We need Wallabies coach Dave Rennie to lead from the front

Dave Rennie must do the heavy lifting as Wallabies coach. Picture: Getty Images

What is the old proverb? A fish rots from the head down — meaning that the root cause of organisational failure is leadership.

The proverb is a metaphor. Fish actually rot from the inside. But, for Rugby Australia, the metaphor is still valid; and everyday there is proof of that.

Last week I looked at the issue of captaincy for the Wallabies. Well, what about the critical issue of coaching?

One point needs to be made clear again. We will always have the talent. Failure comes from not giving that talent the guidance that will lead to its full expression.

In recent times, the Wallabies have struggled in the forwards since the impressive forwards’ coach, Mario Ledesma, left Australia to take up the head coaching job with Argentina.

Ledesma was a legendary Puma, 84 Test caps, an excellent pedigree. He was coached by Diego Cash, one of the original Pumas responsible for developing the Bajada scrummaging technique in the late 1970s.

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Bajada is a Spanish word which really means “slope”. But it means bringing together soil strengths at the bottom of the mountain which spread the sediment widely and uniformly.

That is what you want in a scrum, the entire pack focusing its collective energy through an arrowhead at No 2.

That’s why monster hookers, like Tom Lawton, became so influential in world rugby.

The hooker is the focal point for the equal distribution of a thousand kilograms of grunt, produced by a modern day forward pack.

Each player’s average weight is around 120kg, one of the reasons why the French and Argentinians have often picked three props to play in the front row in Test Rugby.

If I was the Wallaby coach today, I would be developing Taniela Tupou as the next monster Wallaby hooker. Imagine a front row of Scott Sio, Taniela Tupou and Alan Alaalatoa.

Each of these players is pushing 130kg. Taniela has wonderful hands and could easily throw into line-outs. I was very impressed with him when I coached the Barbarians team a couple of years back.

He’s far too talented to be sitting on the bench as a back-up tighthead for the Wallabies, picking up 30 minutes at the end of a Test.

In my view, Tupou would be a revelation at No 2 and the Wallaby pack would be a feared scrum outfit. Which brings me to the point of who should coach the Wallaby forwards.

The Wallabies have already appointed Matt Taylor as a defence coach and Scott Wisemantel for attack. Why the hell is head coach Dave Rennie not stepping up to take the forwards?

Surely Rennie is not going to appoint more coaches to take scrums and line-outs.

The head coach must be hands-on. If not, why is he the head coach? Who is he coaching?

The head coach must lead from the front, not be driving from the back seat.

Scott Johnson is already surplus to requirements, chewing up cash without any accountability.

If Rennie doesn’t step up and coach the pack, he will join Johnson as another layer of mediocrity, taking oxygen from the team and cash from Australian rugby.

For the massive salary Rennie is on, he must do some of the heavy lifting; or does he rely on a “team” to “coach” so that he can foist the blame for failure on the “team”.

I can’t believe reports that Rennie wants to bring in a Wallaby forwards’ coach. It’s even more absurd that he would push to bring in a rookie coach from Glasgow (yes, Rennie’s former unsuccessful club) by the name of Petrus du Plessis.

Du Plessis was a journeyman player, originally from South Africa, who scratched out a living warming the bench in the English premiership for 10 years.

He’s been a player/coach in Glasgow for one season. That is correct. You have heard me correctly. One season as a player/coach.

Du Plessis has zero coaching pedigree and zero international experience, a totally unproven coach at any level. He is certainly not qualified to coach the Wallabies’ forwards.

What the hell is going on at Rugby Australia? Why is Rennie running around telling everyone we need this bloke? In fact, why is Rennie living on the Gold Coast when he should be based out of the Rugby AU offices in Sydney?

Someone should tell Rennie he’s not here for a holiday. He is here to coach the Wallabies. Or is he? Last week I wrote about that extraordinary NFL coach Bill Belichick and how he lets his New England Patriots players pick the team captains.

Belichick has won six Super Bowls. And on the back of each of his Super Bowl rings are the words, “Do your job”. The team mantra is “Do your job”.

Every member of the organisation has complete clarity around their role so they can get on with doing their job. Belichick doesn’t ask people to work miracles. He asks them to do the job to the best of their ability every single day. He believes that if every player and every coach commits to excellence every day, the team will be a genuine force. The proof is clearly in the pudding. And the message for Rennie is clear. Roll your sleeves up, take responsibility for coaching someone and get more skin in the game.

Historically, when the Wallabies have had a world-class forward pack, we have been a world-class team. We have always produced wonderful attacking backline players.

Rennie must prove he can coach. He can’t be bringing in more voices with zero experience. That will only confuse the message to the playing group.

Which prompts the question, who is running the show at Rugby Australia? How can Rennie be making demands to hire more coaches? Where is the interim CEO, Rob Clarke? Which prompts the question, when are we going to get a CEO? And where is Scott Johnson?

How can you argue against the obvious truth, that the rugby tail is wagging the dog.