Nucifora Fits O'neill Bill For The Top Post

Sydney Morning Herald

Thursday October 11, 2007

Roy Masters

A MY-way-or-the-highway coach is expected to be appointed the next boss of the Wallabies, as ARU chief executive John O'Neill uses his reform mandate to revolutionise the coaching structure and lift players' fitness, discipline and skill.

Auckland Blues coach David Nucifora has emerged as a likely successor to John Connolly, whose Wallabies produced a dismal performance against England in a quarter-final of poor standard.

Nucifora, the strong-willed coach who took the Brumbies to a Super 12 title in 2004 and kept the Blues in semi-final contention during the next two years, has strong support.

His candidacy has been strengthened by the likely appointment of O'Neill's preferred choice, Canterbury Crusaders coach Robbie Deans, as mentor of the All Blacks.

"David's well known to us, he's had great coaching success," O'Neill said. "We're delighted he's a candidate, but equally that doesn't create any level of favouritism."

O'Neill said the interview process would begin on November 9, by which time the emotion of the Wallabies' loss would not be a factor in the decision.

"As the dust settles, the level of disappointment is profound and the players are probably the most disappointed, knowing there is a semi-final coming up between England and France and it could have been us," he said.

"The challenge for Australian rugby is to restore itself to former glory and this can only be done with a unified sense of purpose."

The new Wallabies coach will be expected to work closely with the ARU's recently appointed high-performance manager, Pat Howard.

Howard, a former Wallabies back who has been coaching in England, is close to O'Neill and has impeccable rugby bloodlines - he is the grandson of the legendary Cyril Towers and the son of former Australian prop Jake Howard.

In 2004, a senior player group at the Brumbies had a hand in the resignation of Nucifora following dissatisfaction with his autocratic methods.

However, Howard, himself a former Brumby, recognises that the mindset of today's full-time Wallabies is different from that of the independent-thinking, university-graduated senior players who rebelled against Nucifora.

He drew a comparison with NRL players who expect tough coaching and question authority only when standards fall.

It appears that Howard, 33 with a young family, has a big future with the Wallabies. "I wouldn't exclude him as an Australian coach in the future," O'Neill said. "But his value at this point is overhauling the system and the pathways for elite players from schoolboys to the four Super 14 teams.

"We've got to get our programs on recruitment and talent identification so the coach and the high-performance manager are singing off the same hymn sheet."

The Wallabies backs coach Scott Johnson still has strong support but his fatherly approach to players may not be right for the times.

While Connolly may not have delegated power to Johnson, someone must take responsibility for the fact five-eighth Berrick Barnes, needing every minute of top-class experience possible, was rested against Canada.

The departure of veterans George Gregan and Stephen Larkham, together with the uncertainty over whether captain Stirling Mortlock will play on until the next World Cup, means the new coach has an opportunity to develop an effective senior leadership structure.

While Connolly is being blamed for a match plan which emphasised kicking, the senior Wallabies playing group made no attempt to change tactics or to take pressure off Barnes.

Captaincy in the football codes is one of the most undervalued variables of success.

South African coach Jake White acknowledged the role of his captain and senior players immediately after their tense win over Fiji. That victory was secured only in the last 20 minutes.

"There's no preparation for pressure, there's no way you can practise that," he said as he compared South Africa's win with the losses of the Wallabies and All Blacks the previous evening.

"The difference was the last 20 minutes and the role of the captain and senior players holding the side together," he said.

Although the Brumbies sacked Nucifora in 2004, he kept his job until the end of the Super 12 season, developing a working relationship with the senior players that delivered the title. Nucifora has won three Australian Coach of the Year awards.

Incumbent Brumbies coach Laurie Fisher also has support for the Wallabies position.

© 2007 Sydney Morning Herald

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