Coach Rennie quickly puts his mark on Wallabies staff, going forward

The Wallabies forwards coach could be appointed later this week.

New Wallabies coach Dave Rennie is welcomed to Rugby Australia by chief executive Raelene Castle Picture: Nikki Short

The Wallabies forwards coach could be appointed later this week, coincidentally while new head coach Dave Rennie is in town, with the man who performed that role under Michael Cheika, Simon Raiwalui, in line for an ongoing role with Rugby Australia.

At this point it appears unlikely Raiwalui will remain in his old position, although it is understood the post-World Cup reviews of the Wallabies indicated he did a highly respected job within Australian coaching ranks.

While he initially worked only on the scrum, by 2019 he was in charge of both scrum and lineout, delivering an almost faultless scrum and improving the lineout dramatically. The fact the Wallabies won 63 per cent of possession in the quarter-final against England, while not quite as compelling as its sounds, would seem to indicate blame for Australia’s early departure did not rest with the forwards coach.

Like defence coach Nathan Grey, who has been seconded to the Sunwolves but will return to the Australian coaching system following Super Rugby, Raiwalui looks certain to be retained in some capacity. Nick Stiles, the former Wallabies prop and Reds head coach, is understood to be favourite for the role of forwards coach but Rugby Australia’s director of rugby, Scott Johnson, appears determined not to let good coaches be lost to the system.

Rugby Australia appears to be intent on a complete clean-out of Cheika’s coaching staff but it would not surprise if Raiwalui surfaced as a forwards coach with, say, the Under 20 Junior Wallabies.

Watch every match of the 2020 Vodafone Super Rugby Season LIVE & On-Demand on KAYO. New to Kayo? Get your 14-day free trial & start streaming instantly >

Rennie, meanwhile, was welcomed into the Australian system with a traditional Aboriginal smoking ceremony on Tuesday at Rugby Australia’s Moore Park headquarters. If truth be known, he looks like a man who will not stand on ceremony and, indeed, does not like being fussed over. It is early days but he immediately endeared himself to onlookers.

It is understood Rennie, although he intends to have a meeting with Michael Hooper, has no intentions of discussing the Wallabies captaincy with him or, indeed, with anyone else on this 10-day visit. Indications are he will leave the choice of Wallabies captain until he has selected his first Test side in late June.

Rennie will be close at hand while Rugby Australia makes its pitch for Saracens lock Will Skelton to return to Australia following his club’s relegation from the Premiership for breaching the salary cap for each of the past three seasons. It has become clear how in-demand Skelton is in Europe even though, essentially, he is a second-rower who doesn’t jump. Saracens got around that problem by relying on England lock Maro Itoje supplemented by two jumping backrowers, playing Skelton at two in the lineout where he commanded attention on bulk alone.

Australia effectively covered the same problem at the World Cup by hiding Izack Rodda in the lineouts and using Rory Arnold as the main target, with Lukhan Salakaia-Loto and Isi Naisarani employed as supplementary jumpers.

But it does now pose the problem of whether Rodda and Skelton — who essentially play the same physical role — could be on the field at the same time for the Wallabies.

It might all become academic. It is understood the French clubs are “all over” Skelton at the moment, as one Rugby Australia source put it.

Indeed, the fact the Wallabies are back in the market for the huge lock could now drive his contract price well above his reported annual salary of $750,000.

Waratahs chairman Roger Davis has told The Australian that, if Skelton does decide to return to Australia, it will be to the NSW side.

While Rugby Australia might have a moral obligation to offer his services to the Super Rugby club that is prepared to pay the most money for him, in practice it won’t work out that way.

Skelton will hardly return to Super Rugby to play for a club where he feels uncomfortable.

Meanwhile, the judicial hearing for Queensland winger Filipo Daugunu, red carded last Friday in the trial match against the Melbourne Rebels, will now be held on Wednesday afternoon after difficulties finding a suitable panel.

Daugunu is being charged with a breach of Law 9.18, that a player must not lift an opponent off the ground and drop or drive that player so that the head and/or upper body make contact with the ground. Even low-level incidents can carry a suspension of six weeks while a mid-range entry can entail a penalty of up to 10 weeks. There can be a reduction for mitigating circumstances and it is believed the Reds will mount such a defence.