EWEN McKenzie today declared his interest in the Wallabies coaching job when it becomes vacant and backed his readiness for it.
With incumbent Eddie Jones under pressure and facing an ARU performance review after the Wallabies' European tour ends this weekend, likely successor McKenzie said today he didn't expect any change.
But he expressed his desire to do the job "down the track" and gave a strong rebuttal to suggestions he may need more time with the Waratahs before being ready.
McKenzie also pointed to his two years as head coach of the Waratahs to show he's not afraid to make tough decisions on players. He cut long-serving Test great Matt Burke after his first season.
McKenzie's comments in a radio interview marked a turnaround from 15 days ago when he said: "I don't have any short or long term ambitions in that (Wallabies coaching) area, I am quite engrossed in the challenge I have at the moment."
Jones is under contract until after the 2007 World Cup but calls for his sacking have come this week from Wallabies legend David Campese and ex-Wallabies coach Alan Jones after a tough season including a streak of seven consecutive Test losses.
McKenzie was asked today if he was the next Wallabies coach.
"To be fair, if the position was vacant down the track I would certainly like to be considered but it's obviously not vacant at the moment," he said on Sydney radio 2KY. When it was pointed out there was currently a lot of pressure surrounding the role, he said: "Well there's pressure but I'm not anticipating any change there
"But if there was an opportunity down the track I feel like I have done a lot of time in apprenticeship mode so if an opportunity came up down the track I'd certainly like to be considered."
He took issue with the suggestion he needed another season or two with New South Wales to be ready for the job.
"You can't get something stamped to say you're ready," he said.
"All I know is that looking at my circumstances, it's very similar, Rod Macqueen got the job after two years in provincial rugby with a similar result to what I have had.
"The previous five Wallabies coaches, the first time they have ever toured or stepped into a Wallabies dressing room was when they got the job.
"You know, I've done 50 Tests as a player and almost 50 Tests as assistant coach so I have been in the dressing room 100 times and been on tour with the Wallabies countless times so I feel like I have a fair bit of knowledge about what goes on at that level."
McKenzie has turned the perennially under-achieving Waratahs around in his two years there, taking them to the Super 12 final this year after a difficult first season.
"It was the same when I started here at NSW," he said.
"A lot of guys rang me and said that's the poisoned chalice job. I remember Eddie Jones making a comment to me a few years back saying NSW was the biggest challenge in Australian rugby or the hardest job in Australian rugby was to coach NSW because of the history.
"But I feel like obviously we have really good people here at NSW and we have got everyone pulling in the right direction.
"And as an organisation we have really made some good steps in a short space of time. That's the other thing. You can do a lot in a short space of time."
Asked if he would have George Gregan at halfback if he was Wallabies coach and selection chairman, he said: "I don't want to get into the current situation. All I will say is that my track record is that I don't mind making hard decisions.
"I think that people have seen me do that over the years. I don't think that anyone is irreplaceable. I think that goes in business as well. "I was at the lunch yesterday where the ex-Wallabies coaches spoke about the regeneration of their teams and significant decisions that went along the way to keep the thing moving forward and I think you have to be conscious of that."
AAP
