A FIRST-EVER defeat to Italy, an eighth loss of the season, dropping to eighth in the World Rugby rankings.

It hasn’t been a good week for Dave Rennie and his Wallabies side ahead of this Saturday’s autumn Test against Ireland in Dublin. The head coach’s win record now stands at 37%.

But as former Wallabies and Ulster lock Justin Harrison explained on today’s edition of The42 Rugby Weekly Extra – a podcast available to members of The42 every Monday and Wednesday – Australian teams are good at bouncing back in the face of adversity.

Harrison, who helped Ulster to their most recent trophy back in 2006, won 34 caps for the Wallabies after breaking through during the 2001 Lions tour. He joined Murray Kinsella on today’s podcast to discuss the pressure the Wallabies are under after last weekend’s shock defeat to the Italians. 

“That team is under extreme pressure but one thing I do know about Australian teams and the Australian psyche is that when you are under pressure in a Wallabies changing room, we normally respond very well,” said Harrison.

“We’re traditionally very good at performing under extreme adversity. Our whole country is under adversity every cycle of the weather pattern. We’re either in a bush fire or a flood or someone’s been taken by a shark.

“There’s all sorts of peril when you step outside the door of an Australian household, so it’s in our DNA to react to adversity. I know that group has done a lot of internal searching, they’ve done a lot of not only self-critiquing, but all peer-to-peer critiquing.

“When you have a group that’s capable of doing that, then you do have a chance of reacting in the right manner.

“Dave Rennie is frustratingly not getting the results that we know he’s capable of. That group of people and what he’s instilling in a Wallaby jersey in terms of style of play, principles of play, and the honesty of performance we want to see – he really has worked hard on that and you do see parts of that.

“The conundrum for us is that it’s a peak and trough situation at the moment instead of a peak and then a level out, then another peak.”

Harrison lifts the 2006 Celtic League trophy. Gareth Everett / Huw Evans Agency Gareth Everett / Huw Evans Agency / Huw Evans Agency

Elsewhere on today’s pod, Harrison spoke fondly of the three seasons he spent with Ulster from 2005 until 2008.

He was captain on the day the northern province won the 2006 Celtic League, but he left with some regrets about the drop-off in performances that subsequently led to head coach Mark McCall’s departure.

“It’s disappointing that we didn’t climb through that window of opportunity,” said Harrison.

“We produced a lot of Irish players in that era. Matt McCullough was capped, Stephen Ferris, Tommy Bowe, Andy Trimble, Paddy Wallace, Lord Humphreys of course, Isaac Boss, Rory Best – that’s a handy side.

“We took the field with confidence but just towards the end of that three-year stint we had there, I’m just probably a bit sheepish about the way it ended. But I’m certainly very passionate about the friendships I’ve still got and I’ve still got a place up there in Cherryvalley.

“Coincidently, my wife’s grandfather lives in Portrush so the boys have got Irish passports, my two young boys, so you never know, mate – they might be showing up in an emerald green jersey.”

Harrison also spoke about the Australian media’s relationship with players, the future at Super Rugby level, Mack Hansen’s brilliant story, and his impressions of Andy Farrell’s Ireland.

To get access to The42 Rugby Weekly Extra, which comes out every Monday with Gavan Casey, Bernard Jackman, and Murray Kinsella, as well as every Wednesday with Eoin Toolan, become a member of The42 at members.the42.ie.

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