Wallabies coach hits back at great's dire prediction

2 years ago 121

Wallabies forwards manager Dan McKellar has rejected Stirling Mortlock's assertion that Australia is "no chance" of winning adjacent year's Rugby World Cup aft a "train wreck" nonaccomplishment to Italy connected Sunday.

The erstwhile Wallabies skipper unloaded aft the 28-27 decision successful Florence wherever manager Dave Rennie fielded a mostly 2nd drawstring squad and got burnt.

"That's Stirling's opinion. Everyone's got one. He's allowed one," McKellar said.

Watch each lucifer of the Wallabies, All Blacks and Springboks tours connected the location of rugby, Stan Sport. All matches streaming ad-free, unrecorded and connected demand

"Do I hold with it? 100 per cent not. There's a bully radical of footballers present and there's a halfway radical of players that are inactive backmost successful Australia arsenic well.

"What you'll find is the 33 that spell to the World Cup adjacent twelvemonth are surely bully capable to triumph that trophy. We're not disquieted astir World Cup finals excessively overmuch astatine the moment."

Australia has slumped to eighth successful the satellite rankings and present has a daunting day with satellite No.1 Ireland successful Dublin this weekend.

While acknowledging the acute vexation of Wallabies fans, McKellar said no-one was doing it tougher than the squad itself.

"I don't deliberation I've been successful a much disappointed dressing shed. The players that didn't play, the staff, we were shattered. What you find wherever you manager astatine this level and you lose, you consciousness similar you've fto the state down. We surely felt that."

The botched Italian occupation has ratcheted up the unit connected Rennie, who is contracted done to adjacent year's World Cup.

Sean Maloney and Morgan Turinui are backmost for the Autumn Nations Series arsenic they effort to digest the Wallabies decision to Italy, reappraisal each the different planetary clashes implicit the play and look backmost connected an epic RWC last from Eden Park

Australia has won conscionable 4 of its 12 Tests successful 2022 and Rennie's wide winning percent is conscionable 37.5 per cent.

"One happening with Dave Rennie is you won't travel crossed a much composed individual," McKellar said.

"The world is we're nether a small spot of accent astatine the moment, and you request a person who volition support the radical tight. We're arsenic choky arsenic we ever person been...

"Professional rugby, you person got to larn to parkland it beauteous rapidly and determination on.

"We're astir to travel up against what I see to beryllium the champion squad successful the satellite astatine the infinitesimal connected their location turf successful beforehand of a sold retired stadium. It'll beryllium a large experience."

The No.1 hole connected the Wallabies to-do database is improving discipline.

"It's connected us. And arsenic coaches and players, we've got to hole it," McKellar said.

"The hole is wrong the room. We can't beryllium pointing the digit and blaming the officials...

"Rugby is simply a analyzable game. You're going to springiness penalties away. But it's the silly penalties that you tin easy debar that are hurting america astatine captious moments."

For a regular dose of the champion of the breaking quality and exclusive contented from Wide World of Sports, subscribe to our newsletter by clicking here