The missing “Link”? McKenzie will hold the future of Australian rugby in his hands.

How will McKenzie manage the “unholy trinity” of Cooper, Beale and O’Connor?

Well, there’s only one way and that’s a line in the sand. He needs to let those guys know he’ll give them his full support, but it’s a two-way street. It’s not about them, it’s about the team. Those players need to accept that, because it’s not just their livelihoods on the line, the coach’s livelihood is on the line. So it’s a one strike policy – if they let the team down, they’ve got to go. You can’t keep giving people second chances. His challenge now is to give the Genia-Cooper halves pairing a second chance and assemble a backline that’s singing from the same page. The backline needs to find that balance of risk-taking adventure and pragmatism. I think one of the problems Deans faced was that he took on the role of backline coach. I don’t think Robbie ever got his head around the Australian backline way. This team definitely needs a backline coach. And there are good people out there. Jim Mackay has done well with the Reds, Stephen Larkham has done a great job at the Brumbies, and I’d like to see Rod Kafer approached. He’s a brilliant rugby brain.

What about the scrum? Can an old prop like McKenzie fix this ongoing problem?

Well, the scrum has certainly come back to haunt us. Look at the World Cup pool match against Ireland – same problem. World Cup semi-final against New Zealand – same problem. If your scrum’s not providing a stable platform, the repercussions are calamitous, as witnessed against the Lions. I think the people who were there were the best people for the job, but clearly there are young ones coming through who’ll have to be considered. Scott Sio is someone who needs to be fast-tracked, just as the Franks brothers were for New Zealand. James Slipper should come into contention, and Greg Holmes has got a lot fitter and made more of an impact around the park, so he too should come into contention ... You’ve got to remember, too, that scrummaging is moving into a new dimension with the crouch-bind-set call. This is going to add a whole new dynamic: the massive impact of the engagement will be lessened and the scrum will become more

of a wrestle. Hopefully that’s an area we can work to our advantage.

The benchmark: Australia’s record against these men will define McKenzie’s tenure as Wallabies coach.

As a qualified referee, what’s the greatest problem with rugby’s laws right now?

I believe the main problem lies in the separation of the attacking and the defensive lines. Too many games are dominated by the defences; there are too few opportunities for the backs. I think assistant referees have to be far more diligent in policing that off-side where defenders are getting a head start and getting up in the faces of the backline before they can build a head of steam. We need to maintain that point of separation so the backs get an opportunity to do their stuff. In rugby league they’ve got far more space and time and, ideally, that’s the scenario we need in rugby union.