Wallabies legend George Gregan lifts lid on Dave Rennie's impact - and why the All Blacks might be 'worried'
Wallabies legend George Gregan, who was a member of the Australian team that last held the Bledisloe Cup in 2003, says he’s been impressed with the direction his former side is going under coach Dave Rennie.
Speaking to his old rival Justin Marshall on Sky Sport’s The Breakdown, Gregan gave his assessment on the current state of Australian rugby and in particular the Wallabies, saying Rennie and his coaching team have already had a big impact on the national team.
“I think it’s trending and tracking in the right direction,” Gregan said. “You saw that with the first test match result against the All Blacks in Wellington. It was a really spirited performance. And you can see that Dave Rennie and the coaching group he’s assembled have really had a big impact on a really good young talented group with some talented players who have experience.
“There’s always been talented players within Australian rugby, it’s just a matter of making sure they’re all on the same page and pulled in the right direction.
“There’s good support for the national coach at all levels. I thought the way the Reds and the Brumbies played at Super Rugby AU was really impressive. You’ve seen players picked on form with a winning habit going into the national setup.
“And Dave Rennie as we know, history shows it doesn’t matter if it’s with the Waikato Chiefs, New Zealand under-20s when he won many championships and also when he when across and did a great job in Edinburgh, the guy knows how to transform teams and create a really good, I guess, attitude, belief, the buzzword is culture, within the teams that he coaches. I think we’ve seen that early doors.”
The 47-year-old former halfback says he appreciated Rennie’s honesty and how he’s been going about fixing the areas that have let the Wallabies down in the first two Bledisloe Cup clashes.
“What I’ve liked about Dave Rennie, he points out some of the key areas which let them down. He did in Wellington and he certainly did in Auckland. So they’ll be really working on those things – the connection in defence, making sure you do all those really small things really well, good communication and not dropping off.
“You need to do that 80 plus minutes as we saw in Wellington against the All Blacks. They have enough potency, they have points in them, they have the ability to score points, which I really like about this Wallabies squad. So it’s just about getting the other side of the ball right and make sure you’re not missing 20 or 40 tackles in total.”
Gregan also liked what he was seeing at the administration level, another volatile area for Australia over the years since he was a menace in the Wallabies backline.
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“At administration level I think we’ve been really impressed by what Hamish McLennan has done, trying to get everyone – it’s not just from top down, but from the ground up as well – getting involved with the game and feeling passionate about what rugby means to this country and what it means to the people. So I think they’re all simple things which they’re the foundations of all good sports particularly rugby.”
When it comes to players, Gregan was impressed with the performances of halfback Nic White, who has featured heavily for the Wallabies despite not being a regular starter during the Super Rugby season.
“I think he’s a really good selection. He’s a super competitor. Most guys with No 9 on their back are really competitive. He’s really evolved his game over the years.
“He asks questions and if you knock off on either side of the ruck around that second or third defender, he’s going to back himself. And that’s probably been the biggest evolution in his game since he’s returned to Australia.”
Gregan also spoke about the improvements within the Australian forwards, and gave a special shoutout to front rowers James Slipper and Taniela Tupou as well as lock Lukhan Salakaia-Loto.
“They certainly have fronted up. It’s not a cliché, it’s a reality of our game – your tight-five, you live by the sword and die by the sword as a team by the efforts they put in. They’re often the unsung heroes.
“Set-piece, lineout, delivering good quality ball, their work around the field at the contact areas, those sorts of things make a huge difference in how a team can find its cohesion and find its energy and find its rhythm. And that’s what this Wallaby team has shown so far and they need to continue to do it. Also the set piece, like the scrum I know that’s always been a bit of a soft side of any Wallaby team – you just hear that all the time – but this is a strong squad.”
Gregan’s quiet confidence even caused Marshall to suggest that he was “worried” for the All Blacks.
“He’s confident but not overly confident. He’s got me slightly worried actually.”
The Wallabies host the All Blacks at Sydney’s ANZ Stadium in the third Bledisloe Cup test on Saturday at 9.45pm.
Comments on RugbyPass
Lets compare apples with apples. Lyon sent weak team the week before, but nobody raised an eyebrow. Give the South African teams a few years to build their depth, then you will be moaning that the teams are too strong.
41 Go to commentsDid footballs agents also perform the scout role at some time? I’m surprised more high profile players haven’t taken up the occupation, great way to remain in the game and use all that experience without really requiring a lot of specific expertise?
