Next generation of Australian rugby coaches loom as Joe Schmidt’s future remains unclear

As rumours swirl about the future of coach Joe Schmidt, a new generation is pushing through who don’t just want to coach the Wallabies – they want to dominate the world.

As speculation swirls around the future of the Wallabies coaching job and Queensland’s Les Kiss firms to take over should Joe Schmidt step down after the Lions series, we take a look at some of the next generation of local coaches coming through the ranks.

The Wallabies have had three Kiwis take the helm of the national team in Schmidt, Dave Rennie and Robbie Deans.

But Rugby Australia is keen to usher through more local candidates for the top role.

Kiss’ Reds assistant Zane Hilton is highly regarded, Waratahs scrum coach Dan Palmer has Wallabies experience and is considered one of the best at his craft, while Chris Whitaker is now in charge of the Junior Wallabies.

The future of Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt remains a mystery. Picture: Getty

There are several strong Australian coaches working abroad, including the likes of Los Angeles Major League Rugby trio Stephen Hoiles, Dave Dennis and Sam Harris, Leicester attack coach Peter Hewat and Hanazono Kintetsu Liners forwards coach Toutai Kefu.

And there are these three; Ben Mowen, Rod Seib, and Sekope Kepu.

Each has had a unique journey into the coaching world, and have opened up about their goals.

BEN MOWEN

The former Australian captain doesn’t beat around the bush with his grand vision.

“My long term goal is I want to be Australia’s World Cup winning coach, that’s where I want to be,” Mowen said.

“And there’s obviously myriad of different steps that go in that process.

“I’d like to be is involved with Australia at some point. Obviously, the home World Cup’s a massive carrot (in 2027). If there’s an opportunity in that window, great, I definitely want to be involved in that.

“If it’s not this World Cup cycle, then it’s the next. But my goal is always about trying to get in that room and contribute at that international level.”

Former Wallabies captain Ben Mowe is a rising star on the coaching scene.

Mowen is now assistant coach at the Brumbies under Stephen Larkham, having previously been involved with the Australian under-20s, and has a meticulous method to his approach.

“I was exploring moving into coaching at the end of 2018 and I started having conversations with Rod Kafer around what that looks like,” Mowen said.

“And his advice was, ‘Don’t skip a step’. You know, there’s too much opportunity given to former players to skip steps and if you do that, you’ll miss the teaching element, you’ll miss the personal and professional development element.

“And there’s so many good foundations. As a teacher, you’ve got to get through those learning processes early on and make mistakes and learn and build and learn and build.

“So I’ve really enjoyed that pathway. And with that goal in mind of where I’d like to get to, there’s obviously a lot of foundation steps along that way. And I’m focused on being successful at those steps, not trying to get through them.”

But can the Wallabies realistically win a World Cup anytime soon?

“I definitely believe there is the talent, no doubt,” Mowen said.

“I’m speaking from a point of view of winning a World Cup and knowing exactly what that looks like, having spent time in teams through France with South African World Cup winning players and New Zealand World Cup winning players, watching the habits and the talent that those guys have.

Mowen played 15 Tests for the Wallabies – and his career took him to France, as well as three Super Rugby teams. Picture: AAP

“There’s no doubt that I can see that those foundations of players we have coming through. So as long as we’ve got the right development plan for those players, we can achieve that.”

Mowen likes to deliver his message with the old KISS adage (Keep It Simple).

“I think just simplicity is the best, the guys at a certain level, they’ve got talent,” Mowen said.

“Yes, there’s layers of detail you’re trying to build on, but the simpler you can do that, then they can bring that talent to the table. Find ways to make sure that teaching and learning is very simplistic.”

ROD SEIB

Seib, who recently led the Australia XV squad on the UK tour where they had a 10-all draw with Bristol and 38-17 loss to England A, is also an assistant at the Brumbies.

He is touted as one of the sharpest minds in Australian rugby.

He fell into coaching after completing his teaching degree.

Coach Rod Seib. Picture: QRU/Brendan Hertel

“The most important thing that I’ve done from the coaching perspective is my teaching degree and that teaching experience, just understanding how people learn, and that learning process,” Seib said.

