The 'Lord' rises: Rugby Australia turns to legendary coach to help save Wallabies

The legendary former ACT Brumbies coach has signed on to Joe Schmidt's new regime, with his role likely to focus on defence.

The deal marks Fisher's second stint with the Wallabies after he was called up at short notice to join Dave Rennie's program in 2022.

The cult hero, however, was told by Eddie Jones at the start of last year that his services were not required throughout what turned out to be a disastrous 2023.

It was a crushing blow for Fisher, however he's determined to make the most of his second coming as a Wallabies assistant coach.

"I want to see Australian rugby as successful as we can be," Fisher said.

"I've stayed in the game over the past six months and this is an opportunity I didn't expect but I'm looking forward to getting back involved and helping reclaim a place for Australian rugby that we can be proud of."

Fisher's signing is the first domino to fall as Schmidt builds his team. Former Ireland and Melbourne Rebels analyst Eoin Toolan will also join the program.

It's a crucial period for the sport as officials look to put Jones' horror reign in the rear-view mirror. The Wallabies will host the British and Irish Lions in 2025 before a home World Cup in 2027.

The events have been identified as an opportunity to reconnect with the wider Australian public and raise crucial funds for the cash-strapped sport and results on the field are vital to achieving those goals.

The new Wallabies coach officially started in his role on March 1 and visited Brumbies training on Monday to interact with the players and gain a greater understanding of the ACT program.

Schmidt will have a tight timeline to prepare the Wallabies for their first Tet match of the year, with just two weeks between the Super Rugby final and the clash with Wales on July 6.

There are currently no plans to hold a mid-season training camp, as has happened in previous seasons.

Instead, Schmidt will place an emphasis on performances in Super Rugby, with results against New Zealand sides particularly valuable.

"I like the level the Australian sides are at," Fisher said.

"There's huge room for improvement and upcoming games against New Zealand sides will let us know how we're going.

"I like the attitude across the board, I like the skills and the adventure but there's plenty to work on."

Fisher has been busy since departing the Brumbies at the end of last season, enjoying a stint in Japan with Black Rams Tokyo and running his eye over the Junior Wallabies and Australian sevens programs. He also signed on as Uni-Norths coaching director in Canberra.

The new roles have allowed him to watch the opening weeks of the Super Rugby season with a different perspective and he's been impressed with the way Australian sides have competed.

Given the short turnaround between the club season and Wallabies Test matches, Fisher is not going to reinvent the wheel. Instead, he plans to instil a hard-nosed edge into the nation's top players to ensure they are prepared for the international arena.

"Rugby starts with your team being hard to beat," he said.

"I have a simple philosophy in rugby about connection, working with the player inside and outside you, taking responsibility for your tackle quality and then your repeat efforts.

"It's not complex. The aim is to get all players on the same page, they all come from slightly different systems so I'm looking to provide something the players can buy into and make sure we're making progress."