Former Wallaby captain backs Kiss to do more in timely first Test
SPOTLIGHT: Former Australia captain James Horwill has backed Les Kiss to handle the heat of a home Rugby World Cup and urged the new Wallabies coach to experiment immediately at the selection table.
Kiss’s reign will begin in sweltering Osaka on Saturday when the Wallabies face a dangerous Japanese outfit, coached by Eddie Jones and likely featuring a smattering of exported Australian talent.
*Also read: The Les Kiss era: The non-negotiable goal for Wallabies in brutal heat
In his role as chair of the Queensland Rugby Union’s rugby committee, former Test captain and Reds premiership skipper Horwill was a fly on the wall at Ballymore during Kiss’s three years as coach there.
“Helping him on the strategic side, there if he needed someone to bounce ideas off,” Horwill told AAP.
“But we mostly got out of his way and let him do the job.
“Coaching at Test level, the challenge is having less time and access to the players, but one of his strengths is bringing everyone together and aligning them towards what he calls his ‘true north’, on where they’re headed.”
The Wallabies play Japan again in Townsville next Saturday before embarking on a two-game Argentina tour later in the month.
They then return for Tests against powerhouses South Africa, where Kiss began his coaching journey 25 years ago, and New Zealand before touring Europe.
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In a bumper 2027, there’s the inaugural Anzac Bledisloe and a Rugby Championship before the World Cup begins in October.
Jones coached the Wallabies to the Final when Australia hosted the World Cup in 2003.
“It’s a big event, and the eyeballs will be on them a bit further out than usual,” Horwill said.
“Les … he’s quite resilient in how he approached the ups and downs of coaching; he’s good at managing that, sticking true.
“But he wouldn’t have experienced it to that extent before … there’s only one coach [Jones] that has.”
An imposing lock across his 62 Tests, Horwill was shocked when former coach Joe Schmidt left Lukhan Salakaia-Loto out of the three July Nations Championship Tests.
Kiss has immediately recalled the Reds enforcer, and Horwill wants to see how his combative style can complement the clinical approach of Jeremy Williams and Josh Canham, who impressed as starters in those Tests.
Isaac Kailea, the 26-year-old, eight-Test prop, has also been recalled after a two-year absence while mobile back-rower Charlie Cale is back in the fray and hard-running centre Isaac Henry will likely battle with Reds clubmate Hunter Paisami for a spot in the centres.
Carter Gordon, impressive at No.10 against Ireland, is also fit after missing the last two Tests with a leg injury.
Kiss will name his squad on Thursday.
“If you look at what’s ahead, and the need to be settled next year, it’s really in these next two or three Tests for Les to look at his options,” Horwill said.
“Jeremy and Josh did a good job and were playing the way Joe wanted them to play, but Lukhan’s a different player.
“So it’s about getting that balance right; especially with two big ball carriers [Harry Wilson and Rob Valetini] in the back row as well.
“Lukhan was rightly disappointed, and that’s what you want to see, and now he’s got to be ready to go when his number’s called.”
Japan are 10th in the world rankings, two behind Australia, after an impressive win against Italy and losses to Ireland and France last month.
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