AUSTRALIAN RUGBY LURCHES from one bout of chaos to the next.
In the latest development, Rugby Australia chairman Hamish McLennan was ousted from his position after the Eddie Jones debacle, with 1999 World Cup winner Daniel Herbert stepping into McLennan’s role.
That still leaves Rugby Australia without a head of high performance, who will be in charge of the professional game Down Under, as well as a head coach to succeed Jones with the Wallabies.
Former Ireland and Melbourne Rebels performance analyst Eoin Toolan believes that ex-Ireland boss Joe Schmidt would be a good fit for the Wallabies role, as he discussed on the Rugby Weekly Extra podcast today.
Schmidt made a big impact with the All Blacks over the last two years but finished that role recently.
“There’s a few names being bandied about,” said Sydney-based Toolan.
“Does it need to be an Aussie? I’m not so sure, I think you need to get the right guy into the position.
“I’ve got to say, I think the job Joe Schmidt did with New Zealand… I don’t think they’re making a World Cup final if Joe Schmidt doesn’t come in and bail out Ian Foster.
“That would be an intriguing appointment, particularly if it was in tandem with David Nucifora. We saw the positive impact they had on Irish rugby.
“But there will be multiple candidates. Does Dan McKellar come back from Leicester or does he need some time out of the Australia game and start to build some experience in the Northern Hemisphere? That would probably be a good thing for the longevity of his career.
“Stephen Larkham is the other name being bandied about down here. He had a pretty good first year back at the Brumbies and learned a lot from his time in Munster.
“So there’s no shortage of candidates. It’s still an attractive role given that it’s the 2025 Lions into a home World Cup in 2027 and the talent is there if they’re coached correctly. They probably need to tweak the Giteau Law (for players based abroad) and look at what they do with Super Rugby.”
Current IRFU performance director David Nucifora is seen by many as a potentially ideal candidate for Rugby Australia’s head of high performance role, given that he is leaving his position in Ireland next year after the Olympics.
However, Toolan explained that it could be complicated if Rugby Australia goes after former Brumbies boss Nucifora, who previously held a similar role as general manager of Aussie rugby’s high performance unit.
“He would be the ideal fit but I have no understanding of what the current relationship is like,” said Toolan.
“The timing wouldn’t be ideal. He is committed to Paris 2024 and when you think of the Lions series in 2025, it’s not that far away, 18 or 19 months, so they really need to get their house in order. I’m not sure if there would be an early release for Nucifora but there is an urgency needed with this appointment.
“You want the right guy in the seat and Nucifora would strike you as the most suitable appointment, but we’ll see in the next two to three weeks what develops.”
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