If I may bring up up some awkward parts of our recent rugby history, the players' revolution in the Brumbies around 2003 is the starting point of our current malaise. Their dissatisfaction/revolt/insurrection/whatever, is still there in Oz rugby; players thinking they know better than coaches and administrators has poisoned our game to this day. Why this, and I'll say it, champion lot chose to revolt against a very competent coach in Nucifora begs a question I'd dearly like to hear the answer to.
The advent of the Brumbies was one of the two most significant things to happen in world rugby in the mid 90s; along with the advent of professionalism it lifted Oz rugby from a nearly tier 1 nation to boxing above our weight against England, South Africa and New Zealand over the next 10 years. I haven't checked the scores but I suspect we won more matches against this lot than we lost.
The Brumbies have been the most successful Oz rugby franchise since then, but not Australia. Why?