McKenzie will not replace Deans as Australia Rugby Union coach.
Despite having a glowing number of credentials under his belt the Queensland Reds mentor Ewan McKenzie is facing strong opposition against him replacing Robbie Deans as the next coach of the Wallabies.
According to ESPN a senior and influential ARU official has made it known that he does not want McKenzie as the next Australian coach when Deans steps down.
Multiple sources have reported hearing the official, who is directly involved in the recruitment process of the next Australian coach, saying, “As long as my backside is pointing to the ground, Ewen McKenzie will not coach Australia. You cannot have a front-row forward in charge of the Wallabies because they know nothing about backline play,”
McKenzie however has many public supporters after his masterminding of the Queensland Red’s impressive 2011 title. Reds and Australian players Will Genia and Quade Cooper are vocal supporters of McKenzie and would argue that he does indeed know how to operate an effective backline.
While the suitability of the Reds coach is debatable the fact is that currently Deans is not going anywhere. Forgoing an embarrassing defeat against the British Lions during their tour in June the current Australian coach will not be too worried about being replaced.
The anti-McKenzie comments are surely not going to do anything to heal relations between the Queensland Rugby Union and the ARU which are already strained after the appointment of Sydney-based Bill Pulver as the ARU chief executive over QRU chief executive Jim Carmichael who many believed was more suited to the position.
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