David Campese has criticised Rugby Australia’s decision to appoint Joe Schmidt as Wallabies coach, saying his country “should not have a Kiwi head coach”.
In January, the governing body announced that Schmidt had signed a contract until at least the conclusion of the 2025 British and Irish Lions series.
The 59-year-old took over Australia’s coaching reins from Eddie Jones, who acrimoniously resigned last October after the Wallabies’ disastrous Rugby World Cup campaign.
Prior to that, Schmidt worked as an All Blacks selector and assistant coach in 2022 and 2023 and also had a successful stint as Ireland’s head coach from 2013 to 2019.
Won three Six Nations titles with Ireland
During his stint with Ireland, the men from the Emerald Isle won three Six Nations titles, in 2014, 2015 and 2018, and he also walked off with the World Rugby Coach of the Year award in 2018.
However, legendary Wallabies wing Campese is not happy with Rugby Australia’s decision to appoint a New Zealander as the head coach even though he is the third coach from that country to take charge of the two-time world champions after Robbie Deans and Dave Rennie.
“I don’t believe we should have a Kiwi coach,” 1991 Rugby World Cup winner Campese told The Rugby Paper.
“I was in New Zealand last week for the Test and they all said: ‘Isn’t Schmidt a good coach,’ I said: ‘Why? What has he actually won?’ He hasn’t won anything.
“Yes, he might have won a Six Nations, but the World Cup is the ultimate for any sports player or coach, and he hasn’t won anything.
“We always seem to get a coach that has never won anything. We always seem to get the second-best Kiwi coach, never the first-best.
“Even though, I must admit, the Kiwis are not anywhere near where they should be. I mean, they’re a very ordinary team at the moment, even though they beat us last week.
“Joe Schmidt has got no idea about our culture or history. We’re mauling the ball from 22 metres out. We don’t do that, that’s not Australian rugby.
“We’re used to counterattack and attack from anywhere. We can’t even do that.
“I just think it’s very sad that we have to go through this again with another Kiwi coach.”
Made a good start as Wallabies coach
Schmidt made a good start to his stint as Wallabies head coach as he guided them to a 2-0 series victory over Wales in Australia.
They also claimed a home victory over Georgia during the mid-year internationals but things went pear-shaped during their recent Rugby Championship campaign.
They finished at the bottom of the standings after winning only one out of six Tests.
That was a narrow 20-19 victory over Argentina in La Plata but they suffered a humiliating 67-27 defeat to Los Pumas in the corresponding fixture in Sante Fe and also lost back-to-back matches against the Springboks as well as the All Blacks.
