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International

Wallabies set for leftovers from All Blacks head coach race

Glasgow head coach Dave Rennie. (Photo by Henry Browne/Getty Images)

A high-octane battle to be next All Blacks coach is under way and Australian rugby could be waiting to scoop up their pick of the leftovers, in a repeat of the Robbie Deans coup 12 years ago.

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The trans-Tasman rivals are chasing successors to Michael Cheika and Steve Hansen after both fell short of their targets at the Rugby World Cup.

Replacements are expected to be announced by Christmas but while New Zealand Rugby’s main contenders are relatively clear cut, mystery surrounds the Australian process.

Continue reading below…

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It was widely believed Rugby Australia’s director of rugby Scott Johnson had Dave Rennie in his sights to succeed Cheika and become the second Kiwi coach of the Wallabies after Deans.

However, Rennie is among a handful of prominent names invited by NZR to apply for the vacant All Blacks post and he said he was “humbled” by the approach.

Others certainly in the mix are incumbent All Blacks assistant coach Ian Foster and highly successful Crusaders coach Scott Robertson, while Japan’s head coach Jamie Joseph is likely to put his name in the hat.

It means at least three high-quality head coaches will be left without an international post.

One of them could then have their head turned by Johnson.

Deans was famously unveiled as Wallabies coach on December 14, 2007, just seven days after losing out to Graham Henry in a high-profile All Blacks race.

Whoever crossed the Tasman could come as a team, bringing his nominated assistants for the New Zealand job with him.

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Conjecture surrounds the identity of each coach’s preferred assistants with one exception.

Highly rated attack coach Tony Brown has committed to keep working with Joseph, having turned down approaches from both Foster and Robertson.

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Joseph is weighing up a lucrative offer to remain with Japan and Brown indicated the Wallabies probably weren’t on his radar, in an interview with Sky Sport NZ on Wednesday.

Brown also rated Foster and Robertson as the “leading contenders” to get the All Blacks back on track after their disappointing bronze medal return in Japan.

Hansen and star playmaker Beauden Barrett have both called for Foster’s promotion to the top job in the name of continuity.

However, other commentators believe it is time for a clear-out and the change of approach that the charismatic Robertson would bring.

A NZR appointment panel unveiled on Wednesday comprised chairman Brent Impey, incoming chief executive Mark Robinson, high performance boss Mike Anthony, former All Blacks coach Graham Henry and former Silver Ferns coach Waimarama Taumaunu.

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Comments on RugbyPass

f
fm 1 hour ago
Malelili Satala: The Scottish-Fijian starlet who slept outside a train station to make it

Because he was born in Scotland, making him Scottish and he was brought up in Fiji as he has a Fijian family. Not hard to understand if you read the article

3 Go to comments
K
KwAussie 1 hour ago
HSBC SVNS World Championship Series: A beginner’s guide

Really looking forward to this. While there are a couple of teams in each of the men’s and women’s who are strong, there are definitely opportunities for them to have a bad day and others grab the points. The big thing for me is some teams relying on one or two players and while this has helped them it also opens up games for other teams if they are negated.

1 Go to comments
B
BH 1 hour ago
The All Blacks need Rennie, but they also need the public

The worst NZ league fans are the ones who hate the Warriors and support another team instead. And the ones who watch State of Origin but don’t watch and support either the Warriors or the Kiwis or both.

30 Go to comments
B
BH 1 hour ago
The All Blacks need Rennie, but they also need the public

Just admit you hate the Warriors and are trolling. You guys are so lame.

30 Go to comments
B
BH 1 hour ago
The All Blacks need Rennie, but they also need the public

Hahaha you sound so sensitive. And you’re too lazy to debate any of my points with any intelligence or rationale. Stay drunk on the haterade.

30 Go to comments
B
BH 1 hour ago
The All Blacks need Rennie, but they also need the public

You’re South African and you guys don’t play league because it’s just not a thing. So we don’t expect you to know. And your opinion doesn’t matter on this particular subject.