“That put me in pretty good stead for how to prepare players, and understanding the differences between players and how they all learn and take on more information.”

While Seib is destined for higher honours, he is also mindful of not making coaching his entire identity.

“I don’t want to actually have an end goal,” Seib said.

“I really love what I’m doing, and whatever the opportunities come by, I think my skill set aligns well with a head coaching position and at some stage if the opportunity is there, then that’s great, but I’m certainly not going to lose sleep over it if I never become a head coach.

“I really enjoy coaching. I really enjoy being on the grass and being part of that team environment. So as long as I’m doing that, I’m happy.

“There’s so few opportunities in coaching that, if something comes up, then that’s great. But I’m not going to live or die on the fact of whether I get a job or not.

“I’m very happy with what I’m doing and I’d love to keep doing it.

“Everyone who’s coaching knows how volatile it is.

Rod Seib has had coaching experience in Queensland. PIC MARC ROBERTSON

“And that’s the issue. I think if you actually consider your wellbeing is locked into a position you have, or where you need to get to, I think your wellbeing is going to suffer.

“So I’m just really enjoy the environment I’m currently in, the playing group at the Brumbies are great. The playing group in the Aussie XVs was great.

“So as long as I’m enjoying it and I feel like I can add a little bit of value, then I’ll be more than happy continuing in the craft.”

Seib got his big break after having coached Sunnybank in Brisbane and then in the National Rugby Championship, before then-Brumbies coach Dan McKellar brought him to Canberra.

“That was pivotal in terms of the opportunity, I have learned so much at the Brumbies,” Seib said.

“In that environment, particularly those first couple of years there with Dan and Laurie Fisher and Dan Palmer, that was really good grounding in my first Super Rugby environment.

“I learned so much, so that really has put me in good stead for the challenges that’ll come ahead.”

SEKOPE KEPU

The record-breaking Wallabies prop, who played 110 Tests at tight-head, is now the forwards coach at Japanese club Shimizu Koto Blue Sharks.

“I’m loving life at the moment, loving the coaching part of it, and really enjoying the environment that I’m in,” said Kepu, who retired from playing last season.

“I’ve been very blessed, very lucky in the sense that the transition has been pretty smooth.

Sekope Kepu played 110 Tests for Australia, and is only recently retired. Picture: Getty

“It was only a few months ago that I retired, so now that I’m deep into the coaching stuff, I still get the pleasures of gymming with the professional boys here at my club, a bit of team camaraderie, a bit of banter, and all that stuff that happens in the gym.

“And then I still get to coach those guys in the evenings and have interaction there, and then I’m lucky enough to have a run around with the non-23 boys and fill in and make up numbers for conditioning games which is pretty fun.”

But while Kepu’s immediate future lies in Japan, he is keen to return and give back to Australian rugby.

“That is something I’m really passionate about, I know that I’m only new to this coaching game, I’m well aware of that, but I have aspirations and Aussie rugby is a place where I want to give back to, and I owe a lot to,” Kepu said.

Sekope Kepu was a leader in every team he played for. Picture: Getty

“It has given me so much.

“The last 12 months, we’ve seen how far it’s come already with good coaching under Joe Schmidt.

“I definitely want to learn my craft and try and be the best I can be, and then hopefully one day go back to Aussie and help coach at whatever level, and grow the game.

“I’ve always been passionate about growing the game in Aussie, from the ground up.

“I believe when our senior schools, our under-18s, the 20s, all those programs are doing well, the academies, those teams will flow up the line, and that will be good for Super teams and the Wallabies.

“So the dream and the plan is to go back to Australia at some stage.”

But while Kepu is a master of the dark arts at scrum time and mauling, he is now investing more time into learning every aspect of lineouts to make himself a well-rounded forwards coach.

“First things first, I need to master scrums, and the next little step for me is master the lineouts,” Kepu said.

“I have knowledge of it already, from standing at the back and lifting a thousand lineouts over the years.

“The next role for me would be to be a forwards coach and then wherever that takes me to, whether it be a Super team or at the national level, but the first things is for me is definitely mastering those aspects of my coaching.”

Originally published as Next generation of Australian rugby coaches loom as Joe Schmidt’s future remains unclear