One week on from the bombshell news that the Wallabies had sacked Dave Rennie in favour of Eddie Jones, former All Black Israel Dagg has condemned Rugby Australia’s treatment of the Kiwi coach.
While Rennie’s axing seemed abrupt to most, RA chairman Hamish McLennan revealed on SEN 1170 that conversations with Jones had begun well in advance of his appointment, some 14 months prior.
McLennan noted that the timing of Jones’ own sacking as England head coach and a poor Spring Tour from the Rennie-led Wallabies contributed to the sudden change in leadership but Dagg believes the way the situation was handled was wrong and “inhumane”.
“I just don’t think they have any leadership at the top if I’m going to be completely honest,” Dagg told SENZ Breakfast.
“I think that McLennan needs to go. He’s had some outrageous, outlandish calls over the last couple of years, last year … something that’s just mind-blowing and mind-boggling.
“I’ve heard rumours about the situation, the way that they went about this recruiting of Eddie Jones and what they did to Dave Rennie and it’s just not normal and it’s really unfair.
“Look, I can understand that they wanted to go in a direction and they wanted to get an Australian at the helm but the way they went about it is just inhumane, I feel.”
Fellow SENZ host and former All Black first-five Stephen “Beaver” Donald was equally strong in his views on the future of Australian rugby, Dagg agreeing that the nation lacks the depth they need to compete at the top of the international game.
“Like Beaver said the other day, I’ve been harping on about this, they just don’t have the depth in Australian rugby,” Dagg added.
“The top 22, 23, they’re solid and they can probably potentially go onto a semi-final and push on, but they won’t win it with the current depth that they’ve got.
“So they really need to dig in … find a bit more depth around Australia, they need to dig into the league depth because they’ve got plenty and try and encourage these players.
“If anyone can, he’s done it with (former Wallabies and NRL converts) Lote Tuqiri and Wendell Sailor – Eddie Jones – he’s your man, but right now they’ve got no depth and I do think that they’re lacking leadership at the top.”
Before the international season begins, Australian players will have an opportunity to impress Jones in the upcoming Super Rugby Pacific competition, with the first match beginning on February 24.