THE BUCKET HAT remains in place atop Laurie Fisher’s head.
The specific hat might change – this one bears the Wallabies logo – but this style of headwear is pretty much part of the 66-year-old.
When Fisher was Munster’s forwards coach from 2008 until 2011, they didn’t have a team-issue bucket hat, so he had to adapt. Supporters might remember that his flowing locks were often adorned by a cap.
They’ll probably also remember an affable man who is obsessed with rugby.
Not much has changed in that regard. Sitting in the Wallabies’ team hotel in Dublin yesterday ahead of this weekend’s clash with Ireland, Fisher came alive when the questions were specifically about nitty-gritty details of rugby coaching.
Better known in Australian rugby as ‘Lord’ Laurie, this is a man who has lived and breathed the game pretty much all his life.
He was a top-end club player in Canberra before he moved into coaching with the Brumbies, first working with their second team, then leading the franchise’s academy, and becoming a senior assistant coach in 2003, working under head coach David Nucifora, who would later be the IRFU’s performance director for a decade.
Having helped the Brumbies to the 2004 Super Rugby title, Fisher stepped up as Nucifora’s successor in 2005 and had three years in charge before leaving in 2008.
His fellow Aussie, Tony McGahan, was taking over in Munster and gave Fisher a shout to try something new as the province’s forwards coach.
“It’s great to be back,” said Fisher yesterday.
“I loved my time in Ireland, wonderful people, great rugby, great rugby tradition, so it’s always a great place to return to.
“Munster had some great players at the time so I learned a lot from my time here. We had just about the full Irish team at that time so it was a great learning experience from guys like Paul [O'Connell], Donncha [O'Callaghan], Ronan [O'Gara], and all those guys.
“I had my family here and we really enjoyed the hospitality of the people, living out in Ballincollig, and they couldn’t have done more to make us feel welcome.”
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Munster weren’t able to repeat their Heineken Cup successes while Fisher was there but the Magners League title in 2011 was an ideal way to finish his time in Ireland.
Fisher at Wallabies training in Dublin. Dan Sheridan / INPHO
Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO
While he obviously focused on the lineout and maul, many of the Munster players spoke glowingly about Fisher’s impact on their breakdown work.
Having initially returned to Australia with the Brumbies upon leaving Munster, Fisher joined Gloucester as forwards coach in 2014, spending three seasons working with current IRFU performance director David Humphreys, before once again going back to his spiritual home of the Brumbies as an assistant.
As well as having a stint as Wallabies forwards coach in 2022 under Dave Rennie, Fisher was an influential figure at the Brumbies right up until the end of the 2023 season when he announced that he was finishing up with full-time coaching.
But when Joe Schmidt was appointed to save the Wallabies after the Eddie Jones debacle, there was one key figure he wanted by his side. Fisher answered Australia’s call.
Rather than taking over the forwards, Fisher was appointed as defence coach but his experience and deep knowledge of Aussie rugby means he is a key sounding board for Schmidt in all areas.
“I’ve known Joe for a long time but never coached with him previously,” said Fisher of working under Schmidt this year.
“He really is a great guy to work with. He’s got an insane amount of knowledge about all aspects of the game. He’s got a great manner with his staff and the players. He’s got a great eye for detail on the pitch and that’s something we’re all chasing to be better at.
“He sees things in the moment, which is what makes him a better coach than most. You don’t waste time going back and reviewing to see stuff that you shouldn’t have been doing. His eye for detail and his ability to coach in the moment is second to none.”
Schmidt and Fisher have similar coaching philosophies.
Fisher and Schmidt at Wanderers rugby club. Dan Sheridan / INPHO
Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO
They believe messages should be clear and consistent. Rugby is not an easy sport but what’s important is simple.
“He’s got a real focus on the fundamentals of the game and doing the simple things really well but what he does better than most is that he coaches and sees that and he doesn’t let it drop off,” said Fisher of Schmidt.
