Les Kiss says he had mixed emotions after his last game in charge of the Reds, with his focus now switching to his new role as Wallabies head coach.
Queensland crashed 46-24 to the Chiefs in Hamilton on Saturday to end their Super Rugby Pacific campaign and draw the curtain on three years at the helm for Kiss.
“Mixed emotions in a lot of ways. I’m bloody proud of the boys and gutted for them at the same time,” Kiss said.
With the Brumbies also losing their playoff game – a crushing 66-12 loss to the Hurricanes – there will be no Australian teams in the semi-finals.
Kiss said he did not think it was a fair representation of where Australian rugby was at.
“I think you’ve got to just recognise that the Kiwi teams have been in pretty good form most of the year,” he said.
“We’ve certainly been improving week-on-week and we went hammer and tongs and just a few moments that they profited on.
“I think the comp’s still in a good place.”
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Australian rugby now turns its attention to the inaugural Nations Championship, with the Wallabies hosting Ireland, France and Italy in July.
Current Australia coach Joe Schmidt will be in charge for those three games before handing the baton to Kiss.
His first matches at the helm will be back-to-back clashes against Eddie Jones’ Japan in August, but he will shadow Schmidt during the Nations Championship.
Kiss was an assistant to Schmidt when he was Ireland coach.
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Reds skipper Fraser McReight is all but certain to feature in Schmidt’s final three Tests and he said the Wallabies would be in safe hands when Kiss takes over.
“Les has been huge [over the last three years],” he said after the Chiefs game. “I think you are seeing all the senior players playing their best footy under Les and that’s no coincidence.”
Former Scotland and Fiji coach Vern Cotter, currently at the Blues, is taking over from Kiss at the Reds.
– AFP
Photo: Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images
The post Kiss puts on Wallabies hat after Reds defeat appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
Les Kiss says he had mixed emotions after his last game in charge of the Reds, with his focus now switching to his new role as Wallabies head coach.
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