Rugby World Cup: RA boss Hamish McLennan talks Eddie Jones, Dave Rennie, Wallabies’ World Cup woes
The heat is on Rugby Australia after the Wallabies’ loss to Fiji, but RA boss Hamish McLennan says he holds no regrets about a coaching change, as he sits down with Julian Linden.
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In the second part of his expansive interview with Julian Linden, Rugby Australia chairman Hamish McLennan tackles the tricky questions about why he sacked Dave Rennie, why Eddie Jones is the right man to take the Wallabies forward, and how Australia’s performance at this World Cup could impact its decision whether to accept private equity funding.
Julian Linden: Do you stand by the decision to sack Dave Rennie?
Hamish McLennan: “Absolutely. We had a failed Spring Tour, the team was going backwards. We didn’t feel confident in where the team was going.
“To our surprise, Eddie got cut loose and he has got three different teams into World Cup finals and has an excellent world class reputation. We knew there was risk in going for youth over experience but the team had been struggling for a long time so this is all about backing young talent over the long term and into our home Rugby World Cup in ‘27.
“Dave Rennie was not working out. The numbers didn’t suggest that he can get us very far in the tournament. And I know the Kiwis are jumping up and down now but Eddie had a 74 per cent win rate with England.
“He’s a world class Australian coach and we could have lost him to Japan and he’s worked his backside off since he came back.”
JL: Is Eddie still the right man for 2027?
HM: “We absolutely do believe that and you have to afford Eddie the same liberties that we gave Dave, who was there for three years. And whilst we’re disappointed in the result, I think we’ve been very clear that this is a young side that we need to build for the future. Steve Hansen said to me last week, some parts of the high performance program are 15 years behind the All Blacks.
JL: Is RA locked into its five year deal with Eddie or are there options to break it early if things don’t work out?
HM: “I want him to be there for the full term. He has an incredible work ethic and a great rugby brain. You’ve got to back him and he knows Australia and where we need to change. He’s only been with us for nine months.”
JL: Will there be a review of the World Cup performances after the tournament?
HM: “Yes, of course. It’ll be led by the rugby committee which is Phil Waugh and Dan Herbert and that will be delivered to the board.
JL: How much has RA spent preparing the team for the RWC?
HM: “We wouldn’t reveal that as a matter of course but because these campaigns are so important and we’re giving the team every opportunity to succeed.
“When Eddie came loose, none of the decisions were easy. We were chatting to Eddie for 2024-27 cycle and he came to us early. The reality is we didn’t feel confident in where the coaching was going. The easier thing would have been to do nothing but to lose against Italy, to have a failed Spring Tour, and a success rate of 36 per cent was not acceptable and don’t forget Eddie with England was at 74 per cent.
JL: Can the Wallabies still make the quarterfinals?
HM: “I’m an optimistic person and there are some very good players there and Eddie’s a great coach and so they’ve got to dig in.
“(If they don’t). It would be very upsetting but it’s a proof point why rugby in Australia needs to change.”
JL: As chair, do you accept any responsibility if they go home early and are things you would do differently if given the chance?
HM: “Of course I feel accountable for every major decision taken. But if you look at what we inherited three years ago after the great implosion, and the steps that we’ve made to keep the game alive and to keep it moving forward, I stand by every decision.
“Everyone’s leaning in to change the structure and keep it alive, whether it be getting new sponsors, completing broadcast deals, refinancing the organisation and assembling a team which won the hosting rights to the men’s and women’s World Cup in ‘27 and ‘29. These tournaments will be transformative.”
JL: Do you have regrets about the money spent on Joseph-Aukoso Sua’ali’i and the public row with NRL boss Peter V’landys?
HM: “We live in a competitive world and I think the fans and the pundits appreciated the banter for what it was. League were taking pot shots at us and we were standing up for rugby. Joseph wanted to play Rugby and there will be more who come back home to rugby.
JL: How is your relationship with Eddie?
HM: “He and I are pretty straight with each other so there’s nothing to suggest there’s an issue there. He’s a colourful character and most coaches in the world would give their right arm to have his track record.
“At the time when we secured Eddie, I heard there was a standing offer from Japan and possibly the US as well. He’s a quality coach and he’s brought a new level of intensity to the Wallaby camp but it’s a system issue that we need to solve.
“Just look at our competitors. The North has absolutely caught up to the South. You’ve got France beating New Zealand, and for the first time ever that New Zealand lost a pool game. The world of rugby is changing and we have to get ahead of the curve. Ireland and Argentina beat the All Blacks in New Zealand last year as well.”
JL: Could RA take a financial hit from bowing out of the RWC early?
HM: “We’ve already borrowed 40 million dollars and so we can take on more debt. If the time is not right for private equity, then we’ll wait a few years until the team gets better and then go for it at a later stage. Debt is actually a little bit easier to negotiate through than private equity.
“Undoubtedly everything leading into a home World Cup in 2027 is trending upwards. So we’ve got more stability back into the game but I think you could argue if an early exit was to happen, that will limit some of our upside potential. We’re playing the long game.”
JL: What can Australia learn from France?
HM: “In 2019, France bled a young team in with the view that they were looking for the next cycle, which is exactly what we are doing.
“So, I’m not making any excuses, but we made a strategic decision to bring young guys through and give them the big tournament experience and prepare for the next cycle.”
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Originally published as Rugby World Cup: RA boss Hamish McLennan talks Eddie Jones, Dave Rennie, Wallabies’ World Cup woes