“The things that prop your game up, the bedrock of your game, he hammers away at that and I think he also understands opposition strengths and weaknesses and where he can attack.
“I like the fact that we’re not reinventing the wheel each week, it really is about us and how we play and fine-tuning our game, getting better at our skillsets and understanding. That’s what the players enjoy.
“It’s not incredibly complex but it’s challenging to your skillset and I think that’s what players like. They know what they’re supposed to do, they just need to get out there and get better at doing it.”
Fisher is also working with former Ireland performance analyst Eoin Toolan, who provided cutting-edge insight on The 42‘s rugby podcasts in recent years and is now the Wallabies’ skills coach and head of analysis.
“I hadn’t met Eoin prior to us getting together in the middle of the year and he’s got a really good appreciation of the game,” said Fisher.
“He’s obviously got a great relationship with Joe having worked with him in Ireland and I think that’s certainly good for Joe that he has someone who he has a close affinity with, that he knows and they understand each other.
Fisher with Mike Cron and Eoin Toolan. Ashley Crowden / INPHO
Ashley Crowden / INPHO / INPHO
“He’s got a great in-depth knowledge of the game and he’s a good guy, which is important when we spend a lot of time together.”
This weekend, the Wallabies face an Ireland side in which they don’t see many weaknesses.
They know there’s a huge challenge ahead but the prize on offer is also huge. A scalp in Dublin would mean this first year is seen as a big success and the perfect launchpad for 2025, which brings the Lions series to Australia.
Fisher will be up against one of his old friends from Munster in Ireland forwards coach O’Connell, who he helped at the beginning of the former second row’s coaching journey.
“We had a lot of talk about maul attack, maul defence, breakdown,” said Fisher. “We had pretty regular conversations which I learned as much as I gave, so always good conversations.”
There understandably haven’t been as many of those chats in 2024 but there will be great warmth between them when they meet after the game.
Fisher has his hands full with the Wallabies nowadays but he still keeps an eye on all things Munster and Irish rugby.
“I just know that I won more games against Leinster than I lost,” he said with a smile, “so I’ll rest on that.”
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'I loved my time in Ireland... Munster had some great players'
THE BUCKET HAT remains in place atop Laurie Fisher’s head.
The specific hat might change – this one bears the Wallabies logo – but this style of headwear is pretty much part of the 66-year-old.
When Fisher was Munster’s forwards coach from 2008 until 2011, they didn’t have a team-issue bucket hat, so he had to adapt. Supporters might remember that his flowing locks were often adorned by a cap.
They’ll probably also remember an affable man who is obsessed with rugby.
Not much has changed in that regard. Sitting in the Wallabies’ team hotel in Dublin yesterday ahead of this weekend’s clash with Ireland, Fisher came alive when the questions were specifically about nitty-gritty details of rugby coaching.
Better known in Australian rugby as ‘Lord’ Laurie, this is a man who has lived and breathed the game pretty much all his life.
He was a top-end club player in Canberra before he moved into coaching with the Brumbies, first working with their second team, then leading the franchise’s academy, and becoming a senior assistant coach in 2003, working under head coach David Nucifora, who would later be the IRFU’s performance director for a decade.
Having helped the Brumbies to the 2004 Super Rugby title, Fisher stepped up as Nucifora’s successor in 2005 and had three years in charge before leaving in 2008.
His fellow Aussie, Tony McGahan, was taking over in Munster and gave Fisher a shout to try something new as the province’s forwards coach.
“It’s great to be back,” said Fisher yesterday.
“I loved my time in Ireland, wonderful people, great rugby, great rugby tradition, so it’s always a great place to return to.
“Munster had some great players at the time so I learned a lot from my time here. We had just about the full Irish team at that time so it was a great learning experience from guys like Paul [O'Connell], Donncha [O'Callaghan], Ronan [O'Gara], and all those guys.
