Australia are smarter and more united under Kiwi
By TOM DECENT
THIS month marks two years since former Glasgow Warriors boss Dave Rennie was announced as the new head coach of Australia. His tick of approval came at a time of major upheaval following the Wallabies’ dismal 40-16 quarter-final loss to England at the 2019 World Cup. Two months ago, you’d have to say Rennie’s report card was a 6/10 at best. One win, two losses and three draws in 2020 preceded a 2-1 series win over France in July and three soul-crushing defeats to the All Blacks. At the start of September, Rennie’s Wallabies win record was 25 per cent. Had Australia lost back-toback Tests against South Africa in the Rugby Championship, criticism would have come thick and fast, despite having the backing of a Rugby Australia board who believe he is the best man for the job. Australia have now won their last five Tests — two against the world champion Springboks in stunning fashion, two against an out-of-sorts Argentina team and another against a potent Japanese outfit. The Wallabies have shown they have the class to mix it with the world’s best, thanks to a belief Rennie has
THE VIEW FROM DOWN UNDER
instilled in his players. There is a noticeable shift in the way his team plays compared to the side under Michael Cheika, particularly during late 2019 when the wheels began to fall off. Under Rennie, Australia are smarter in their game management and clearly care more about territory. They kick more often — with greater accuracy — and understand that building points in multipliers of three isn’t ‘unAustralian’, as Cheika would say. Influential figures believe in Rennie’s vision, while current and former players agree he has an astute rugby mind and is tactically shrewd. Culture is king for Rennie, a man of Cook Islands descent who often pulls out the guitar and encourages players to share songs in front of the group that carry cultural significance. Players have spoken about being more united off the field, which is clearly translating to success on it. At the end of a diabolical 2018 for the Wallabies, former Scotland coach Scott Johnson was appointed Australia’s director of rugby. It was expected that once Cheika had exited stage left, the next Wallabies coach would report in to Johnson. It hasn’t panned out like that. While Johnson has provided a valuable sounding board to Rennie — and is often the one who plays devil’s advocate at the selection table — the New Zealander normally gets his way. The Wallabies have built depth in key positions to trouble all of their upcoming opponents in Scotland, England and Wales — and they have plenty to play for after suffering their heaviest ever defeat to Scotland the last time the sides met in Murrayfield in 2017. Remarkably, Australia led 12-10 in the 40th minute before a Sekope Kepu red card changed the complexion of the match, with Scotland running away 53-24 winners. Only two of Australia’s 23 players that afternoon remain in this squad: Taniela Tupou and Kurtley Beale. Tupou has asserted himself as arguably the best tight-head prop in the world and is three times the player he was in 2017. Rennie and Johnson have a deep understanding of the way Scotland will try to play, while assistant coach Matt Taylor will be a key figure this week given his time in the Scotland setup. Australia were coerced into playing too expansively against Japan, so expect a more controlled performance against Scotland even if there might be some rustiness in attack with a tweaked backline that won’t feature Samu Kerevi, Reece Hodge or Marika Koroibete. This game could make or break Australia’s autumn tour.