Why Les Kiss is the coach Wallabies need … even if Reds don’t reach Super Rugby semis

There will be a predictable reaction if the Brumbies and Reds are knocked out before the Super Rugby Pacific semi-finals – especially since Reds coach Les Kiss is about to take the reins at the Wallabies.

Australian rugby will be declared in disarray and the Wallabies doomed, especially since a cash bonus component in the most recent broadcasting deal was linked to Super Rugby and Wallabies wins.

It’s not that simple. While no Australian team has raised the ceiling in terms of performance this year, the Western Force have raised the floor.

The gap between the “best” Australian team and the “worst” is very small. As long as all four have shown some quality this year – and they have – there is no reason to believe this Super Rugby model is worse than having a title-winning outfit at the top and a weak team at the bottom.

In fact, one of the attributes of the current Springboks team that no one discusses is the near-total lack of club-level titles among its players and coaches.

How many Super Rugby and European crowns have Rassie Erasmus or Siya Kolisi won? None. And it’s a story that is repeated throughout their squad.

For a whole host of complex reasons, South African franchises don’t win much, but that hasn’t stopped them from becoming back-to-back world champions.

But there is another reason Australia shouldn’t be too despondent: the Reds’ attack shape and the promise that Kiss will bring some of that into the Wallabies when he takes over at the end of July.

At their best, the Reds’ attack is reminiscent of Argentina, who had the best attack in world rugby last year. Forget about the stats – in terms of performance, Los Pumas’ attack was not only the most pleasing to the eye, it was near maximum capacity.

With the players they have available, Argentina probably shouldn’t cause as much defensive havoc as they did, but thankfully rugby isn’t played on paper.

At times, they cut opponents such as the All Blacks and Springboks to shreds with their back play, and sources have told this column they did it by taking inspiration from rugby league under attack coach Kenny Lynn.

The Pumas backs “fold” heavily around the corner, giving the impression that about 1000 players are in motion. They simply overload defences with numbers because players such as their blindside winger and fullback work hard.

The Reds are without a doubt the Australian Super Rugby team that most closely resembles this, which is why the “Junkyard Dog”, Tim Ryan, has had an excellent season without necessarily compiling the highlights-reel moments of his breakout year.

Similarly, clever players such as Jock Campbell have been everywhere this season, while No.10 Harry McLaughlin-Phillips is playing above himself and may struggle to match that influence if he moves clubs next year.

It hasn’t necessarily translated into wins (although they are 2-3 against the Kiwi sides so far and were arguably a few calls away last week from reversing that record) but the attacking intent the Reds are showing is in sync with where the game is moving.

Last November’s Test window, as a product, was patchy, but the Six Nations was a superb advertisement for attacking rugby, facilitated by a lighter-touch approach from the refereeing teams and, as this column understands it, some gentle prodding by World Rugby about what the game could look like.

The Reds’ attacking style suits this subtle shift and the Wallabies’ performances at the end of 2025 indicated they needed fresh ideas with ball in hand.

Without resorting to tired old cliches, there is a hint of “the Australian way” in how Kiss has set up the Reds. They play tough but they play with ambition. Fundamentally, this is based on working hard without the ball and possessing a high skill set to pass under pressure.

No one should be any under illusion about the challenges facing Australian rugby. The Wallabies are No.8 in the world for a reason.

There will be a whole range of ways to measure success or failure under Kiss, but just months out from the coach officially taking over, it can be boiled down to one question: Do you think the Wallabies can get better under the former North Sydney Bears winger? And the answer is yes.

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