Finally, gold smoke was released from the windows of Moor Park in Rugby Australia.
Les Kiss became Wallaby’s fifth different coach in seven years after a extracted recruitment process that hit an unexpected stumbling block, and ultimately needed a whole new solution completely.
Luckily for RA, they have gathered leadership groups that seem less authoritarian than they are recently. And the deal to replace Kiss with Joe Schmidt in Australia’s top job in rugby was initially a little behind plans, but it’s finally over.
Still, we need to release ourselves from the long-term process.
Why did it take so long for the kiss to be confirmed that Schmidt’s heirs reveal?
Ra boss Phil War has probably set off a bit, probably by declaring the circumstances surrounding Schmidt’s future.
Until February 6th, RA, who had reached the original six-test extension with Schmidt and had taken Kiwis until the end of this year’s rugby championship, had already been chasing the tail. And while the preference for governing body has always been to promote from within Australia, they still wanted their due diligence when considering all the options, including Michael Cheika and former England coach Stuart Lancaster.
But for all intents and purposes, Kiss was always the man at the top of their list. He has a resume, was impressed by the 1.5 Super Rugby Pacific seasons, and most notably has a long coaching relationship with Schmidt.
Meanwhile, “Continuity” had an important focus in War’s Wallabies succession plan.
However, when RA went to meet Queensland Rugby Union, “continuity” and “alignment” became as sudden as they made the mission statement.
“We’ve become the solution we want in terms of continuing our growth with the Reds under the Reds’ leadership, and I think Joe spent more time with the (Wallabies) group for a longer period until the end of July 2026,” Waugh told reporters at Allianz Stadium on Wednesday.
“We think the transition and solutions are really elegant and really neat. Joe finishes as head coach at the end of three tests at the Nations Cup in July 2026, and LES will move to lead the program. I think we have the best solution.”
Some Australian rugby supporters may accus Queensland Rugby Union of not acting in the game’s best interests by not releasing a kiss at the end of this year’s Super Rugby season.
However, as the winger from his former origin wants to finish the job he started, Qru has seen his own stakeholders after following the ultimate goal of winning a Super Rugby title in two seasons instead of one.
And the 2026 handover is the result.
Has Schmidt continued his eight more tests?
First, there are 14 more tests than the original deal signed in early 2024.
Ask Australian fans after the Wallabies upset Ireland by beat England in Twickenham and wanted to keep Schmidt.
The fact that he continues to work with players from the same group bans the few who committed the future to the offshore last year.
But what if things aren’t swimming that much in the middle of next year, the Wallabies need a complete change of direction? Maybe there’s about 15 tests for him to turn things around, long enough for the Kiss to come and change the Wallabies course ahead of the World Cup?
Certainly, Queen’s Lander relies on the idea that Schmidt has continued the improvements that began in 2024, growing it, and he has to come and make beauty changes.
“It’s scary to take on this role, but it’s also exciting. It’s an honor to do what I’m doing,” Kiss said when asked about his World Cup runway. “I think your question is, what we do well together, how we see games together, how culture should be built, that all underpins it, so there’s no excuse there.
“The continuation Phil spoke about earlier is that the continuation I mentioned earlier is very important in terms of ensuring that when I step into it, people are sure that they do their job and how they do their job, making sure that not only does my Joe know the difference, but my jokes aren’t just about telling me my Joe.
“It was there and the continuation process I spent here since I first chatted with Phil, Peter (Horne), Dan (Herbert), and how do I dovetail and make that work better.
Are there any solid plans for Schmidt to maintain any capacity beyond 2026?
Once it was revealed that both Kiss and Reds wanted to fulfill his contract, the RA tackled the challenge of persuading Schmidt to extend his own existing deal again.
The concessions that allow Schmidt to give him the opportunity to spend more time with his family are recognized.
However, while he will not rule out his role as an advisory person beyond 2026, there are some other pursuits that have been persistent with him in the background.
“I wasn’t thinking about this, so when Pete (the horn) rang at me, I said no to the role several times, but that’s because it’s a friendship from the other jobs we did, so he said it would take a bit of experience.
“So I wanted to feel younger myself, so I got (assistant) Mike Cron and Laurie (Fisher), so I don’t foresee that as Owen Toulin described us as our father’s army, as we tried to do everything we could (extension).
“But I know the privilege. I know the number of people who want to do this kind of job, so for a small town kid born on a river in New Zealand, it’s a great opportunity for me and the opportunity to see the world for my family is also great.
“So I’m not completely excluded, but that’s definitely not my plan. I’m trying to beat the lake boat and my golf handicap… that’s going to be some really ambitious goals I have beyond the end of July next year.”
Where will this succession plan leave Noah Reracio?
Brumbies Playmaker spoke a few weeks ago about how the original decision to end Schmidt in 2025 affected his own call to take on the deal in Japan.
Lolesio said he understands Schmidt’s decision and the reasons behind it, but the lack of certainty about the Wallabies coach that comes in helped solidify his thoughts heading offshore.
That situation has clearly changed, and if he chose to stay, Lolesio could have taken as many as 14 tests to further solidify his place as Australia’s first choice No. 10 ahead of the World Cup.
Clearly, Schmidt’s decision to surpass 2025 wasn’t something he originally planned to do, but it made me realize whether Lolesio was certainly unhappy with how the situation unfolded.
“We talk to a lot of players who were regular starters for us, but we know that our relationship with players is important at the moment, so we’re trying to get out of the way of our super coach,” Schmidt said when asked about Lolesio.
“I was led by the decision he made and had some discussions with Noah. While I was disappointed with the decision, it wasn’t a long-term decision, and I think Noah is still a young player and in the long run we can have a future with the Wallabies.”
Lolesio’s Japanese rugby contract is understood to be just two years, so he signed the Australian franchise in 2028, allowing him to sign Wallaby immediately ahead of the 2027 World Cup. However, those who chose to stay in Australia throughout 2026 and 2027 would have made a big start.
Who knows what he did with updated information on Wallabies’ coaching direction?
What is your policy of not choosing players going overseas this year?
In the near future, Schmidt will have the British and Irish lion before his thoughts. Last year, the Wallabies coach emphasized that he would choose a player committed in Australia or state rugby.
He then said that policy will continue in 2025, but would not rule out the selection of things like Lolesio, Rob Leota, Tom Hooper, Langi Gleeson and potentially Taniela Tupou.
“Yeah, we’re going to prioritize them (players stay in Australia), but being clear is that no one’s coming out of the mix,” Schmidt said. “And if there is someone (to head abroad), it will increase value and then, as long as the selection is concerned, it is revealing his enemy (we choose them).
“We know how tough the Lions are and how deep they get to really experienced athletes and combatants, so we know we have to be as close as possible to being the perfect group to compete with those guys.”
So, what will happen now?
Well, for a kiss, there was an airplane catching Suva for a critical clash with Fizian Drua. He refocussed his Queensland playoff run and his ultimate goal of bringing his second Super Rugby title to Barrymore.
Although there is no solid plan for him to join the Wallabies on the station’s capabilities and begin the process of such a long delivery, Kiss said there is always an opportunity for one of Australia’s Super Rugby coaches to stop training Wallabies.
And Kiss consults with Schmidt about his own Reds players, how they are performing, and what exactly they will do after a strict Super Rugby season.
Meanwhile, the Reds are now able to focus on their own long-term plans, including David Hanham, CEO of QRU, finding alternatives to “Kiss” in the world’s most attractive roles.
What about Kiwi, who just signed his second Wallabys extension in three months? The first test against the Lions is currently only 81 days away.