Reds Director of Coaching Ewen McKenzie is the new Wallabies coach.

by Brendan Bradford –

Australian Rugby Union CEO Bill Pulver has officially announced that Ewen McKenzie will succeed Robbie Deans as Wallabies coach.

Announcing the appointment on Tuesday after Deans stepped down from the job in the wake of Australia’s 41-16 loss to the Lions in the series decider on Saturday night, Pulver said McKenzie is an “outstanding candidate” for the position and was always his firm favourite to take the role.

“Ewen has the ability of coaching the way the Australian public wants to see the game played, and that is smart, creative, running rugby,” Pulver said at a press conference in Brisbane.

Robbie Deans is the most successful coach
in Super Rugby history but didn’t find much
glory in Australia.

“For the next few weeks, Ewen’s focus will be on finishing an outstanding season with the Reds and shortly after that period, he will join the Australian Rugby Union getting a squad together for the first game of the Rugby Championship at ANZ Stadium, August 17 against New Zealand.

“On behalf of all of us in Australian rugby, we are delighted to have Ewen in the team and we are sincerely looking forward to working with him.”

A World Cup winner as a player in 1991, McKenzie had declined the Wallabies job in the past but says he’s now ready to take on the task of leading the side to the World Cup in two year’s time.

“To coach the Wallabies is a huge honour and also a special opportunity to lead a team that I’ve enjoyed many great experiences with in the past,” he said.

“Earlier this year I put my hand up and said this is where I’d like to go, this is where I’d like to get to. All the work I’ve done in rugby has channelled me to this point.”

McKenzie paid tribute to Deans, saying the former Crusaders coach “brought a lot of players through” before addressing some of the off-field issues that had become an increasing concern towards the end of the New Zealander’s tenure.

“Getting clarity around what’s expected at the Wallaby level is critical – I am an ex-Wallaby, so I have a very strong opinion about what that means and I understand the sacrifices you need to make to be able to be successful at that level,” the 48-year-old said.

“In due course, whatever players are lucky enough to get the opportunity to step up, they’ll understand what I think and what’s important. In the end, players have a pretty simple life, they’ve got to contribute their skills, and I’ll ask them to wear the right clothes and do the right thing at the right time and turn up on time. It won’t be too complicated.

“There is a role-model aspect to it, they need to understand that and they’re the things you take on. If you want to step up to the plate and you want to be a Wallaby, you’ve gotta take those things on, you can’t avoid them. That’s just part and parcel of being at that level.”

McKenzie was coy about whether he would recall discarded flyhalf Quade Cooper for the Wallabies
Photo: seiserphotography.com

With his first assignment just five weeks away, McKenzie wouldn’t be drawn on whether he would recall Quade Cooper or stick with James O’Connor at flyhalf, but said he was looking forward to the challenge of taking on the All Blacks in Sydney in August.

“I think Quade’s an outstanding player and I’m now in a position to control exactly who is going to play and who isn’t, and I’ll look forward to the challenge of selecting the team. I’ll be picking the team to beat the All Blacks and I’m really looking forward to it. I think we’ve got great players and great depth.

“Obviously I’ve had a good look (at O’Connor) over the last three games and I’ve got strong opinions about lots of players, but until I sit in front of them, talk to them and actually see them on the training field – I’ve never coached James O’Connor, and there’s a bunch of players like that – so I’ll work all that out and talk to people involved in those environments.”

A former Randwick prop, McKenzie earned 37 caps for the Waratahs, 36 caps for the Brumbies and has played 51 times for Australia. He was assistant coach at the Wallabies between 2000 and 2003 before succeeding Bob Dwyer at the Waratahs and taking the team to the Super Rugby final in 2005 and 2008. A brief stint at Stade Francais followed before he took over at the Reds in 2010 and won the Queensland side’s maiden title the following year.