Joe Schmidt’s departure at the end of the Rugby Championship brings the nationality of the Wallabies coach into focus once more, with the ideal scenario for Rugby Australia being that an Australian succeeds him.
But the past few years have provided a valuable lesson for Australian rugby. First, if a Wallabies coach has the wrong approach or characteristics, an Australian passport or an Akubra isn’t going to override those flaws.
Second, Australian players can not only be effectively coached by non-Australian coaches, they can flourish until the right man.
Three current coaches at Super Rugby level are out of this race. Dan McKellar, Stephen Larkham and Simon Cron either have a bit to prove or are desperately needed by their franchises – or a combination of both.
The Wallabies contest, based on an Australian-first philosophy, is therefore between Les Kiss and Michael Cheika, two coaches with vastly different resumes and their own sets of pros and cons – and the latter shouldn’t be ignored.
Indeed, Schmidt’s departure is being lamented not because of his success rate – after all, the Wallabies got no closer to the Bledisloe last year – but because there was a broader recognition that securing his signature was a coup in the first place: a complete, wordly coach with a long record of achievement.
Joe Schmidt will stand down as Wallabies coach after this year’s Rugby Championship. Credit: AP
Therefore, RA would be wise to at least consider a non-Australian. Here are five worthy candidates.
1. Vern Cotter (Blues)
Highly credentialled – and he has previously worked with Schmidt. Cotter is fresh off a Super Rugby title campaign with the Blues last year, having previously coached at Test level with Fiji and Scotland. The 63-year-old last year signed a contract extension with the Blues, but if he wants one last crack at the Test arena the Wallabies might appeal. His no-nonsense approach – his nickname is Stern Vern – would certainly add some steel to the Wallabies pack, but he’s also shown an ability to connect with the younger generation of players in Auckland.
Jamie Joseph narrowly missed out to Scott Robertson for the All Blacks job.Credit: Getty Images
2. Jamie Joseph (Highlanders)
Lost out to Scott Robertson for the All Blacks job – a mistake if you ask anyone in the deep south of New Zealand. Still harbours ambitions of coaching his homeland, and has returned to the Highlanders in part due to family reasons, so he might be very hard to prise out of Dunedin. However, he won a Super Rugby title with the underdog Highlanders and then took Japan into the quarter-finals of the Rugby World Cup in 2019, beating Ireland (and Schmidt) and Scotland on the way. He’s clearly a Test standard coach, with a reputation for building team culture and a relentless set of forwards.
3. Ronan O’Gara (La Rochelle)
The Irishman is on a hefty deal in France, but he’s openly ambitious and might have had his head turned by the progress and promise the Wallabies showed at the end of last year. Although widely expected to coach Ireland at some stage, O’Gara is his own man and the thought of getting the Wallabies back into the top tier of Test rugby might spin his wheels. He’s done wonders for Will Skelton’s career in France, and his success at La Rochelle has shown that he gets cut-through with his messaging regardless of nationality. Rugby players are rugby players the world over.
4. Leon MacDonald (unattached)
MacDonald abruptly left the All Blacks coaching set-up last year and was not permitted to take on a job with a rival nation, but that stand-down period has now elapsed. Worked hand in hand with Schmidt as head coach of the Blues, using his fellow New Zealander as a mentor. Test rugby would be a big step up for the 47-year-old, but was selected by New Zealand Rugby to coach the All Blacks XV touring side in 2022. His philosophical differences with Scott Robertson show he has strong views on how teams should be set up, and it’s understood that Scotland inquired about his services before he accepted an All Blacks role.
5. Franco Smith (Glasgow)
Everyone loves a wildcard, so let’s throw Smith’s name into the mix. The South African had a spell coaching Italy, but more impressively he then guided Glasgow to the United Rugby Championship title last year. They did it the hard way, too, beating the Bulls in Pretoria in the final without compromising the attacking brand of rugby that the Scottish outfit is known for. Glasgow’s success is a big reason why Scotland have turned into a quality Test side that needs to be taken seriously – 11 out of the Scotland 23 who beat Italy last week came from the Glasgow club.
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