Les Kiss might have only been in the hot seat for a week, but the new Wallabies coach has already put a stake in the ground and placed some distance between him and predecessor Joe Schmidt.<\/p>\n
The immediate return of Lukhan Salakaia-Loto for August\u2019s Tests against Japan was obviously the biggest selection shift in what was largely a conservatively picked 34-man squad.<\/p>\n
Few other pieces on the chessboard were moved, but Kiss has already hinted that more will come over the next few months as the Wallabies<\/a>\u2019 new boss does what should have been done in July and last November by casting the net wider.<\/p>\n Around another dozen players will be looked at over the next few months, including Japan-based utility back Jordan Petaia. The hulking Samu Kerevi hasn\u2019t had a line put through his name either.<\/p>\n That\u2019s important because next year\u2019s long build-up ahead of the World Cup \u2013 the Wallabies will for the first time play a fully-fledged six-round Rugby Championship tournament<\/a> and another warm-up match against Ireland \u2013 will undoubtedly take its toll on the field and depth will be vital.<\/p>\n But Kiss also gave two big clues about his coaching style, saying he will try to introduce more \u201cwidth\u201d to the Wallabies\u2019 game plan and, interestingly, that he will be more \u201ccollaborative\u201d than Schmidt.<\/p>\n \u201cMy points of difference will be in how I approach the game in attack,\u201d Kiss<\/a> told Channel 9\u2019s Wide World of Sports program.<\/p>\n \u201cI work off the strong principle of going forward, but I do like a lot more width in the game.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd [I\u2019m] probably more of a collaborative type of coach. I\u2019ll make sure that every coach has a part to play and will lead their part of their discipline in the way that they can.\u201d<\/p>\n Read into that as you like.<\/p>\n Reassessing the England forwards depth chart following Nations Championship that gave Steve Borthwick \u2018chance to reflect\u2019<\/a><\/p>\n Kiss to try unlock Aussie DNA again<\/p>\n The so-called Australian way of playing rugby has become somewhat of a legend over the years.<\/p>\n Few in today\u2019s game really know what the Australian DNA is because half of the country\u2019s teams are coached by foreigners.<\/p>\n Three of the past six Wallabies coaches have come from New Zealand; the last full-time Wallaroos coach was Englishwoman Jo Yapp; and the men\u2019s national sevens team is being led by third-generation All Black Liam Barry.<\/p>\n Two of Australia\u2019s four Super Rugby head coaches are from New Zealand, too.<\/p>\n Kiss\u2019s own Wallabies coaching team also has two New Zealanders, one Englishman and an Irishman on it. In fact, scrum coach John Ulugia is the only other Australian on the coaching team, and the former hooker spent the bulk of his career playing in France.<\/p>\n So it\u2019s hardly surprising that the so-called \u2018Australian way\u2019 is more of a concept than a reality.<\/p>\n The fact that most of the Wallabies\u2019 nine tries against a second-rate Italian side came from a metre out from the try-line also told a story of the nation\u2019s attack, or lack thereof, in recent times.<\/p>\n Kiss, however, has made it clear that he wants to bring back an Australian identity and hallmark to his team, leaning on the desire to have a crack but knowing when to play and when not to.<\/p>\n \u201cI [hope] there is an Aussie spirit that comes through,\u201d Kiss said. \u201cWhen you\u2019re kids you just play what\u2019s in front of you, you\u2019re free of all the things that can get in the way. I want to make sure we coach at the right level and unleash what we\u2019re good at.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re a good, innovative type of thinking player and team. Let\u2019s play with our spirit, but the other thing that\u2019s important that comes through when we\u2019re in the backyard or on the beach as kids, as we grow up, we\u2019re competitive.<\/p>\n \u201cWe will go very hard into contact; we\u2019ll fight for every inch. We just want those qualities to come through. When it comes out in the 80 minutes, we want the country to be proud of what they see. When we\u2019re on the try-line, these boys will defend it with their life, and we\u2019ve seen good clues to date with that.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd we just want to make sure we can do our bit as a new coaching team. To enhance that as much as possible, give them every chance to live their dreams and blaze their own trail.\u201d<\/p>\n