Tuesday’s rugby news has more Aussie rugby bombshells, with Link stepping in as Wallabies coach, Damien Hill replaced at the Rebels, Super 15 contract talk and new scrum laws for the upcoming Rugby Championships.
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McKenzie takes Wallaby reins
Departing Reds coach Ewen McKenzie will lead the Wallabies to the 2015 Rugby World Cup after the ARU released Robbie Deans from his two-year contract six months early. McKenzie is expected to be named as Deans’ replacement today after fighting off Brumbies coach Jake White. The popular 48-year-old is predicted to shore up the scrum and re-ignite the Wallabies’ attack in a more expansive, entertaining form.
In contrast to McKenzie’s recent provincial success, with his Reds side winning in 2011 and making the finals two years in a row, Deans has suffered from inconsistent Wallabies performances and a poor disciplinary record. Since taking over in 2008, Deans has a winning record of 58 per cent. He has also presided over shock losses to Scotland twice, Samoa, the record Lions defeat, and a miserable three wins from 18 games against New Zealand. Perhaps the standout failing, the Wallabies failed to win a Bledisloe Cup with Deans at the helm.
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Rebels coaching shift
Amid what seems to be the provincial cut and run season, the Melbourne Rebels have sacked coach Damien Hill. The Super Rugby side has appointed Wallabies coaching coordinator Tony McGahan to lead the struggling franchise for the 2014 and 2015 seasons. The Rebels cited McGahan’s most recent success in leading Irish giants Munster to multiple Heineken Cup and RoboDirect Pro12 titles. ‘Tony comes to Melbourne highly regarded as an international coach with a record of success at the top level,’ said Rebels chief executive Rob Clarke.
The Rebels have only managed four wins this season, with one remaining match against the Highlanders. Hill’s departure continues the raft of sweeping changes at the fledgling franchise. Among the players leaving are Wallabies Nick Phipps and James O’Connor, along with Gareth Delve, Tim Davidson, Nic Henderson and Ged Robinson among others.
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Aussie Super Rugby roster changes
The Western Force have reportedly begun discussions with James O’Connor’s management group, after the Wallabies playmaker was sensationally dropped by the Rebels. While the Rebels have chosen to place all their eggs in the Kurtley Beale basket, Michael Cheika has told reporters that he is still in talks to potentially lure the troubled playmaker to the Waratahs.
The NSW coach also indicated that he is confident that Isreal Folau will extend his current one-year contract, with a deal coming ‘very soon.’ Folau’s experience throughout the Lions tour was said to have cemented his loyalty to Australian Rugby.
And finally, the Brumbies have moved closer to securing a full roster for the 2014 Super Rugby season with Sam Carter, Fotu Auelua and Andrew Smith all committing to the club beyond the end of this year.
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New scrum laws on trial
It appears that the new ‘crouch, bind, set’ engagement sequence will be implemented as early as this year’s Rugby Championship. Craig Joubert will officiate the first match under the new trial laws when he takes charge of Australia v. New Zealand on 17 August. The trial, a revision of the crouch, touch, set’ rules, was requested by SANZAR, with other rugby bodies set to implement the rules at the start of their respective new domestic seasons.
The trial sequence is aimed at enhancing player welfare, while increasing the first-time completion rate of scrums, by reducing the impact of engagement by up to 25 per cent because of the short distance the packs require to pre-bind. Referees will also be instructed to ensure that the scrum is static before the ball is put into the scrum and that the ball goes in straight.
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