Connacht coach Pete Wilkins isn't surprised at Wallabies interest in Andy Friend

According to Wilkins, Friend knows Aussie rugby inside out.

Connacht head coach Pete Wilkins believes that it’s indicative of what his predecessor Andy Friend achieved at the Sportsground that he is being mentioned as a possible successor to Eddie Jones as the new Wallabies coach.

Wilkins, who previously coached the Reds and spent several years working with Queensland Rugby, said that Canberra native Friend, himself a former Aussies sevens coach, knows Australian rugby inside out and that will be a vital skill for the new Wallabies coach.

“I think it shows the respect for what he achieved over here in Ireland the fact that he’s being mentioned in the conversation, first and foremost, that’s really impressive,” said Wilkins, who served under Friend for five years at the Sportsground before taking charge during the summer.

Wilkins saw at first hand what’s required at international level when he served as an assistant coach to Andy Farrell on last year’s historic tour to New Zealand and knows the sort of skills a prospective new Wallabies coach will require as they try to recover from a disastrous World Cup ahead of the Lions in 2025 and the World Cup two years later.

Wilkins worked with Andy Farrell during the tour of New Zealand last year.

“I think from my experience of seeing the Irish set-up and working in it at that level, it’s the combination and alignment of the coaching group as a whole which is so important. That head coach, that figurehead, is obviously a crucial part of that, but it is getting the right guys in the right positions around you and then getting enough of a balance in different personnel along with the rugby expertise,” added Wilkins.

He knows that Friend or whoever takes over will have a lot of recovery work to do on and off the field following the latest Jones term and the failure to make the knockout stages of the World Cup for the first time in a country where rugby union is facing an uphill battle against other sports.

“It’s a hard one to answer without knowing what kind of set-up they are looking for in terms of that broader coaching group,” added Wilkins.

“It’s an interesting one in terms of Australian rugby. It has certainly always been very provincial in terms of the rivalry between the different state teams and the relationships haven’t been straightforward between the Australian franchises and then Australian rugby itself.

“I think that has always been the case, it sounds like since I left there it has possibly deteriorated a little bit, so whoever goes into that head coach role for the Wallabies will have to be really aware of that structure walking into it.

“I know there is a huge desire to improve that which is brilliant and there are a lot of good people in Australian rugby who will contribute to that. You are not just coaching a rugby team, it’s the environment around you has to be right,” he added.