0
Mooney takes on wannabe Wallabies
Bret Harris | May 13, 2008 Mooney takes on wannabe Wallabies | The Australian
QUEENSLAND REDS rookie coach Phil Mooney is expected to be named coach of the Australia A team.
Mooney will replace Brumbies coach Laurie Fisher, who guided the Australia A team for two years during John Connolly's period as Wallabies coach.
Australia A will play Samoa, Tonga, Fiji, Japan and New Zealand Maori in a round-robin tournament over five weeks in June and July.
The Australia A program is an integral part of Australian rugby's player development pathway.
A stepping-stone to Wallabies selection, the Australia A program gives players new to the international arena the opportunity to gain experience at the highest level.
The fact Mooney, 43, has been entrusted with such an important role after only one year of coaching at the Super 14 level is a feather in his cap and a sign he is regarded as a coach of the future.
Mooney inherited from Eddie Jones a demoralised Reds team that finished on the bottom of the Super 14 table last year, winning just two of 11 games in the team's worst result.
He has succeeded in regaining respect for the Reds, lifting them to 11th place on the table with three wins and a draw heading into the final round.
While Mooney has won admiration for his democratic approach to coaching, he has also been prepared to make tough decisions, including taking the captaincy off veteran backrower John Roe and dropping flanker David Croft to the bench for two games.
After a slow start, the Reds have been highly competitive in the second half of the season.
Crusaders coach Robbie Deans paid Mooney a compliment before the New Zealand side's 27-21 win against Queensland last Saturday when he said the Reds could have been in the top four if they had played as well at the start of the year.
Mooney took charge of the Reds this season after five years as Queensland Academy of Sport under-19s coach and a period at the helm of the Reds academy.
He coached Brisbane club Wests before joining the QRU and guided the Australian under-19 team to victory in the 2006 world championship.
Reply With Quote
Was the wait worth it - Ya betta baby 
