Laurie Fischer pulling no punches in new Wallabies coaching role
Newly appointed interim assistant coach Laurie Fischer has made it clear he won't tolerate mediocrity from the Wallabies on the five-Test spring tour of Europe.
He's like a grim reaper, terrorising players at team meetings, but Laurie Fischer makes no apologies for trying to restore order in the Wallabies ranks and drag Australia back to the top of world rugby.
Two months after receiving the call-up he thought had passed him by, Fischer is proving anything but a shrinking violet in his role as an interim Wallabies assistant coach to Dave Rennie.
The 64-year-old former Brumbies mentor has standards and demands perfection.
Fischer has wasted little time reminding the Wallabies that mediocrity won't be tolerated since replacing Matt Taylor as defence coach in the ugly aftermath to Australia's record 48-17 loss to Argentina in San Juan in August.
"We looked at one clip from the second Argentina Test, which is really just about work rate, about communication, like (having) our hands on knees, line speed. Edges not pushing edges - lazy," Fisher said before departing on the Wallabies' five-Test spring tour of Europe.
"I saw one clip from that game and said 'This can't be us. If that's us, we may as well not go to the World Cup. We've got nothing'.
"That's my starting point and we had one moment in the New Zealand game that very much reflected that Argentinian moment. So I showed that (footage) again and said 'Listen boys, unacceptable.'"
Fischer hopes the brutal honesty sessions will help transform the Wallabies from erratic, ninth-ranked pretenders to 2023 World Cup contenders.
"In Test rugby, you've got to be good all the time," he said.
"You have a 30-second moment, anyone like the Kiwis have got seven points on you and you're chasing your backside.
"So we've just got to be better, stronger as a group and just be really accountable to each other."
A lack of discipline has been another Wallabies killer that Fischer won't stand for.
"Discipline comes from doing your basics well," he said.
"If you're good in front-end collisions, if you're good around breakdown, you're not giving away the penalties.
"You're not under pressure. If you're getting in front defensively and not slacking, you're not giving away offside penalties.
"This tour is all about really, really developing our basics, valuing our basics and bedding all that down. Ground zero. We're going to get that right and we're going grow from there."
After nursing his ageing parents not so long ago, Fischer confessed to having "no idea" the opportunity to coach the Wallabies would ever arrive.
Now the one-time PE teacher hopes to earn a full-time deal to take him through to next year's World Cup in France - and likely retirement.
"That's probably where we're heading but there's nothing agreed or signed off at this stage," Fischer said.
"To get this at this stage of a career is like just a wonderful, full stop on what will be 25 years in professional rugby.
"I'd certainly love to go to World Cup. It would be the cherry on top."
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Think it was a great defensive performance by Northampton. They didn't have stage fright in the first half, the Nienaber defense smothered them. They limited Leinster to 15-3 in the first half. It could have been over by then. A great try from Leinster in the start of the second half looked to have sealed it. But Byrne missed another conversion. Northampton started trying little kicks behind the Leinster wingers. Leinster messed one and Smith brilliantly made the conversion. Leinster decided to tighten the game after Byrne missed a straight forward penalty. A few errors got NH into the 22 and they scored and converted with a few minutes left. Another brilliant steal from Lawes saw NH have a final attack which was turned over by Conan. A classic semi final. World record attendance of 82,300. Leinsters 3 week preparation warranted for this one.
Go to commentsJust came back from the game and the atmosphere was amazing. Players stayed afterwards for more than a hour to sign stuff and take photos with fans. Great day out.
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