As Australia prepare for a monumental clash with the world No 1 Springboks the coach is taking heart from this side’s belief and resilience
Top dogs at Rugby Australia HQ are generally suited and booted but Les Kiss, with his goatee and spectacles, gets about in jeans, sneakers and baseball cap. Short but spry, wiry like a yoga teacher, husky like a barfly, the Wallabies coach is about to face the biggest challenge – some say the greatest beatdown – of his professional life.
“We have the Springboks in front of us next Sunday,” Kiss says. “It’s a massive opportunity to challenge a fantastic team that is second to none in the world. An opportunity to challenge ourselves too. We won’t shy away; we’ll take it on. This 80 minutes will be a representation of where we’re at – and who we are.”
