Former Wallabies coach John Connolly has called for a complete review of Australian rugby if Robbie Deans's vulnerable team lose their three-Test series with Wales.
The battle between the Six Nations and Tri-Nations champions kicks off on Saturday night at Suncorp Stadium with coach Deans on shaky ground and the Welsh justifiably confident of ending their 42-year drought down under.
But rather than wanting successor Deans to be made a scapegoat, 2007 World Cup coach Connolly said a series defeat should spark a broad national review of how the code is being governed by the Australian Rugby Union.
Connolly feels Deans could be axed immediately if the Welsh triumph but said that would paper over the cracks of more significant deep-rooted problems.
Deans has been handed a recipe for disaster this month with poor scheduling a big factor in the midweek loss to Scotland in Newcastle plus injuries to creative sparks Quade Cooper, Kurtley Beale and James O'Connor.
But a 33-23-1 win-loss-draw record - only marginally better than Eddie Jones' rate of 57 per cent when he was sacked in 2005 - including the
9-6 upset loss to Scotland, controversial selections and Australia's turgid play during last year's World Cup has critics calling for his head.
"The last four years has been the worst in the professional era for Australia," said Connolly.
"If they lose this series to Wales there should be a review of the game.
"There's a whole myriad of issues that we have to look at."
Connolly listed the poor performances of Australia's Super Rugby teams, with only the Brumbies in the top six, poor player management and development, Matt Giteau's 2011 non-selection and the Wallabies win-loss record as worrying issues.
He labelled the ARU's decision to send the Wallabies on a short spring tour after the 2011 World Cup as "crazy" and "stupid", as well as the scheduling of the mid-week Scotland clash.
"It just has to show how out of touch some of the people are that are running the game," said Connolly.
"The more rugby you play the more injuries you get, and the more injuries you get the more it tests your depth."
Connolly endured an acrimonious relationship with ARU supremo John O'Neill before his two-year Wallabies contract expired in late 2007, and also threatened to sue O'Neill for defamation over comments in an internal email.
He unsurprisingly said the ARU made a mistake by dumping Gary Flowers as chief executive five years ago.
Connolly argued a coaching change - citing Super Rugby-winning Queensland mentor Ewen McKenzie as the only legitimate contender - could only happen before the four-nation Rugby Championship starts in August due to the heavy touring schedule from then until December.
But it wouldn't be an easy transition, particularly with three new Wallabies assistant coaches appointed by the Australian Rugby Union and McKenzie likely to want his own people.
"If there's going to be a change there it's going to be after the Wales series," Connolly said.
A critic of the decision to appoint a foreigner in 2008, Connolly was highly critical of Deans's dumping of Giteau last year after the shock Samoa loss.
He said Australia showed a worrying lack of smarts in the rain-swept upset against the Scots and would struggle to overcome one of the best Welsh sides to tour in 40 years with mentally and physically-drained troops.
"Scotland didn't win that Test, Australia lost it," Connolly said.
"This a challenge for Robbie and Wales won't be a pushover."