30 Go to comments
S
SS 1 hour ago
The All Blacks need Rennie, but they also need the public

We build huts on the rim of the volcano and hope it doesn’t blow

30 Go to comments
J
Jordon 1 hour ago
The All Blacks need Rennie, but they also need the public

As a bok fan its hard to understand. Part of the reason the ABs have been so great over time is because that is the expectation of the nz public, to be great. The NZ public has a relationship with the ABs that few if any national populations have with an elite team anywhere in the world. It is the strong link, not the weak one. And it’s why we still have a winning record over you despite SAs obvious advantages. We will always produce the players capable of being the best team in the world at any moment.

High performance starts at the top. The nz rugby public has been let down by inept leadership and decisions that resulted in us burning our best coaches and sending them overseas disgusted at how they were treated by NZR. There is good reason that for years NZR has been referred to as the politburo. Dave rennie should have got the job in 2019, JJ and TB should have got the job in 2023. Our optimism now is because the top brass looks a lot different than it has for a long time



...

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J
Jordon 2 hours ago
The All Blacks need Rennie, but they also need the public

I’m talking about guys I knew at school and in my 20s who had probably never even been to aus

30 Go to comments
f
frandinand 2 hours ago
Barrett's Irish adventure is propelling the Hurricanes to new heights

He “ resigned” as chair of KMD after 12 years in the job which has seen the share price slump from $A 3.40 to $A 0.15. Their latest six monthly report was a disaster with losses of millions of dollars. It's reported that his resignation wasn't voluntary.

This is the man that many in NZ described as a financial genius and a major corporate figure in Australia when he was appointed Chair of NZR.



...

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B
Ben A 3 hours ago
Five 'Moneyball' players who could be All Blacks bolters under Rennie

What a stupid article.

Nothing about this is remotely "moneyball” in any way.



...

14 Go to comments
U
Utiku Old Boy 4 hours ago
Barrett's Irish adventure is propelling the Hurricanes to new heights

agreed.

157 Go to comments
S
SB 4 hours ago
‘It's a pressurised job. International rugby has higher scrutiny but club coaching is relentless’

You can understand why he was annoyed. He didn’t need to push or use the language but I feel he was more in the right than the presenters.

2 Go to comments
H
Hammer Head 5 hours ago
The All Blacks need Rennie, but they also need the public

Yes certainly I agree with you mostly. The direction the ABs headed was very un-All Black. And a return to the values and traditions of the past is definitely needed.

One of the reasons why the ABs have lost more, also, is that the quality of opposition has improved materially as the game has grown in its sophistication. Which is a very good thing.



...

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j
johnz 6 hours ago
The All Blacks need Rennie, but they also need the public

I wouldn’t call it tough love; it’s frustration that the game was overtaken by commercial priorities and cronyism.

Besides, what’s unrealistic anyway? Many who have dared to be better have been told they were unrealistic, only to prove otherwise. I still say it would be a sad day if we dropped our standards.



...

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G
Gavin 6 hours ago
Malelili Satala: The Scottish-Fijian starlet who slept outside a train station to make it

How is it possible to have a Scottish Fijian starlet. What a farce!

3 Go to comments
A
Ayre123 None 8 hours ago
Glasgow sign van der Merwe as Smith lifts lid on long-term pursuit

Franco Smith, the one that got away,,,

Comparing the Glasgow budget to that of Saracens makes one appreciate that coach!



...

2 Go to comments
N
NB 8 hours ago
Barrett's Irish adventure is propelling the Hurricanes to new heights

That is some man to be playing scond fiddle to G, you should be proud of your Uncle. That 1937 tour of NZ still strikes a nerve now. So many of the Boks who toured with Philip Nel seemed to have enlightened attitudes ahead of their time…

157 Go to comments
A
Ayre123 None 8 hours ago
Report reveals Saracens are PREM Rugby's 'homegrown heroes'

Any statistics can be “adjusted” to match certain agenda, that’s why the percents of Non whites 29.5 or the England qualified of 94% are frown upon.

15 Go to comments
u
unknown 9 hours ago
The All Blacks need Rennie, but they also need the public

Part of the problem has been all the off field drama over the last number of years. Also what hasn't helped is the NZ media covering these storys which has turned into an All Blacks, Super rugby, NZR bashing machine by focusing more on negatives then positives. I like Gregor Paul but he has been one of the worst. I get that we need Truth to Power etc but it becomes counter productive for the game in the long run.

30 Go to comments
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