Unsure if Laurie's advice is the correct one considering the Wallabies were just as poor as they currently are when Laurie was giving an opportunity to address it.
Firing Rennie (and hence Fisher) was stupid and indicative of RA being stuck thinking Aus are a top 4 team having an off day. His % was average but it was all against T1 teams and he got some really good results.
It's clear that Rennie/Fisher should still be the Wallabies coaches. Sure Dave's win-record looks average but a lot of his loses were within 3 points (5 out of 18 losses being 1/2 point game and 1 out of 18 being a 3 point game), they even had a 2-2 record with France with the 2 losses being a 2 point and 1 point game. Considering how many injuries they've had this cycle and the impact Covid has had in the SH I'd say they did really well.
They bent the rules to grant Eddie access to more overseas players and so far he's doing even worse.
Eddie is seemingly indecisive about what to do with the players he has, his approach lacks certainty, he's defaulted to trying to play very basic territory rugby and filling the gaps with the biggest forwards he can. That backline under Dave was dangerous, under Eddie it's lost. Serious early 2022 Foster style.
Thus far it looks far worse, with the only part that's better being players that weren't available previously. Discipline, offense, defense, it all looks worse. Rennie's team had moments of coherent and inspired play. But this iteration of the Wallabies looks completely disjointed. I didn't understand the coaching change then and still don't.
The most worrying part is that they look eerily similar to how poor England looked during the back half of Jones' tenure there.
I don't see a single thing better about this wallabies team under Eddie. There's more personnel and a stronger team but have very poor attack. Poor defence (not helped by losing Ikitau who organizes the backline). Terrible discipline - which every world beating team has in spades. I feel like this team has gone backwards massively. The only thing I see more of is big hits and physicality which is needed but hasn’t been effectual.
There were a lot of strong individual performances by the Wallabies players, which is unsurprising because it's a lot stronger team sheet compared to Rennie's last year. But they currently lack coherence in their gameplan, strategy & team cohesion is understandably in disarray after Rugby Australia put a sword through Dave Rennie's ambitions for 2023.
Eddie Jones has really done a number on the Wallabies. With 2xNZ and France to come, he will go into the World Cup with a 0% win record with 0/5.