Rennie’s preference is to stay in Australia but that timeframe doesn’t marry up with RA’s plan to wait and see how the Wallabies perform at the World Cup.
Rugby Australia CEO Andy Marinos,Australian sevens players Henry Hutchison and Dom Du Toit,and Chris Nay,CEO Wheelchair Rugby Australia,at the announcement of ISPS Handa as a sponsor.Credit:Getty
“Our position it is a results-driven business,so we obviously have to get the results on the field and get that consistency of performance. Dave is pretty clear,from our side,on what the expectations are going forward,” Marinos said.
“It is very typical,going into a World Cup year. He is one of many coaches who have a contract ending at the end of the year. We are going to be sensible about engaging and what next year,leading into the World Cup,looks like. It’s about getting the results and we have internationals before we get to the World Cup,where we can have another assessment. We just have to be pretty fluid.”
Rennie has strong support among the Wallabies players,with halfback Nic White saying the Kiwi coach was doing “a phenomenal job” and was among the best he’d worked with.
“He drives high standards and as a group we haven’t met them,” White told 2GB radio.
“I’ve said this for a while now,we’ve had a really young squad for the last couple of years and I’ve kind of felt that the coaches have been operating I guess above the level of where we players have been playing catch-up.”
Meanwhile,Wallaroos coach Jay Tregonning has reshuffled his forward pack to take on Wales in the final World Cup pool game on Saturday in Whangerei.
Bridie O’Gorman has returned in the front row for Eva Karpani,with Brumbies skipper Michaela Leonard starting at lock to bolster the lineout. Her Brumbies teammate and hooker Tania Naden will make her debut from the bench,replacing the suspended Ashley Marsters.
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The Wallaroos’ win over Scotland has all but locked in a spot in the play-offs but a win would be the best chance of avoiding big guns such as New Zealand and England in the first knockout clash. A loss to Wales could potentially see them miss a play-off spot,but only if Scotland also beat the Kiwis,or Fiji beat France.
Tregonning said the thrilling win over Scotland had been a huge confidence boost.
“Coming from behind,grinding out the win,Lori ([Cramer] kicking a few goals under pressure – it was all outstanding and that’s great for everyone’s confidence,” he said.
“We’ve shown that we can do it and hopefully it’s not that close for my health this weekend but if it is we have confidence in the girls to be able to bring it home.”
In other news,the champion Australian men’s and women’s sevens teams have a stand-alone major sponsor for the first time,with ISPS Handa now a jersey sponsor for both teams. The men begin their new season and world series title defence in Hong Kong on November 4.
“It’s due recognition. They’ve both had phenomenal seasons,breakout seasons,this year and[the lack of a major sponsor] has always been a bit of a head scratcher for me,to be honest. It is truly global exposure,they travel the globe,” Marinos said.
Watch all the action from theWomen’s Rugby World Cup from New Zealand with every match streaming ad-free,live and on demand on Stan Sport. Continues this Saturday with Australia v Wales (11.45am AEDT)