Rugby news 2023: Next target must be David Nucifora, another prodigal son who got away

Eddie Jones is in the thick of his rebuild of the Wallabies, but to complete the transformation, Rugby Australia must bring back a discarded genius that turned Ireland into a world powerhouse.

CORRECTION / In this handout photo taken on January 31, 2023 by Rugby Australia Karen Watson, Australian Eddie Jones addresses the press

Now that Eddie Jones has been welcomed back into the fold, Rugby Australia needs to have a second crack at convincing another prodigal son to return.

Like Jones, David Nucifora is a coaching genius who has been helping out the Wallabies’ foreign rivals because he was cut loose from Australia.

And just like ‘fast Eddie’, Nucifora’s ‘crime’ was that he just ruffled too many feathers and won’t take no for an answer, so was sent packing.

But Australia’s loss has been Ireland’s gain.

Although he’s still managed to put a few noses out of joint in the Emerald Isle, Nucifora deserves a lot of the credit for helping transform Irish rugby into a global powerhouse.

With a population of just over 5 million people, Ireland is currently the No. 1 ranked team in the world while Australia has slumped to seventh.

Last weekend, Ireland smashed England in Dublin to win the Six Nations championship for the fourth time in a decade and claim the coveted Grand Slam for the second time in five years — after winning it twice in the preceding 135 years.

It’s no coincidence Ireland’s golden run has taken place since Nucifora was appointed high performance director in mid 2014 after getting offside with Australian officials.

David Nucifora would be a massive inclusion for Rugby Australia.

It’s a great redemption story for both Nucifora and Ireland but also a terrible indictment on Australian rugby because he could — and should — have been working with the Wallabies.

It’s not like he was hiding under a rock.

In his playing days, he was part of the Wallabies’ squad that won the 1991 World Cup, before turning his hand to coaching.

When Jones was first appointed as Wallabies coach in 2001, Nucifora replaced him in Canberra, taking the Brumbies to three consecutive Super Rugby finals, including the 2004 title, only to be sacked following a player revolt.

Overlooked for the Wallabies’ coaching job, Nucifora was offered the role of national high performance director by then CEO John O‘Neill but again found himself up against it.

The Wallabies were already on the slide so Nucifora — with the backing of O’Neill — pushed hard for the introduction of a New Zealand-style centralised system where all the Australian states would work together for the betterment of the Wallabies.

To no-one’s surprise, the states kicked up a stink and rejected the idea so Nucifora left. As did O’Neill and other high-profile supporters of the plan.

New Wallabies coach Eddie Jones could have a strong hand alongside if David Nucifora is welcomed back to the fold.

Australian rugby has been paying the price ever since.

It’s been more than two decades since the Wallabies last won the World Cup or the Bledisloe Cup and Ireland’s success is a constant reminder of what Australian rugby could achieve if everyone was on the same page.

Because the secret to Nucifora’s success with Ireland is the same playbook he had in mind to rescue the Wallabies — creating a centralised system, but with the four Irish provinces, Ulster, Munster, Leinster and Connacht instead of the Australian states.

He faced plenty of pushback and criticism in Ireland because the provinces had to give up a lot of their autonomy, but the stunning results of the Irish national team are proof the system works.

If Australia ever wants to contend at World Cups again, a radical approach is needed because what’s happening now just isn’t working.

The good news is there is an appetite for change — and the timing is perfect with Australia hosting the men’s World Cup in 2027 then the women’s tournament in 2029.

Now under new leadership, Rugby Australia is known to be open to the idea of adopting a centralised system, with Nucifora already identified as the priority target to oversee it because the 61-year-old is already planning to leave Ireland and return to Australia some time after this year’s World Cup in France.

He’s already been approached by Rugby Australia’s new CEO Andy Marinos.

At this stage, Nucifora says he has no plans about what he wants to do next even but as the recent return of Jones showed, every closed door can be reopened, so watch this space.

Originally published as Rugby news 2023: Next target must be David Nucifora, another prodigal son who got away