The Growden Report
Tensions set to boil over at the ARU
Greg Growden
October 13, 2014
Ewen McKenzie has found himself offside with many of the Wallabies players © Getty Images
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The Wallabies are relieved that Di Patston has resigned from the Australian Rugby Union, but coach Ewen McKenzie still has a long way to go to regain the faith of the Australian Test playing group.

If McKenzie fails, he could shortly be replaced by Waratahs coach Michael Cheika- even as early as the end-of-season European tour.

Over the past 12 months, Patston, the Wallabies team business manager, alienated numerous Australian players. They were astounded that in a short period of time and with little rugby background Patston had become such an influential but divisive powerbroker.

In recent months, ESPNscrum was told that several Wallabies players had complained about the 'poisonous' atmosphere during team training camps, to the extent that 'several big names' had lost the urge of wanting to be part of the Australian Test scene.

ESPNscrum has in the past week been informed by Wallabies team sources of concerns within the playing group that some of their private emails may have been improperly accessed. They had also been confronted by the threat of being dropped from the Test lineup if they did not openly swear their allegiance to the team management.

Wallabies business manager Di Patston who is in the centre of the Kurtley Beale investigation, October 12, 2014
Di Patston quit the ARU over stress © Twitter
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Team sources confirmed that Wallaby team harmony began to collapse even before the Dublin drinking affair on the team end-of-season tour of Europe late last year. Earlier in that tour, players were told by team officials that they had to be either 'with us or against us, and if you're against us, you won't be picked.'

The players were then troubled by Patston's increasing influence in the Wallabies preparation for Test matches, and her involvement in team discipline. Several said they were 'scared' of Patston, while even ARU staff members at the St Leonards headquarters have been concerned for some time about 'potential witch-hunts.'

Some players remain wary of McKenzie, and it will take an enormous amount of work by the Test coach to get everyone in the squad back on side before they confront the All Blacks in Brisbane on Saturday night.

As one official with very strong links to the players said over the weekend: ''McKenzie lost the players a long time ago."

This has prompted increased interest at the ARU towards Cheika, the successful Waratahs coach, taking over the Wallabies. It is believed an approach from an ARU official may have occurred over the weekend.

However it is understood that Cheika, who has been 'sounded out' by the ARU before, has reservations about the Wallabies position, and is unlikely to consider it until there are dramatic changes within the ARU hierarchy. ESPNscrum has been told that Cheika is 'underwhelmed' with several ARU officials.

McKenzie currently boasts the lowest success rate (52% from 11 wins out of 21 Tests) of any Australian coach in the professional era. He has yet to win a Test against the All Blacks, and has had only one success out of four against the Springboks.

Kurtley Beale looks on during half-time, Argentina v Australia, Rugby Championship, Mendoza, October 4, 2013
Kurtley Beale's international career hangs in the balance © Getty Images
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While Kurtley Beale's alleged derogatory text message, which was accidentally sent to Patston, is near impossible to defend, the Test midfielder still has the support of numerous team-mates, who are concerned he could be made the ultimate scapegoat. This comes just a year after ARU chief executive Bill Pulver described Beale as a 'national treasure.'

The relationship between Wallabies and numerous major ARU officials is also uneasy. Test players do not like officials who ingratiate themselves with the team. Several members of the ARU board have been accused by the players of being 'blatant jersey tuggers.' There have even been calls to one ARU board member for one of his colleagues, nicknamed by the players as 'The Fan' not to be allowed in the Wallabies dressing room. Another notable ARU board member has been described by Wallabies as 'MIA' for 'missing in action.'

It is known that numerous Test players are as guarded about Pulver, as they have been of team management members. The public sighting of Pulver in the Wallabies gear has not helped his relationship with some team members, who believe the green and gold colours have to be properly earnt.

The ARU's cost-cutting measures, due to the national body's serious financial woes, has also affected the playing group, with the Wallabies not having a proper team manager in recent times causing enormous problems, including luggage disappearing during their last trip from South Africa to Argentina.

Players have even questioned the value of spending the Test half-time break sitting in the middle of the field, rather than heading to the dressing rooms, like every other major team. They argue that it limits what a team can do during the break, and that oppositions can easily see whether any players has niggling injuries, by just observing who is being treated by the medical staff on the field.

Even those watching the live telecast of the Wallabies last Test could see Michael Hooper receiving attention for either a shoulder or neck injury during half-time against Argentina in Mendoza. If any Pumas staff members were watching this, they could then inform their players to target Hooper in the upper body region because he may be vulnerable.

Also causing concern is a division within the playing ranks, with one notable forward for some time being privately critical of the leadership of the team's young captain-Hooper. Hooper has the support of the bulk of the players.

Michael Hooper has had a turbulent time as the Wallabies captain © Getty Images
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