In many ways, Ewen McKenzie is the coach with the midas touch – everything he touches turns to Wallaby gold.
Serving his apprenticeship as assistant to Rod Macqueen, McKenzie savoured Bledisloe Cup and Tri Nations glory in 2001 and a rare Wallabies series win over the British and Irish Lions in the same truly golden year.
He was Eddie Jones’ right hand man when Australia last retained the Bledisloe Cup in 2002 and also when, against the odds, the Wallabies ambushed the All Blacks – and their assistant coach Robbie Deans – to reach the 2003 World Cup final on home soil.
Stepping back but moving on, McKenzie took under-achieving NSW to their first Super Rugby final in 2005, turned down the Wallabies’ top job in 2006, guided the Waratahs to another decider in 2008 and transformed Queensland from cellar dwellers to Super Rugby champions in less than two whirlwind years.
Even Kiwi Mike Harris, unwanted by the All Blacks, found himself in Wallaby gold last year after canny McKenzie ushered the goalkicking back across the Tasman for an unlikely shot with the Reds.
Now McKenzie gets his own big chance, the 1991 World Cup-winning Wallaby prop appointed Wallaby coach and charged with reinvigorating Australian rugby and regaining the Bledisloe Cup in one fell swoop.
With a mix of panache and unpredictability, and the trusted input of attack coach and long-time Reds sidekick Jim McKay, McKenzie is pledging to deliver on both fronts.
The shackles of Deans’ reign have been released and the Wallabies will kick off the McKenzie era against the All Blacks in Sydney on Saturday night with a refreshing freedom.
“We’re certainly not going to deny the players the opportunity to have a go,” McKenzie said.
“People are expected to use their skill and, if they can create an opportunity, then go for it. It’s not about limiting people by structure.
“You don’t want to dampen the whole thing and say `it’s a Test match, you can’t do anything, just kick to corners and let’s keep it zero to zero’.
“And that’s the Australian thing. You’ve got to have a bit of a go.”
While Deans’ conservative game plan and selection strategies at the 2011 World Cup had many Wallabies privately scratching their heads, McKenzie’s approach excites his charges.
“The attacking mindset is what the Australian public want to see,” said Queensland and Australian captain James Horwill, who also admitted the Wallabies’ style would feature “elements that have worked” for the Reds.
“But Ewen, he always likes to change things up and have different ideas.
“Test footy is different to Super Rugby. While obviously basics of the game are the same, the pressure is higher and Test rugby is quicker and the stakes are that little bit higher.
“Obviously there’s times when you’ve got to kick and play field position, but we’re going to go out there and have a dig.”
Deans arrived in 2008 promising Australian fans a similar brand of enterprising and expansive rugby, famously encouraging his troops to “play what’s in front of you” before enigmatic playmaker Quade Cooper discovered that mantra didn’t also mean “say what’s in front of you”.
When he did, Cooper’s public criticism of what he called a “toxic” culture marked the beginning of the end for the Wallabies’ first-ever foreign coach, with McKenzie waiting in the wings for his opportunity.
New Zealander Deans was initially embraced as “Dingo” Deans after masterminding a 34-19 Wallabies win over the All Blacks in his first Test in charge.
But 15 defeats to their trans-Tasman rivals from 19 matches later and most Australian fans were happy to see Deans on his way after this year’s fate-sealing series loss to the Lions.
Although Deans could be jovial and engaging, he was also too often seen as aloof, whereas McKenzie’s players enjoy knowing where they stand.
“One of Ewen’s great strengths is his man management. He’s very good at understanding that individuals are all different,” Horwill said.
“No one’s the same and he can understand what’s the best way to get something out of an individual.
“I noticed that first-hand about the way he went about things with Queensland.
“He’s a very experienced coach and he’s obviously done it before. He’s coached at national level as an assistant so he understands what it’s like here.
“He’s obviously got his own ideas and he’s a guy who I think the players find very easy to relate to.”
There was a nudge here or there, but Deans preferred not to overly interfere with the selection and philosophies of the Australian Super Rugby coaches, while McKenzie is happy to be involved.
“Ultimately those five teams are going to deliver the players to the Wallabies. You want to have a good rapport with them,” he said.
“You can talk to them on many levels – about football, about players, about staff, things that are coming up in the game.
“So I like the fact that we’ve got an open line of communication.
“I just think that that’s my job, to facilitate that and I’ll help them wherever I can. That’s going to help Australian rugby.”
Radiko Samo was another, like Harris, to benefit from McKenzie’s left-field thinking and ability to draw the best from individuals when, at 34, he won a Reds contract in 2010.
A year later, the Fijian-born forward was at the World Cup after starring for the Wallabies on his 35th birthday in their Tri Nations-clinching win over the All Blacks.
“You always capture a player’s heart if you give them an opportunity and then help them achieve their dreams,” McKenzie said.
A qualified town planner, now McKenzie’s management appears to be working with James O’Connor, with the gifted but oft-wayward young Wallaby saying all the right things after “an intense” discussion with the new coach about his responsibilities wearing the gold jumper.
McKenzie has also quickly shown he’s not afraid to make a tough call, dumping 59-Test prop Benn Robinson – the incumbent loosehead he introduced to Super Rugby at the Waratahs – and being prepared to relegate Reds favourite Cooper to the bench if that’s what it took to conquer the world champion All Blacks.
“I’ve got to do what I’ve got to do,” he said.
“The tough calls are the ones that end up defining you.”
