Irish flanker Gordon Hamilton sent Lansdowne Road into raptures with his late try in the ‘91 World Cup. Alas, the locals’ euphoria was not to last ...

You’ve seen a huge amount of rugby over the years – what’s your favourite moment?

It probably goes back to the 1991 World Cup quarter-final at Lansdowne Road, Australia playing Ireland. It was the moment where Gordon Hamilton scored that try to put Ireland in front with six minutes till full-time. It looked as if Australia was out of the World Cup and the ABC commentary team of myself, Gary Pierce and Chris Handy had this famous bit of airtime where we deliberately didn’t say anything for 31 seconds. Out on the pitch, 5000 people ran out and mobbed Hamilton; in the stands the cameras were all shaking because the crowd was jumping up and down. It was total euphoria – I’d never experienced anything like it. And because it was all happening before our eyes, we had this bit of non-commentary for 31 seconds. People have said to me, “That’s the best bit of commentary you’ve ever done.” And I probably have to agree. Of course, when Michael Lynagh scored to win the game, you could hear a pin drop. It was eerie ...

Your thoughts on the sacking of Wallaby coach Robbie Deans?

If I look back on the Deans era, I see good and I see bad. He blooded a lot of players – he certainly wasn’t backward about pushing those Gen Y players – and, ironically, some of those players contributed to his downfall. He also went further than previous coaches in going out to the rugby community, right across the country, preaching the Wallabies gospel. That was a big plus. But I don’t think his communication skills were his strong suit. There were always a few links missing in the chain. There were some heart-stopping wins, but I don’t think the chain ever linked up in a sequence that established consistency and security. If you ask the Australian rugby public, I think they wanted him to be successful, but I don’t think he ever quite gained their confidence or full backing. And I guess this goes back to his Kiwi heritage. That was his biggest enemy ... Frustratingly, great All Black players like Richie McCaw and Dan Carter, who Robbie coached at the Crusaders, continued to be our nemesis. And I don’t think Australian fans ever got their heads around that conundrum ... In the end, Robbie’s situation became untenable after we lost that third Test to the Lions.

The faces of men who know they’ve missed a golden opportunity – the Wallabies despondent after the third
Lions Test.

That third Lions Test was a fantastic opportunity for rugby to re-establish itself in Australia’s sporting consciousness, yet the Wallabies botched it. Do you fear for the future of rugby in this country?

I could see rugby sliding if something hadn’t have been done in terms of the national coaching situation. However, I believe the appointment of Ewen McKenzie will allow the sport to hold the momentum that was gained during the Lions series. Yes, the third Test was a missed opportunity for Australian rugby, but with McKenzie coming in, we now have a guy who, to me, ranks with the elite coaches in the game. He’s a very astute psychologist. He’s an enlightened coach in that he’s always willing to adapt to the present. And I think his positive mindset’s going to rub off on his players. Because of his background – as a front rower at Randwick, a World Cup-winner under Bob Dwyer, and his years with a groundbreaking franchise like the Brumbies – he really appreciates the bigger picture as a coach. And I think that’s going to be a huge plus for Australian rugby. So to answer your question, I say no, Australian rugby can move forward very positively under Ewen McKenzie. As far as I’m concerned, a successful international sporting team flies on the intelligence and the tactical acumen of the head coach, and in that sense, Ewen’s the man for the job.