Dave Rennie, becomes Australian Head Coach.

[GoTheNaki]

https://www.bbc.com/sport/rugby-union/50482377

https://i.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/a...s-talking-to-rugby-australia-on-wallabies-job

Uh... WELL. Australia has a new coach? This one...er... took me by surprise?? I can only assume that what NZRU were perhaps offering Rennie was an Assistant Coach role, maybe? I wouldn't imagine he'd take this if AB coach was in his future with the NZRU. But yeah wow, Australia gets a good talent finder, and relatively decent coach, but I'm still quite unsure in the talkings about Rennie as coach of an international team, let alone Australia choosing to take a coach with New Zealand/Cook Island origin. I feel that if he doesn't get results early, it won't be pretty...

 

[Hulk Hogan]

Results will come. He'll be given a fair bit of time to repair the dumpster fire that was Cheika.

 

[donmcdazzle]

Rennie is a genuinely good coach and a good talent spotter. You have more than enough raw talent in Aussie for him to make a good side. This is a great signing, as a NZ fan I was worried you'd get him for what that is worth. He builds really good team cultures and gets good players to play above their talent level. Did wonders with Manawatu when he coached there before the Chiefs. Even at the Chiefs, mediocre players were awesome for him (Craig Clarke, Andrew Horrell a couple of examples).

He has always been good at getting the best from Pacific Islanders / Maori players too, this will probably help given the demographics of the Aussie team nowadays. SBW, Tim Nanai-Williams, Hika Elliot, Ben Tameifuna, Liam Messam, Tanerau Latimer are a couple of guys who played their best rugby those 2 years at the Chiefs when they went back to back. Even guys like Tikoirotuma, Taumalolo went from decent ITM cup players to good Super players under his watch.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Cheika was far more successful in NH rugby and winning one with the Waratahs is probably comparable to Rennie's two in a row with his chiefs squad. It'll be interesting to see how this goes, I wouldn't be massively hopeful following his latest gig, definitely better guys out there.

 

[TRF_heineken]

Australia seems like they are getting their **** in order. Their youth squads have been performing very well, they now got a really good coach and hopefully he can get Australia back to a more likeable team that is performing too.

Cheika's aura alone was enough to leave a stench behind...

 

[Derpus]

Australia seems like they are getting their **** in order. Their youth squads have been performing very well, they now got a really good coach and hopefully he can get Australia back to a more likeable team that is performing too.

Cheika's aura alone was enough to leave a stench behind...

The youth teams are quite promising. We have some phenomenal locks and backrowers coming through. McRight and Wilson should be 50+ test Wallabies at least.

 

[Derpus]

Howd that get a dislike..

 

[RedruthRFC]

Howd that get a dislike..

https://www.therugbyforum.com/threads/likes-and-dislikes.45267/#post-980123

 

[Derpus]

Scott Wisemantel, Matt Taylor and Laurie Fischer mooted as the assistants - a very tidy coaching team if so.

 

[TheOvalBall]

If Rennie keeps Australia playing to their traditional strengths, then Aussie will be really competitive.

 

[TRF_heineken]

If Rennie keeps Australia playing to their traditional strengths, then Aussie will be really competitive.

Just out of curiosity, what are their strengths?

To me, they were decent in most areas of play, and excelled at the ruck area with Hooper and Pocock.

But there isn't really an area of strength for them for me other than the pilfering.

 

[TheOvalBall]

Just out of curiosity, what are their strengths?

To me, they were decent in most areas of play, and excelled at the ruck area with Hooper and Pocock.

But there isn't really an area of strength for them for me other than the pilfering.

Intelligent rugby, with a good passing and running game.

 

[TRF_heineken]

Intelligent rugby, with a good passing and running game.

Ah. But that has also declined without the likes of Quade Cooper, Folau, O'Connor and to an extent Genia being a bit out of touch and old.

Intelligent rugby is also a bit vague. I don't think their players are as rugby intelligent as their predecessors such as Gregan, Larkham, Mortlock etc.

And guys like Reece Hodge, who publicly stated that he didn't know about the high tackle laws, just proves to me that intelligence wasn't high on the agenda.

But for me, they need to focus on their props and locks, the scrums and lineouts are a mess for them, and their props used to be great with the dark arts at scrum time, but that also seems to have flown out of the window.

 

[Derpus]

Just out of curiosity, what are their strengths?

To me, they were decent in most areas of play, and excelled at the ruck area with Hooper and Pocock.

But there isn't really an area of strength for them for me other than the pilfering.

Itll still be the same. The best young players weve produced and who are coming through like McReight (who is probably a future captain) and Wilson are all backrowers. It was our backrow that dragged us to the u20 final.

That said - i think some areas of traditional weakness such as the front row have really imrpoved.