Why Wallabies coaching role remains elusive for Brumbies coach

Scott Robertson won seven consecutive titles with the Crusaders but only lasted two years with the All Blacks, failing to make the monumental transition from Super Rugby to Test rugby.

In fact, his experience with the Crusaders actively worked against him. After enjoying all the perks that came with being the Crusaders coach for seven years – a plethora of All Blacks and a steady stream of the country’s best young talent coming through the door – he looked stunned when his Test opponents began to hit back.

There are some similarities between the Brumbians and the Crusaders. Both teams have cracked the code in Super Rugby, but if these patterns could easily be transferred to Test rugby, the Wallabies and All Blacks would be Nos. 1 and 2 in the world.

Larkham is also clearly a different kind of character than the alpha males who often rise to the top of the game. Those who have met him describe him as having a detached silence that befits his nickname as an actor, “Bernie.”

Of course, all this may be due to not being able to read the man. He presides over a Brumbies team that is smart, resilient and adaptable. The decision to move Andy Muirhead to full-back was a masterful one; unlocked the best rugby of his already outstanding Brumbies career.

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The Brumbies are well placed to beat the Reds on Saturday, dealing a blow – superficially at least – to RA’s decision to appoint Kiss as Joe Schmidt’s successor.

But as we consistently see in Test rugby, tactical awareness and understanding of the game is only one part of the head coach’s role, and is likely to be a diminishing part.

With so much analysis happening and physical abilities being equalized between testing teams, coaches who can push the right emotional buttons are the ones who are successful.

Ireland were in poor form before going to Twickenham a fortnight ago; A team supposedly in decline would face an English team looking to bounce back after losing to Scotland.

Yet Ireland coach Andy Farrell kept his team in good mental shape; excited but clinical, while England’s Steve Borthwick stared dejectedly at his laptop.

Of course, there are also questions about whether Kiss can coach the Wallabies to deliver that response when needed. Kiss has a more extensive resume than Larkham, but is also a quieter person by nature, having spent most of his career as an assistant.

But we must all accept that the outcome of Saturday’s Brumbies-Reds game will say surprisingly little about either man’s ability to be Wallabies saviours.