint Cheika’s replacement, Slack said he’d like to see an independent audit of Australia’s performance at the World Cup and the months preceding it.
Former Test lock turned television commentator and also president of the Players’ Association Justin Harrison is another pushing for an autonomous review.
Slack said that rugby IQ from former players such as Harrison and Dan Herbert should be tapped into and they should have a voice in the review and Johnson should be kept out of it.
Unless he can find a formula that's eluded many of world rugby's best coaches, the next @wallabies mentor will be on a hiding to nothing, just like Michael Cheika was. #RWC2019 https://t.co/gIkUPuBFsh
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) October 21, 2019
“It should be an independent review – I don’t know how you could contemplate it being legitimate if it’s not independent,” Slack said.
“With Scott’s role he will need to be investigating certain aspects but in terms of that overall bigger picture he shouldn’t be running that.”
Slack said a review of Cheika couldn’t be completed without a probe into those who appointed him and the RA board should be willing if they felt they had done a good job.
He also said that some criticism of CEO Raelene Castle was unfair given a “number of poor decisions” were made before she started her tenure in early 2018.
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Given Australia’s next test isn’t until midway through next year Slack said Rugby Australia shouldn’t be rushed into appointing a new coach.
“We shouldn’t have a gun put at our head – we’ve got to be not bullied by potential candidates,” said Slack who led the Wallabies on the triumphant 1984 Grand Slam tour and to a Bledisloe Cup series victory on New Zealand soil two years later.
“The right person will be the one who wants the job, not because of the money or the praise but they want the Australian job to do the best by the team and country.”
Slack had no issue with a Kiwi taking the top job but said if the next coach was to be Australian there was a dearth of stand-out candidates.
He said a conversation must be had with England’s Australian coach Eddie Jones, who orchestrated the Wallabies’ World Cup downfall, about him returning to the position he held for five years until 2005.
AAP
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Comments on RugbyPass
The URC and the Euro Championscup can’t run at the same time, basically dilutes both competitions.
1 Go to comments“While Sotutu should start at No.8 for the All Blacks against England, but it’s only in that arena that he can prove just how good he really is.” And that my friends is where simply hasnt shone despite multiple opportunities. Even in this performance you can see what did him in in the test arena..he almost always still runs at the opposition almost ramrod upright making him easier to stop than it should be.
1 Go to commentsShould have been 0-0 and a message from SR CEO to both teams - “don’t worry about turning up next year”.
3 Go to commentsGreat work Owen Franks. A great of this team, scoring his first try for the Crusaders since 2010.He was beaming, justifiably. A fine win, he and the rest did the job up front.
1 Go to commentsDanny Care. Lang in die tand.
1 Go to commentsBig empty stadium does nothing for atmosphere but munster are playing well with solid performance
1 Go to commentsYes, Fiji can win the World Cup! With that belief plus their christian faith🙏 and hard work it is achievable. Great article. Ian Duncan Fiji resident 1981-84
2 Go to commentsInteresting comments about Touch. England’s hosting the Touch World Cup this year and the numbers have exploded since their last World Cup in 2019, something like 70% more teams and 40 nations taking part. And England Touch have made a big thing about how many universities are in their BUCS University Touch Championship as well as Sport England membership. Can only see this growing even more domestically as more people become aware of it
10 Go to comments“Cortez Ratima is light years ahead of anyone on current form, while TJ Perenara has also skyrocketed into contention following the unfortunate injury to the talented Cam Roigard.” At last some sanity. Hitherto so many pundits have been wittering on about Finlay Christie to the point one wondered if they were observing a FC in a parallel universe where the FC they saw wasnt just the mediocre Shayne Philpott project of Fosters hapless AB reign in the real world. Ratima, Perenara and Fakatava are the ONLY logical 9s for Razor now Roigard is crocked.
3 Go to commentsThis game was just as painful as the Hurricanes game. It was real fork-in-the-eye stuff.
3 Go to commentsNow if they could just fire the Crusaders ground PA guy who likes to play his dance music and just loves the sound of his own voice the entire game, even when play is going on. And I thought their brass band thing of a few years ago was bad.
5 Go to commentsUnfortunately when you lose by far the two form players this season in Roigard and Aumua, you're left replacing two game changing Tanks with a couple of pea-shooters. Which is also about the speed of TJs pass.
4 Go to commentsBit rich coming from the guy with zero loyalty to anyone or any team, including happily taking a players place in a league world cup squad because well, SBW wanted to play in it and thus an already named player got told he was no longer going. And airing stuff like this, which may or may not be true, doesn't exactly say you're a stand up guy either SBW. Just looking to keep his name in lights as usual.
38 Go to commentsTamati Tua. …the Taniwha NPC midfielder. Ollie Sapsford, Hawkes Bay NPC midfielder…doing well
4 Go to commentsFiji deserve to be in the rugby championship, fans love seeing the Fijian national team play, the Fijian Drua is a wonderful idea but the players can still be stolen to play for NZ and AUS…
2 Go to commentsThe first concern for this afternoon are wheather forecast…
1 Go to commentsWhy cant I watch Rugby games please?
1 Go to commentsBeautiful shot from Finau, end of story. Gutted for Shaun Stevenson though.
4 Go to commentsThe Chiefs definitely didn’t win ugly. They had the superior scrum, a dominant lineout, and their defence was excellent once the Waratahs scored their two tries (thanks to some lucky refereeing calls mind you). They put pressure on the Waratahs lineout throughout the game, and the mind boggles as to why the referee did not award a yellow card or a penalty try against the Waratahs for repeated scrum infringements on their own try line before Narawa’s first try. And the Chiefs were slick with their passing and running angles on attack. It was a dominant performance all round, even with many questionable refereeing decisions.
1 Go to commentsWasnt late. Ref 2 assistants andTMO all saw it so who are you to say it was?
4 Go to comments