Boasts a winning record in the northern and southern hemispheres with wins in the 2009 Heineken Cup at Leinster and the 2014 Super Rugby competition with the Waratahs. He knows success and how teams in both hemispheres train and play.
Will attract player buy-in,and not just from his Waratahs roster,but from players in the Wallabies squad who come from Australia's other Super Rugby sides and are excited to experience playing for a coach who turned underachievers into champions.
A straight-talking no-nonsense coach who provides clarity and direction on issues ranging from selection and game strategy to team culture. He doesn't have to coach the Wallabies because he needs the money or fame. Importantly,hewants to.
Is taking over a team that despite its 29-28 loss on Saturday to the All Blacks has self-belief. They just need more of it to go to play out games. He is a master at bringing the best out of players when even they may doubt they have more.
Will encourage a high-tempo but physical game,such as the Wallabies played on Saturday. Interestingly,the run-on team had six Waratahs – Sekope Kepu,Michael Hooper,Nick Phipps,Bernard Foley,Adam Ashley-Cooper and Israel Folau.
Not afraid to provide opportunity to lower-profile names if they are performing and he feels they have earned it. Similarly,unafraid to drop a player,no matter how big the name. He won't kowtow to outside pressures to pick players either.
Empowers players with a sense of self-responsibility,on and off the field – to the point that they take it upon themselves to live up to what is expected of them in training,games and after – rather than browbeat them over and over with rules.