Steve Larkham in mix to succeed Michael Cheika as Wallabies coach
Former Wallaby Steve Larkham is a candidate to replace Michael Cheika, the man who sacked him nine months ago.
Former Wallaby Steve Larkham is suddenly a candidate to replace Michael Cheika, the man who sacked him nine months ago.
The mood to assemble a hit list of potential Australian alternatives to Kiwi frontrunner Dave Rennie is loud and urgent now the Wallabies’ coaching job is vacant.
“I don’t want another Kiwi coaching the national team,” former Wallaby Greg Martin said. “I’m hearing a terrible rumour Dave Rennie has already been virtually signed.
“I want an Australian to coach the Australian team, someone to bring on the Junior Wallabies who beat the Kiwis and obliterate this Cheika era of being outcoached and out-strategised.”
The accomplished Rennie’s title wins with the Chiefs in 2012 and 2013 are his major calling cards from Super Rugby before his recent seasons with Glasgow Warriors. His name is so strongly on the radar because it is late-2007 revisited. Kiwi title-collector Robbie Deans was appointed after a quarter-final exit to England at the 2007 World Cup with no comparable home-grown contender.
As with Larkham, England’s master coach Eddie Jones should be sounded out regardless but, if he does have an unbreakable contract, who are the other Australian options for 2020?
Larkham is three games into his first season as a senior coach with Irish giants Munster but you would imagine he would have a trapdoor clause to leave if a national job came up.
Larkham said “differences in attacking strategy and game philosophy” were behind the split with Cheika when he was the fall guy after a review of last year’s terrible season for the Wallabies.
Different ideas in attack sound like a vote-winner for any fan who watched Cheika’s naive game plan unfold in the crash to England in Japan last Saturday.
What the Cheika example has shown is that the Wallabies should consider moving on from the dictator-style of head coach to the troika-style when the All Blacks had Graham Henry, Wayne Smith and Steve Hansen at the helm.
Larkham would require elite assistant coaches, such as a top forwards coach and a new defensive coach like Scotland’s Matt Taylor, the former Queensland Reds staffer.
The stark reality is that Australians on the elite coaching scene are more equipped as unit coaches than head coaches.
Scott Wisemantel, England’s attack coach, Japan-based Nick Stiles (forwards), Chris Latham, Samoa’s backs coach at the World Cup, and Waratahs assistant Chris Whitaker certainly fit that label.
Toutai Kefu (Tonga) and John Mulvihill (Cardiff) have been knocked back for Super Rugby roles while Andy Friend (Connacht, Ireland) was shown the door by the Brumbies in 2011.
Brumbies head coach Dan McKellar drove his side into the Super Rugby semi-finals this year after a rocky start and when taking on more of the strong pack coaching himself.
Melbourne Rebels coach Dave Wessels, now an Australian citizen having been born in Cape Town, hasn’t yet got a finals appearance in Super Rugby to support his rise.
Queensland’s Brad Thorn has the physical, pack mentality to be a Test-level forwards coach while the NSW Waratahs are no coaching help with back-to-back Kiwi appointments.
Go old school with a search of clubland and no one throws up his hand better than Mick Heenan, who has won five Brisbane premierships with the University of Queensland.
When a full review of the Wallabies’ set-up revs up, one marker is a must — Rennie cannot just be rubber-stamped because Australian alternatives must be fully scrutinised.
Rugby Australia chief Raelene Castle says she already has a list of targets for the Wallabies job. Rennie, currently coaching Glasgow Warriors, is the favourite.
Ireland’s Joe Schmidt is also available, with the return of Jones also being suggested. Castle said an announcement was expected to be made by Christmas.
Cheika announced his departure on Sunday with a stunning parting shot at his employers, saying he had “no relationship” with Castle or the governing body’s chairman Cameron Clyne.
The bitterness apparently stems from his powers being watered down in December after a horror season last year, in which Australia won just four of 13 Tests.
He survived the axe but attack coach Larkham was sent packing and Scott Johnson appointed to the new role of director of rugby.
ADDITIONAL REPORTING: AAP
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