Matt Taylor has made the decision to quit his role as Wallabies defense coach.
The call comes after a record 48-17 loss to Michael Cheika’s Argentina side in San Juan saw the Wallabies drop to seventh place in the world rankings.
The Pumas outplayed the Wallabies in most facets of the game and scored seven tries on their way to victory, including 19 points from Emiliano Boffelli.
Two years in the team
taylor joined Dave Rennie’s coaching staff with the Wallabies in 2020 and has over 10 years of coaching experience at Test level between spells as assistant coaches for Scotland and Australia.
The separation was mutual between Rennie’s and the 49-year-old’s coaching staff, as Taylor felt he had to leave for personal reasons.
Rennie praised Taylor for his contribution to the team during the two years with the national team which had its ups and downs including a series win against France and their last loss against Argentina.
“Matt is a great man with a strong work ethic, who is highly respected in the Wallabies environment and he will be missed,” Rennie said on the Wallabies official website.
Taylor said he needed to spend more time with his family and would return to training when “the time is right”.
“While this is an extremely difficult decision, I know it’s the right one for me and my family at this point,” Taylor added.
“I can’t wait to spend more time with them and I can’t wait to get back into coaching when the time is right.”
Next challenge
Rennie’s Wallabies host the Springboks next weekend for the first of two Tests in Australia. The head coach is hoping for reinforcements in his coaching structure as he seeks to right the ship.
Given Rennie’s win rate of around 40%, his injuries and changes to the coaching staff, the tactician will be desperate to put in a solid run of performances against South Africa.
READ MORE: Rugby Championship: Five stories to watch ahead of next two rounds of closest tournament in years
#Australia #Defense #coach #Matt #Taylor #quits #Wallabies #coaching #staff