1
‘I understood Eddie’s philosophy’: Stephen Larkham open to Wallabies job
By AAP
Stephen Larkham is open to coaching the Wallabies but says he’s had no discussions with Rugby Australia about replacing Eddie Jones.
ADVERTISEMENT
The 1999 World Cup-winning great was coy when asked about his interest in the role on Thursday, but admitted he was keen to help Australian rugby in any way he could.
The ACT Brumbies coach is viewed as one of the leading contenders to fill the vacancy left by Jones when he walked out on the Wallabies just 10 months into a five-year deal last month.
“I’m certainly interested in trying to help rugby in Australia,” Larkham said on Thursday.
“We’ve got a real philosophy here to make sure we are growing the game as an organisation.
“So however I can help in terms of improving our results and improving our growth within the sporting arena, I’d love to be involved.”
But Larkham, who’s two years into his second stint in charge of the Brumbies, said he’d taken no calls from RA in the wake of Jones’ calamitous tenure.
“We’ve sort of got a fair bit on, RA have got a fair bit on at the moment and I’m very focused here on my job,” he said.
“We’ve got a number of changes here with our staff since Super Rugby finished, so there’s been a really good planning period here with the coaches.
ADVERTISEMENT
“We’re looking to go one better from last year … I’ve been heavily focused here on this program.”
Along with former ACT boss Dan McKellar, Larkham – a former Wallabies assistant under Michael Cheika – looks a front-runner for the job, although RA isn’t expected to rush to name Jones’ replacement.
Larkham was the Wallabies’ attack coach between 2015 and 2019, before a three-year stint at Irish side Munster.
McKellar worked under former national team boss Dave Rennie until he resigned to take a job with Leicester earlier this year.
ADVERTISEMENT
The Wallabies failed to progress from the group stage for the first time ever at a Rugby World Cup last month in France.
Asked for his reflections on the disastrous campaign, Larkham said the progress of eventual champions South Africa showed how difficult a tournament it is.
“They won the last three games by one point – that’s a refereeing decision, that’s one bad mistake, and it changes the fortunes of the team,” he said.
“You could argue there are a few of those refereeing decisions, or bad mistakes that could have changed the whole narrative of the Wallabies.
“I understood Eddie’s philosophy there in terms of bringing the younger group together and seeing if we can jag something … there was potential we were going to do that.”
Larkham’s stint with Cheika’s Wallabies did not go well. His responsibilities as attack coach were poorly reflected by the team. Also his claim to understand “Eddie’s philosophy” should raise some red flags. I don’t think Eddie had much of a philosophy to understand unless it was his claim to his own brilliance!
Too many competing sports, too many SuperLeague teams, too many egos = multi-yr fail. Good luck to whoever grabs the seat
Eddie Jones was 100% right BUT everything went wrong that possible could. If Australia had Wales or Fiji first they probably would won as Australia’s Thor and Will Skelton were fit. That would got them to the quarters by its own!
If the RWC bunker system was perfected by combining it with PSRs 20-minute replacement card sanction they’d be “no” complaints. As the right squad would usually “WIN” probably 90% of the time, as RED cards are a necessary sanction. And most pedantic field ref decision’s that give away penalties would disappear. Meaning Fiji would of beaten Wales and Samoa would beaten Argentina and Japan and New Zealand might of won the Web Ellis trophy if PSR’s RED - Card replacement card was used!
Using the TMO correctly improved the RWC tenfold. If the TMOs precision wasn’t used correctly like in the 2023 RWC by checking all play within five previous phases of a try, anyone could cheat to win the game. Which would of made winning the RWC meaningless and “NO”spectator would of watched it.
Great news that he’s interested. Ferdinand will be spewing …..
When your country needs you, you need to step up.
Finally an intelligent Wallaby coach. Add Ewen McKenzie as an adviser or high performance manager and we are back baby !