Les Kiss has many a crease to iron before historic Wallabies succession

The worst-kept secret in Australian rugby has finally been revealed, after several weeks of delay and months of uncertain timelines; Les Kiss will succeed Joe Schmidt as Wallabies coach, but it comes with a twist.

Schmidt has magnanimously agreed to stay in the top job, with Queensland Rugby Union and Rugby Australia both agreeing on a July 2026 start date for Kiss.

Although this may have looked like the two governing bodies were sizing each other up, it turned out to be the most harmonious coaching transfer since just after the turn of the century, since Eddie Jones took over from Rod Macqueen.

Succession is a word that’s been forgotten within the Australian rugby ecosystem, and yet, it has been a crucial element to the success of our trans-Tasman brothers across the ditch.

In New Zealand, Sir Graham Henry handed the keys to Steve Hansen, who handed them to Ian Foster, the master and the apprentice, and now, with Schmidt and Kiss, there’s finally our own succession in planning, in playstyle and in an appreciation for the fundamentals.

A key piece to this success is Schmidt’s generous decision to extend his contract with RA for the second time, and this decision helps his friend Kiss out, particularly.

Kiss is not ready for the top job at present, perhaps he would be by October, but on a couple of occasions this year, he has made coaching misjudgements on style and at times underestimated his opponents, each time resulting in a convincing loss for the Queensland Reds.

In Christchurch, there was too much license to throw offloads, and that loose gameplay resulted in a hammering at the hands of the Crusaders.

A lack of appreciation for wet weather saw the Reds lose to the Chiefs in Hamilton, despite some impressive attacking play.

At Suncorp, the Reds failed to keep the ball tight, as well as appreciate how the wet climate must alter game plans, and it cost them their first loss at home for the year, against the ACT Brumbies.

Fixture

Super Rugby Pacific

Fijian Drua

36 - 33

Full-time

Reds

All Stats and Data

But these are the lessons the budding Test coach needs now, not in 14 months’ time, when his tenure begins in July 2026.

Nevertheless, Kiss is imbuing his Reds side with precision and accuracy, the Queensland side is tackling at 89.7 per cent, a stat in which they are leading the competition.

However, they are the worst in the comp for turnovers conceded per game with an average of 15.4, whilst averaging 9 penalties per game, where they sit middle of the table.

The Reds sit fourth on the table, with a heavily laden Wallabies side, proving Kiss has a little way to go before he takes the top job in Australia.

Schmidt’s choice to stay at Moore Park buys Kiss that time, gives RA a cohesive plan and a smooth transition of power, as well as an opportunity to build more stability into the rugby ecosystem.

The transition means a continuation of thought, ideology and coaching style, all of which will help players to continue to grow and have confidence in the program and broader ecosystem.

“People first, we would both be very much aligned around getting the right people and investing in those people, not just [as] players, I think that would be the first philosophy,” Schmidt said of the connection between himself and Kiss, on Wednesday at the revelation of Kiss’ new appointment.

“The second one would be that we build from the bottom up, that we’re not chasing
targets, that we’re building behaviours.”

This pragmatic approach to coaching the national side should fill Aussies with confidence of bluer skies after rockier times leading up to Schmidt’s appointment last year.

Although Kiss is the new man in the picture, Schmidt’s decision to stay on for a full year longer than originally agreed is the real news.

While both pieces of news are welcome, attention must now turn to the Wallabies and their lofty goals in 2025.

The British and Irish Lions tour is looming, and so are the seedings for the Rugby World Cup 2027, which will be decided by the end of this year.

By then, the Wallabies must be ranked in the top six to get the preferred pool allocation for their home World Cup.

That burden would be too great to place on the rookie international head coach in the first few months of his tenure, and while the Wallabies improved in Schmidt’s first year, there is still plenty of work to do.

In 2024, the Wallabies’ average tackle success was 86.5 per cent, they lost fewer turnovers than their opponents in more than half their games, but were penalised more than their opponents in seven of their 13 games.

For a side that runs a connected line speed defence, the average tackle success rate must be closer to the 90 per cent mark in 2025.

Likewise, the mean penalties must decrease from the current 11, for Lions series, in particular, are always close-run affairs, and they have been won off many-a-boot from a penalty awarded late in a game.

While the defence, discipline, and ruck efficiency have improved under Schmidt, attack was something that the side never truly mastered in 2024.

However, a plan takes time to implement, and Schmidt has now decided to carry on his journey as the head of the Wallabies, giving himself an opportunity to build on the foundations of last season and see that plan through.

Schmidt is making a massive sacrifice to stay on an extra eight months, a decision which will see him and his wife, as well as their son, who suffers from a severe form of epilepsy, periodically travel across the Tasman, so they may be together.

The Wallabies need Schmidt to guide them through another campaign, and in their second hour of need in as many years, he has answered the call.

Whatever Schmidt is getting paid for this extension, it’s worth every cent. Schmidt has given the Wallabies and Australian rugby a true opportunity to thrive in this golden decade, but it is Kiss who is one of the people who benefits most from his old mentor’s decision to stay.