NZ Herald senior sports journalist and rugby correspondent, Liam Napier is with The Front Page to unpack the past, present and future of the ‘man with mana’, Dave Rennie.
Former All Black Sonny Bill Williams believes the Wallabies will pay the price for axing former coach Dave Rennie when they get to next year’s Rugby World Cup.
The new All Blacks coach will get his first opportunity against Australia in October’s Bledisloe Cup fixtures, with a World Cup poolmatch in Sydney looming in 2027.
Rennie was fired as Wallabies coach in January 2023, with a 38% win rate from 33 tests in charge, and was replaced by Eddie Jones.
The two-time Super Rugby-winning mentor has since been with the Kobe Steelers in Japan, a role he will conclude this year after beating out Jamie Joseph to be named as Scott Robertson’s successor.
Sonny Bill Williams (left) backs Dave Rennie's ability to create a strong team culture. Rennie is currently coaching Ardie Savea's (right) Kobe Steelers. Photo / Photosport
Williams – who played under Rennie at the Chiefs – revealed in an Instagram video that he was one of the former players New Zealand Rugby spoke with to hear what Rennie is like as a coach.
“I honestly think that the Wallabies let him go too early, but I’m quite happy because it’s good for us and it’s going to come back to bite them, hopefully next year in the World Cup in Australia.”
Williams explained Rennie was instrumental in Quade Cooper’s successful return to the Wallabies for the 2021 Rugby Championship.
The 58-test former midfielder said that, from a cultural standpoint, he is 150% behind Dave Rennie.
“I know that the All Blacks management, NZR, would have done their due diligence, asking many players, former players like myself, what Dave was about.
“I’ll be really interested to see who is in Dave’s coaching team, because I think that’s almost just as important as him being the head coach. But the one thing I do love about this guy is that he would tell you straight up what the game plan is, how they’re playing.
“He’ll also know what type of athlete, player, that he needs and he wants, and he’s demanding in that aspect. But he’ll also push the culture. As I always say, you’ve got to connect to correct, and I think that’s one of Dave’s big strengths.”
Rennie coached the Chiefs from 2012 to 2017, winning Super Rugby titles in 2012 and 2013.
The Chiefs had finished last in the New Zealand conference in 2011 and 10th overall.
Sonny Bill Williams (centre) with Chiefs Super Rugby coaches Dave Rennie (right) and Wayne Smith (left). Photo / Christine Cornege
That 2012 season was also Williams’ first year in Hamilton.
“I think over 50% of players that went into that squad were new. I remember meeting Dave for the first time. Obviously, we had spoken a fair bit before I had signed, but I felt like he knew who I was.
“I remember going in the first meeting, we spoke extensively. He didn’t hold back on the situation that we’re in. The Chiefs had come last the year before, so he spelt that out plainly. But then, he set the tone for the expectations that he had in order for you to wear that Chiefs jersey. That’s where I believe a lot of the Chiefs mana within our squad came from.
“We based our culture that year on Jeff Da Māori. So, you know, we all bought into something. We learned the new haka. From a cultural point of view, we were thriving. Then we went on, at the end of that year, led by Liam Messam, to get the first one in Chiefs history.”
Nathan Limm has been a journalist with Newstalk ZB and the NZ Herald since 2020. He covered the Netball World Cup in Cape Town in 2023, hosts The Big League Podcast and commentates on rugby and netball for Gold Sport.
