Australian rugby union coach Ewen McKenzie speaks during a press conference. Source: WILLIAM WEST / AFP
EWEN McKenzie faces the toughest assignment of his coaching career attempting to regroup a divided Wallabies in the wake of the Kurtley Beale fiasco to face the All Blacks next Saturday night.
The public airing of the Wallabies dirty laundry over the course of the last week will see the All Blacks slip into Brisbane tomorrow with zero pressure and the blow torch intensifying on McKenzie.
Last Friday's press conference at the Australian Rugby Union headquarters was undoubtedly the most intense public grilling the Wallabies coach has faced.
Repeatedly, McKenzie was questioned about his relationship with Wallabies business manager Di Patston, the female ARU staffer who is currently on indefinite stress leave over the Beale text message and mid-air confrontation incidents.
Australian rugby is in turmoil amid two investigations into alleged misbehaviour by star player Kurtley Beale towards team business manager Di Patston and the loss of their last two Test matches. Source: AFP
Under the glare of the cameras, McKenzie maintained it was purely "professional".
But now the issue of when McKenzie became aware of the text messages Beale sent in relation to Patston has become another unwanted off-field distraction.
With the focus on the suspended Beale's Code of Conduct hearing, McKenzie's position as head coach and last weekend's embarrassing loss to Argentina, the All Blacks could well capitalise by instigating their usual round of mind games.
The last time the Wallabies played New Zealand at Eden Park in August, the All Blacks racked up a record 51-20 scoreline, posting their highest-ever score against Australia.
Given all the off-field distractions going on for the Wallabies in the lead-up to Suncorp Stadium on Saturday night, another All Black ambush could even surpass that low point.
Australian rugby union coach Ewen McKenzie at a press conference. Source: AFP
In fairness, it could go the other way and galvanise the Wallabies. Plenty of champion teams have shown the value of siege mentality in sport over the years.
The ARU and the Wallabies long-suffering legion of supporters will be hoping it does.
The greatest challenge for McKenzie could be reuniting a team who saw fit to attempt to intervene and attempt to broker a peace deal between Beale and Patston.
Captain Michael Hooper and centre Adam Ashley-Cooper both told McKenzie they wanted to try and get the pair together to resolve their differences, with Patston initially categorically refusing.
Then, in a bizarre twist, the Wallabies business manager on stress leave had a change of heart and emailed Beale with the offer of a sit-down.
Beale refused and the standoff is now headed for a Code of Conduct hearing.
What impact it all has on the Wallabies on the field we will learn on Saturday night.
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