Ruthless Rennie proves he is not going to be pushed around

If there’s one lesson to absorb from the Bledisloe Cup bickering of recent weeks, it’s that Wallabies coach Dave Rennie won’t be bullied.

As the fraught negotiations over where and when the first two Bledisloe Cup tests will be staged next month played out in full view, it was telling Rennie gave the sermon that ultimately shook the process to its conclusion.

Rugby Australia’s top brass, fuelled by the fear of cutting their teams, have been highly critical of New Zealand Rugby’s expressions of interest approach to mapping out Super Rugby next year and beyond.

But when it came time to fire shots over the Wallabies’ unsatisfactory preparation time for the opening Bledisloe in Wellington, executives faded into the background. It was instead Rennie who delivered the uppercut.

Rennie took on New Zealand Rugby, his former employers, and by extension the Government, to state in no uncertain terms the Wallabies would not cross the Tasman for the originally proposed dates.

That statement cajoled significant movement from the New Zealand Government around their stringent quarantine protocols, and sparked a hurried call from Prime Minster Jacinda Ardern to Australian counterpart Scott Morrison offering reassurances, which led to the tests being locked in for successive

Sundays on October 11 and 18.

Such a pantomime signals a major shift for Australian rugby.

Under the hot-headed Michael Cheika, the Wallabies copped frequent beatings on and off the field. Aside from those lopsided results, former All Blacks coach Steve Hansen enjoyed the upper hand in regular verbal sparring matches, with Cheika regularly losing his temper and becoming flustered in public.

By the end of Cheika’s tenure, the disconnect between he and Rugby Australia’s hierarchy, including former chief executive Raelene Castle, grew to a chasm.

Their relationship breakdown was reflected in Australia’s disappointing World Cup quarter-final defeat last year, and Cheika’s messy exit from the tournament in Japan.

Rennie is yet to preside over a test in charge of the Wallabies but, for now at least, it’s clear he has the full support of Rugby Australia’s management and alignment with director of rugby Scott Johnson.

There is no way Rennie would make such pointed comments about the Bledisloe tests otherwise.

Anyone who has followed Rennie’s coaching career from Wellington to Manawatu, the Chiefs, Glasgow and Australia knows he is not the character to shy away from a scrap.

During his time in Hamilton, Rennie was one of few Super Rugby coaches who rebuffed the All Blacks’ requests. When the All Blacks wanted Damian McKenzie to play first fiveeighth, Rennie always believed his best position was fullback. And so he largely played McKenzie there.

Australian rugby has many issues still to confront — the lack of a broadcast deal top of the list. As far as test introductions go, it doesn’t get more daunting than attempting to defeat a highly-motivated All Blacks side on home soil for the first time since 2001, either.

As an outsider, Rennie will inevitably need a thick skin if results don’t immediately go to plan. He will, however, quickly gain the respect of his players with the way in which he is prepared to stick his neck out and fight for their cause. That’s exactly the qualities the Wallabies must embrace to eventually bridge the gap to the All Blacks.

New Zealand’s depth of talent, which extends to boasting three or four quality players in most positions, was on display in the North v South match, with Rennie somewhat enviously noting standout Chiefs loose forward Lachlan Boshier could not even make the North squad.

Rennie will need time to bring through Australia’s next generation, and attempt to plug their gaps at hooker, first-five and lock, but he will almost certainly get the culture right.

Hansen always said Foster was the yin to his yang. The new All Blacks head coach is more circumspect in public utterances, and less likely to goad counterparts.

The dynamic between Foster and Rennie will, therefore, be very different to that of Hansen and Cheika.

Rennie, in pushing the Wallabies’ case for proper Bledisloe preparation, has already proven he won’t be pushed around.

After waiting all year to unleash New Zealand’s next wave of talent, Foster will, likewise, be intent on stamping his mark on this All Blacks era.

Such a subplot adds another layer of intrigue to next month’s Bledisloe Cup series.