Rugby | Pulver has no idea on Wallaby coaching replacement

Australian Rugby Union chief executive Bill Pulver says he has no idea who’s available to coach the Wallabies following Ewen McKenzie’s surprise decision to announce his resignation after Saturday’s Bledisloe Cup match.
Pulver also said yesterday that he “hadn’t seen any evidence of McKenzie losing respect of the players” and that he was surprised by McKenzie’s decision to resign well before the match, without telling the players. Australia lost 29-28 to New Zealand.
“I’ve got a lot of options,” Pulver said yesterday at a media conference with Wallabies captain Michael Hooper. “I have had no conversations with any other coaches. Today we’re trying to work out where we are at… I don’t even know who can get on a plane on Friday.”
The Wallabies leave Friday for a European tour. Pulver also suggested he might make an interim appointment. The favorite for a full-time position appears to be Michael Cheika, who coached the New South Wales Warataths to the Super Rugby title this season.
Hooper also said he didn’t feel McKenzie had lost respect of the players.
“We play for him and we play for everyone in the staff… we respect his decision,” Hooper said yesterday.
On Saturday, the stoppage-time loss to New Zealand was the last act in McKenzie’s short and tumultuous stint as Australia coach, leaving the Wallabies rudderless a week ahead of the European tour and only 11 months before the Rugby World Cup.
McKenzie had been dealing with an investigation into utility back Kurtley Beale’s off-field conduct, amid reports about discord within the Wallabies squad and increasing speculation in the last two weeks that the coaching job was on the line.
McKenzie said he’d made up his mind well before the game that it would be his last in charge.
“I resigned this morning at 10 o’clock,” McKenzie said, delaying his statement until Hooper had left the room. “I’ve been a very proud contributor to Australian rugby, but I feel at this point … there’s a bunch of reasons. The intention was win, lose or draw, I was going to announce that resignation tonight.”
McKenzie waited until after the match to inform the team, and none of the players were made available to comment.
“I didn’t actually advise the team or any of the members of staff, so I’ve just done that,” McKenzie said. “I’m not going to go into the detail — you guys can work that out. The easiest way for me is to exit stage left and I’ll leave you guys to ponder, speculate.”
McKenzie had coaching success at provincial level, helping New South Wales to the Super Rugby final in 2008 — despite being told earlier in the season that his contract wouldn’t be renewed — and, after a stint in Europe, returning to Australia and helping lift the Queensland Reds out of the doldrums to a Super Rugby title in 2011.
The World Cup-winning prop was appointed Wallabies coach last August, only days after Robbie Deans — the first foreigner hired as head coach of Australia’s top team — was fired.
McKenzie guided the Wallabies in 22 tests for 11 wins, a draw and 10 losses — that span including a stretch of seven consecutive wins.
On Saturday, Pulver blamed media critics for McKenzie’s sudden departure, describing recent reporting as unfounded and unwarranted and saying “we lost a good man tonight.” He reiterated most of those comments on Sunday.
“We are capable of winning the World Cup in 2015,” Pulver said yesterday. “Last night shows we have a team of men of character.” John Pye, Brisbane , AP