“I had my family here and we really enjoyed the hospitality of the people, living out in Ballincollig, and they couldn’t have done more to make us feel welcome.”
Munster weren’t able to repeat their Heineken Cup successes while Fisher was there but the Magners League title in 2011 was an ideal way to finish his time in Ireland.
While he obviously focused on the lineout and maul, many of the Munster players spoke glowingly about Fisher’s impact on their breakdown work.
Having initially returned to Australia with the Brumbies upon leaving Munster, Fisher joined Gloucester as forwards coach in 2014, spending three seasons working with current IRFU performance director David Humphreys, before once again going back to his spiritual home of the Brumbies as an assistant.
As well as having a stint as Wallabies forwards coach in 2022 under Dave Rennie, Fisher was an influential figure at the Brumbies right up until the end of the 2023 season when he announced that he was finishing up with full-time coaching.
But when Joe Schmidt was appointed to save the Wallabies after the Eddie Jones debacle, there was one key figure he wanted by his side. Fisher answered Australia’s call.
Rather than taking over the forwards, Fisher was appointed as defence coach but his experience and deep knowledge of Aussie rugby means he is a key sounding board for Schmidt in all areas.
“I’ve known Joe for a long time but never coached with him previously,” said Fisher of working under Schmidt this year.
“He really is a great guy to work with. He’s got an insane amount of knowledge about all aspects of the game. He’s got a great manner with his staff and the players. He’s got a great eye for detail on the pitch and that’s something we’re all chasing to be better at.
“He sees things in the moment, which is what makes him a better coach than most. You don’t waste time going back and reviewing to see stuff that you shouldn’t have been doing. His eye for detail and his ability to coach in the moment is second to none.”
Schmidt and Fisher have similar coaching philosophies.
They believe messages should be clear and consistent. Rugby is not an easy sport but what’s important is simple.
“He’s got a real focus on the fundamentals of the game and doing the simple things really well but what he does better than most is that he coaches and sees that and he doesn’t let it drop off,” said Fisher of Schmidt.
“The things that prop your game up, the bedrock of your game, he hammers away at that and I think he also understands opposition strengths and weaknesses and where he can attack.
“I like the fact that we’re not reinventing the wheel each week, it really is about us and how we play and fine-tuning our game, getting better at our skillsets and understanding. That’s what the players enjoy.
“It’s not incredibly complex but it’s challenging to your skillset and I think that’s what players like. They know what they’re supposed to do, they just need to get out there and get better at doing it.”
Fisher is also working with former Ireland performance analyst Eoin Toolan, who provided cutting-edge insight on The 42‘s rugby podcasts in recent years and is now the Wallabies’ skills coach and head of analysis.
“I hadn’t met Eoin prior to us getting together in the middle of the year and he’s got a really good appreciation of the game,” said Fisher.
“He’s obviously got a great relationship with Joe having worked with him in Ireland and I think that’s certainly good for Joe that he has someone who he has a close affinity with, that he knows and they understand each other.
This weekend, the Wallabies face an Ireland side in which they don’t see many weaknesses.
They know there’s a huge challenge ahead but the prize on offer is also huge. A scalp in Dublin would mean this first year is seen as a big success and the perfect launchpad for 2025, which brings the Lions series to Australia.
Fisher will be up against one of his old friends from Munster in Ireland forwards coach O’Connell, who he helped at the beginning of the former second row’s coaching journey.
“We had a lot of talk about maul attack, maul defence, breakdown,” said Fisher. “We had pretty regular conversations which I learned as much as I gave, so always good conversations.”
There understandably haven’t been as many of those chats in 2024 but there will be great warmth between them when they meet after the game.
Fisher has his hands full with the Wallabies nowadays but he still keeps an eye on all things Munster and Irish rugby.
“I just know that I won more games against Leinster than I lost,” he said with a smile, “so I’ll rest on that.”
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Bucket Hat Laurie Fisher Lord Laurie Munster Wallabies