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The ‘imminent’ announcement of Les Kiss as new Wallabies coach finally became a reality last week, albeit his start date in the role is anything but imminent; Kiss is set to take over the reins following the completion of Super Rugby next year.
Yes, there was some important detail around Joe Schmidt extending his tenure that will help smooth the transition, but from where Kiss sits, it must feel like being told a year in advance of Christmas about your new bike, being allowed to open it and have a feel, but not being allowed to take it outside and ride it on your own.
While colleague Harry Jones made a compelling case for caution around 61 years of age being very late for a head coach to debut in Test rugby, there seems to be little dissension over the selection of Kiss.
The same can’t be said of conflict around his availability and start date. What has been arrived at is a compromise decision that has its positives (more Joe Schmidt), but which also brings to the surface Australian rugby’s old chestnut of state parochialism impeding the greater good.
Kiss’ appointment should have been locked away weeks – months – ago. But, worried about continuity in the coaching group from this season into 2026, the Queensland Reds dug in, seeking an agreement to allow Kiss to continue as Reds coach in 2026 or $600k in monetary compensation for early termination of his Reds’ contract.
Of itself, that’s not an unreasonable negotiating position. But where the conflict arose between the Reds and Rugby Australia wasn’t so much to do with the ask, but the manner in which things were handled.
Joe Schmidt and incoming Wallabies Head Coach Les Kiss. (Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)
Reports have emerged from within the Moore Park fortress of some Rugby Australia executives and board members highly dissatisfied at the actions of fellow board members from north of the Tweed River, choosing to align behind a maroon flag, not a green and gold one.
As ever in Australian rugby, when loyalties were tested, when decisions needed to be made in the best interests of the game as a whole as opposed to the particular interests of Queensland or New South Wales, state parochialism kicked in.
As a result, some board members have been accused of meddling too deeply into what should have been an executive management issue.
And as ever in Australian rugby, a legacy governance structure unfit for a modern, contemporary sporting administration, has provided fertile ground for the in-house brawling.
What too of the financial cost? Rugby Australia may have avoided shelling out an enormous amount of money it doesn’t have to compensate the Reds, but that money has instead gone to Schmidt, by way of funding his extended term, a significant pay upgrade, and travel and accommodation expenses for his family.
None of this reflects badly on Schmidt, who is entitled to be remunerated as a proven, elite Test rugby coach should. Since day one, his focus has singularly been on delivering better outcomes for Australian rugby.
Any rift (denied by senior administrators) will be pushed to the side for the next few months as everyone basks in the reflected glow of the Lions’ visit.
But don’t be surprised to see hostilities resume straight afterwards, and a return to a period of unstable management and a resumption of movement and change in the senior executive and board ranks.
Thanks are due World Rugby for last week announcing the match official appointments for the Lions series nice and early. Why make fans wait until after the actual matches to whinge about the referees, when you can get them started ten weeks early?
Complaints seemed equally balanced between both hemispheres, which suggests that the appointment panel probably has things about right. In any case, with South Africa, France and Argentina currently thin on Test-quality referees, other than Ben O’Keeffe, Andrea Piardi and Nika Amashukeli, who were the other realistic options?
In Super Rugby action, the Blues continued to flatter to deceive, but handled the Force comfortably enough, 40-19. There was plenty to like about Beauden Barrett’s inventive kicking game and Harry Potter’s incisive running, but too many handling errors by the Force put a dampener on the contest.
The Blues finished the weekend in seventh; a win next week against Moana Pasifika away from injecting themselves into the top six and being able to close things out at home against the Waratahs in Round 16.
Even so, I wouldn’t be getting too excited if this was my team, and I don’t think any of the top four sides will be losing any sleep either.
The Reds were drawn a kind hand playing the Drua in a relatively benign Suva as opposed to the Lautoka hotbox, but failed to take advantage, conceding a late try to Isikeli Rabitu to lose 36-33.
They will rue some soft one-on-one defence and questionable decision-making late, when the match was on the line to be kept safe.
The Drua on the other hand, showed commendable composure to find themselves at the right end of the pitch when it counted, and to take the try-scoring chance when it was offered. Scoring six tries to five, nobody could deny them their result, albeit it will prove too little too late when it comes to making the top six.
Starting on the bench, the Hurricanes’ Bailyn Sullivan would surely not have expected to finish the match having scored four tries in the Hurricanes’ 35-17 win over the Chiefs.
Sure, he didn’t really have to do much for any of them, but there’s always something to be said for being the right man in the right place at the right time.
This isn’t a competition where teams typically back up after an intense, energy-sapping win the week before, but the trip to Australia seems to have galvanised the Hurricanes, who are playing with a nice blend of inventiveness and increasing maturity.
Perhaps the best thing that could be said for the Chiefs on the night is that they will welcome back Damian McKenzie for next week’s clash against the Crusaders in Christchurch. They’ll need him, plus a whole lot more from their pack.
From the outset in Canberra, a confident Brumbies played as if they knew they were better than the Waratahs. Which they were.
Tom Wright. (Photo by Mark Nolan/Getty Images)
There were flashes from the Waratahs in the first half, and at 19-12 and with the opening red zone raid in the second, there was the semblance of a true contest.
But the Brumbies’ superior efficiency and cohesion worked its way to the surface, giving the home crowd – with federal election updates playing through the stadium screen – a choice of routs to sink their teeth into. This one ended 40-17.
The nature of the match suited runners like Tom Wright and in particular Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii. If there were any doubters left as to Suaalii’s suitability for high-level rugby, there can surely be no question now that his on-field presence, range of skills and composure are a class above.
No Lions series needs contrived or forced hero angles with which to beef it up, but there’s something undeniably special around anticipating what he will bring to the contests in July.
There was also something special on display under the roof in Dunedin yesterday, with Ardie Savea delivering yet another ‘how on earth did he do that?’ moment, conjuring a superb try from nothing, leading Moana Pasifika to a 34-29 win over the Highlanders.
It’s not being too harsh on the others to say it was like 45 rugby players took the field, plus Ardie.
What also made the win more remarkable was the extent to which Moana Pasifika were caned at the breakdown by referee Paul Williams; the Highlanders zeroing in on the steal at almost every ruck, and being amply rewarded.
But in the end, the best the Highlanders could do was to file yet another match away in the ‘learnings’ cabinet, and start thinking about how much better they’ll be next year.
Moana Pasifika are now sixth and have their destiny in their own hands, but they look tired and with a tough run to the finish – the Blues, Chiefs and Hurricanes to come – a first-ever finals appearance feels beyond them.
Next week, major interest in Australia swings back to the local derbies, with the Brumbies visiting Perth and the Reds travelling to Sydney. With Les Kiss in mind, keep a close eye on the official boxes and the warmth of the hugs and sincerity of the handshakes.