Wallabies coach McKenzie quits
Print Edition
UNDER-FIRE Australia coach Ewen McKenzie resigned yesterday a few hours after the Wallabies were beaten 28-29 by world champion New Zealand in Brisbane, the Australian Rugby Union said.
McKenzie, who took over from Robbie Deans just over a year ago, had come under pressure over the last two weeks for his role in the row over offensive text messages Kurtley Beale allegedly sent to a team official in June.
He was forced to deny he had been involved in an intimate relation with Di Patston, the official in question, and faced the accusation that he had lost the support of senior players over her role with the team.
The defeat to the All Blacks was a third straight loss for the Wallabies after defeats in South Africa and Argentina over the last month and left McKenzie with a 50 percent winning record in his 22 matches in charge.
“I did not ask Ewen to resign, but understand his decision. He informed me this morning of his intention to resign, regardless of tonight’s result,” ARU chief Bill Pulver said in a statement.
“Ewen is a world-class coach and a world-class individual who has been committed to playing entertaining rugby for our fans since he started in the role.
“We sincerely wish Ewen well for the future professionally and personally.”
Pulver said he hoped to appoint a new coach before the end of the week when the Wallabies depart for their November tour of Europe.
Former Springbok coach Jake White, who was in the frame to replace Deans last year, and Michael Cheika, who led the New South Wales Waratahs to the Super Rugby title this year, are likely to be leading candidates.
Earlier, center Malakai Fekitoa scored a last-minute try which Colin Slade converted to give the All Blacks the dramatic 29-28 victory in the third Bledisloe Cup test at Lang Park in Brisbane.
The Wallabies looked destined to emerge from two weeks of turmoil over the Beale saga with a famous victory until Fekitoa crossed for New Zealand’s fourth try, which replacement flyhalf Slade calmly converted.
Winger Cory Jane and hooker Dane Coles scored for the visitors in the first half and scrumhalf Aaron Smith’s 69th-minute try kept the All Blacks in a game they had been chasing all night.
Tries from halfbacks Nick Phipps and Bernard Foley in the first half and one after the break from winger Adam Ashley-Cooper, playing in his 100th test, were Australia’s reward for a performance of rare intensity but ultimately it was not enough.
The Bledisloe Cup was already lost for another year but this could have been a win the Wallabies would have cherished and in the first of their last four home tests played in dry conditions, they ran at the All Blacks all night in front of a crowd of 45,186.
The All Blacks were also coming off a loss after their defeat to the Springboks in Johannesburg two weeks ago and were determined to avoid losing two tests in a row for the first time since 2011.
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