Rugby Australia boss Hamish McLennan thought angry Wallabies fan would GLASS him during bizarre clash after Australia’s World Cup horror show
Rugby Australia boss Hamish McLennan has revealed details of an altercation with a menacing Wallabies fan who he thought was going to glass him.
The woeful Wallabies will crash out of the Rugby World Cup pool stages for the first time ever if Fiji picks up a bonus point against Portugal next Monday (AEDT).
Coach Eddie Jones has borne the brunt of the backlash to the Wallabies’ disastrous tournament, but McLennan has also had to deal with the wrath of angry fans.
McLennan revealed he was with family members at a restaurant in the French city of Lyon the night after the Wallabies were beaten 40-6 by Wales when an irate fan sat down at his table and placed a glass of milk in front of him.
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Hamish McLennan (pictured left with coach Eddie Jones, right, and former Rugby Australia CEO Andy Marinos) was confronted by an aggrieved Wallabies supporter in a restaurant
Eddie Jones has taken a lot of the backlash from the Wallabies’ horror tournament, but McLennan has also had to deal with angry fans (Photo: Aussie shines after loss to France)
“He ordered me to drink it,” McLennan told the newspaper Sydney Morning Herald.
‘I took a sip. He told me that he and his family only drank milk after the Wales defeat.
‘He sat there for ten minutes. He was extremely offended, which I understand, but I think he crossed the line. It got so messy that I thought he was going to punch me or try to give me a drink.
“It was ugly and it was embarrassing for me in front of the family, and everyone was shocked. I haven’t told anyone yet except friends. I think it’s just a sign of the times.’
Despite the vitriol coming his way, McLennan believes it was the right decision to let Eddie Jones take over from Dave Rennie as coach.
“I was really worried that we would be knocked out in the pool stages, which is why we made the switch from Dave to Eddie,” McLennan told Telegraph Sport.
“So we wanted to give ourselves the best possible opportunity to go deeper. That is the great irony of the situation.
‘Eddie is a fantastic coach. People may not like the way he acts in the media, but he has worked his butt off and he is a smart guy.
“He has a great winning percentage and a great World Cup record against a coach (Rennie) who had never been to a World Cup and had just lost to Italy.”
The menacing Wallabies fan sat down at McLennan’s table and ordered him to drink from a glass of milk in a confrontation that left the Rugby Australia boss shocked.
McLennan says he felt ashamed and feared for his safety
McLennan believes irritated fans targeting him or Jones are missing the bigger picture. He also believes the way forward is to replicate the centralized system used in Ireland.
“The pile is there, but we have to think long term,” he said.
“We need to think about centralization, better recruitment of players, better retention of players to prevent them from going abroad, sort out our media rights and continue to recruit sponsors for both men and women and promote the game.
‘And all this while there is not much money in the bank.
“Rugby in Australia suffers from short-term thinking and I have said from day one that we have to think long-term and that 2027 will be our moment.”