SYDNEY (Reuters) – Former All Blacks assistant coach Mike Cron has been appointed to lead the Wallabies scrum under the guidance of new head coach Joe Schmidt, as announced by Rugby Australia on Tuesday.
Cron, a highly respected figure known as the “scrum doctor” for his expertise in set-piece play, has previously assisted the All Blacks pack in over 200 tests and most recently served as a consultant for World Rugby.
He joins forces with former ACT Brumbies defence coach Laurie Fisher in a seasoned backroom team tasked with preparing Australia for their upcoming tests against Wales and Georgia in July.
Meanwhile, Schmidt has also recruited former Brumbies team manager Chris Thomson, who previously held a high performance manager role at World Rugby.
“Mike has had a positive impact in every program he has been a part of and brings a wealth of knowledge to our coaching staff,” Schmidt stated in a press release.
“I have known Chris from his time at World Rugby, and I am confident he will work diligently behind the scenes to ensure our organization off the field is top-notch.”
Schmidt is expected to name a lineout coach but will personally oversee the Wallabies’ attack strategy.
His streamlined team of assistants stands in contrast to the multitude of staff brought in by his predecessor Eddie Jones for the unsuccessful World Cup campaign in France last year, where Australia were eliminated in the pool stage.
After securing just two wins from nine tests under Jones in 2023, Australia plummeted to a historic low of 10th in the world rankings last month, before moving up to ninth following Wales’ struggles in the Six Nations.
(Reporting by Nick Mulvenney, editing by Costas Pitas)
