Why is Fraser McReight on the bench? Steve Hansen & Ewen McKenzie on Australia v Italy

Australia vs Italy in Perth should be all about Joe Schmidt’s final test in charge, but the selection of Fraser McReight on the bench immediately becomes the talking point. In Part 2, David Pembroke, Steve Hansen and Ewen McKenzie unpack that Wallabies decision, Italy’s injuries, Gonzalo Quesada’s ban under World Rugby’s new sanctions for abuse of match officials, and what both desperate teams need from this game. From there, the episode turns into a sharp and revealing conversation about referees, why coaches used to meet them before matches, why that mattered, and what rugby has lost by cutting off those relationships. It then closes with a preview of Fiji vs Scotland and the question of whether Fiji can rediscover the edge that made them such a dangerous side.

You can listen to or watch the FULL EPISODE here: open.spotify.com/show/2CsMO8YIDbnY2zDM1BPWE9

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In this episode:
00:00 🇦🇺 Australia vs Italy and Joe Schmidt’s final test in charge
02:00 🚫 Gonzalo Quesada banned under new referee abuse sanctions
03:00 🇮🇹 Italy’s injuries and why both teams are desperate for a win
04:00 ❓ Why Ewen McKenzie cannot understand Fraser McReight on the bench
06:00 🧑‍⚖️ Steve Hansen on sanctions, frustration and referee consistency
07:00 🤝 Have coaches lost the chance to meet referees before games?
08:00 🏨 Old-school referee meetings and why they actually helped
10:00 🗣️ Why rugby needs better relationships between coaches and officials
14:00 🇫🇯 Fiji vs Scotland and the mystery of Fiji’s drop-off
16:00 🏴 Scotland’s challenge: stay disciplined and don’t invite Fiji in

Call to action:
📌 Should Fraser McReight have started — and does rugby need to rethink how coaches and referees work together?

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