Wednesday 17 June 2020 07:30, UK
Former Australia selector Michael O'Connor said the Wallabies' World Cup campaign in Japan was doomed to failure due to confusion over coach Michael Cheika's game plan and appalling training standards within the playing group.
Australia lost to Wales in the group stage before exiting the World Cup in the quarter-finals via a 40-16 thrashing by England, their equal worst finish at the tournament.
O'Connor, who was recently released from his Rugby Australia contract due to financial constraints, was part of a selectors panel foisted upon former coach Cheika last year following a 2018 season in which the Wallabies won only four of 13 Tests.
The former dual code international told the Sydney Morning Herald a number of players were unconvinced by Cheika's attacking game plan.
"When you look back on it - what was it?" O'Connor said. "That new attacking style he was going to bring to the Wallabies, it was so secretive and he had to play players out of Super (Rugby) commitments and fly them to Brisbane and educate them.
"I don't know. It was almost like a scam."
O'Connor also criticised the players for failing to stand up to their coach and tell him their concerns.
"It was one of the failings from that campaign; players who clearly weren't sold on the style of play either didn't voice their concern or were afraid of ramifications," he said.
"Disturbing" standards at training underlined the malaise, he added.
"I've never ever seen as much dropped ball from a national team... If you're going to drop it training, you're going to drop it in a game," added O'Connor. "It was always going to end in tears."
Cheika did not immediately provide comment when contacted by Reuters.
Meanwhile, Brumbies forwards coach Laurie Fisher sees grounds for optimism for Australian rugby over the next couple of years under the leadership of new Wallabies boss Dave Rennie.
Australian rugby has endured a miserable few years since the 2015 World Cup, with turmoil off the pitch and poor performances at Test and Super Rugby level leading to a sharp decline in support for the game.
Fisher, an integral part of the coaching team that guided the Brumbies to Super Rugby titles in 2001 and 2004, says there was clear improvement before the COVID-19 shutdown, which will end when the Super Rugby AU competition launches on July 3.
"I think there were good signs in the game over the first six or seven rounds [of Super Rugby]," the 62-year-old told reporters from Canberra.
"The Waratahs had some problems but they were playing some nice attack. We were going well, the Reds had some outstanding attacking and offloading rugby, and the Rebels were starting to hit their straps.
"I'd be really encouraged about where our performances are going to go over the next couple of years. And if performances go well then support will grow again."
Key to future improvement, the former Gloucester coach said, was strong guidance from New Zealander Rennie and his assistants Scott Wisemantel and Matt Taylor.
"I think we'll get really good leadership from the national coaches and I think there'll be a real sense of unity and common purpose," he added.
"The national team has to come first. If we're all on the same page about what's working... about what are the non-negotiables for Australian players in terms of conditioning, skill-sets, game understanding, then we're half a chance of delivering what we want to."
The Brumbies, who were leading the Australian conference with five wins from six matches when the season was suspended, open their Super Rugby AU campaign against the Melbourne Rebels on July 4.