1 Go to commentsSuper rugby is struggling but that has little to do with sabbaticals. 1. Too many teams from Aust and NZ - should be 3 and 4 respectively, add in 2 from Japan, 1 possibly 2 from Argentina. 2. Inconsistent and poor refereeing, admittedly not restricted to Super rugby. Only one team was reffed at the breakdown in Reds v H’Landers match. Scrum penalty awarded in Canes v Drua when No 8 had the ball in the open with little defence nearby - ideal opportunity to play advantage. Coming back to Reds match - same scrum situation but ref played advantage - Landers made 10 yards and were penalised at the breakdown when the ref should have returned to scrum penalty. 3. Marketing is weak and losing ground to AFL and NRL. Playing 2 days compared with 4. 4. Scheduling is unattractive to family attendance. Have any franchises heard of Sundays 2pm?
10 Go to commentsAbsolutely..all they need is a chance in yhe playoffs and I bet all the other teams will be nervous…THEY KNOW HOW TO WIN IM THE PLAYOFFS..
2 Go to commentsI really hope he comes back and helps out with some coaching.
1 Go to commentsI think we are all just hoping that the Olympic 7s doesn’t suffer the same sad fate as the last RWC with the officials ruining the spectacle.
1 Go to commentsPersonally, I’ve lost the will to even be bothered about the RFU, the structure, the participants. It’s all a sham. I now simply enjoy getting a group of friends together to go and watch a few games a year in different locations (including Europe, the championship, etc). I feel extremely sorry for the real fans of these clubs who are constantly ignored by the RFU and other administrators. I feel especially sorry for the fans of clubs in the Championship who have had considerable central funding stripped away and are then expected to just take whatever the RFU put to them. Its all a sham, especially if the failed clubs are allowed to return.
9 Go to commentsI’m guessing Carl Hayman would have preferred to have stayed in NZ with benefit of hindsight. Up north there is the expectation to play twice as many games with far less ‘player management’ protocols that Paul is now criticising. Less playing through concussions means longer, healthier, careers. Carter used as the eg here by Paul, his sabbatical allowed him to play until age 37. OK its not an exact science but there is far more expectations on players who sign for Top 14 or Engl Prem clubs to get value for the huge salaries. NZR get alot wrong but keeping their best players in NZ rugby is not one of them. SA clubs are virtually devoid of their top players now, no thanks. They cant threaten the big teams in the Champions Cup, the squads have little depth. Cant see Canes/Chiefs struggling. Super has been great this year, fantastic high skill matches. Drua a fantastic addition and Jaguares will add another quality team eventually. Aus teams performing strongly and no doubt will benefit with the incentive of a Lions tour and a home RWC. Let Jordie enjoy his time with Leinster, it will allow the opportunity for another player to emerge at Canes in his absence.
10 Go to commentsLove that man, his way to despise angry little men is so funny ! 😂
4 Go to comments“South African franchises would be powerhouses if we had all our overseas based players back in situ. We would have the same unbeatable aura the Toulouses, Leinsters or Saracens of this world have had over the last decade or so.” Proof that Jake white does not understand the economics of the game in SA. Players earning abroad are not going to simply come back and represent the bulls. But they might if they have a springbok contract.
22 Go to commentsA lot of fans just joined in for the fun of it! We all admire O'Gara and what he has done for La Rochelle
4 Go to commentsThe RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
9 Go to commentsWell that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
35 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
35 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
14 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
4 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to commentsWhat a player! Not long until he’s in the England side, surely?
5 Go to commentsHe seems to have the same aura as Marcus Smith - by which I mean he’s consistently judged as if he’s several years younger than he actually is. Mngomezulu has played 24 times for the Stormers. When Pollard was his age he had played 24 times for South Africa! He has more time to develop, but he has also had time to do some developing already, and he hasn’t demonstrated nearly as much talent in that time as one would expect. If he is a generational talent, then it must be a pretty poor generation.
6 Go to commentsThe greatest Springbok coach of all time is entirely on the money. Rassie and Jacques have given the south african public a great few years, but the success of the springbok selection policy will need to be judged in light of what comes next. The poor condition that the provincial system is currently in doesn’t bode well for the next few years of international rugby, and the insane 2026 schedule that the Boks have lined up could also really harm both provincial and international consistency.
22 Go to comments