Coach Ewen McKenzie has unwittingly rewritten the coaching manual as Australian rugby faces ridicule not just on the field ahead of Saturday's Bledisloe Cup finale in Brisbane.
McKenzie's return to the city where he strengthened his coaching credentials through the Queensland Reds Super Rugby title in 2011 is guaranteed to be an uncomfortable experience - a stark contrast from the acclaim he received when replacing Robbie Deans as Wallabies coach in July last year.
Subjected to an unprecedented grilling by media on aspects of his personal and professional life at Australian Rugby Union headquarters in Sydney on Friday, there is not likely to be any respite for McKenzie in his adopted home town. Rumours, innuendo and disquiet about his stewardship of an under-performing national team, coming off a galling and historic defeat in Argentina, continue despite his succession of strident denials.
McKenzie's relationship with the Australian Rugby Union's now former business manager Di Patston - she resigned hours after he denied the couple shared an intimate relationship - is sure to be revisited in the buildup to a test where the All Blacks are practically bit players.
He can also expect to regurgitate assurances that there is no rift between him and the players despite captain Michael Hooper, Adam Ashley-Cooper and James Slipper reportedly insisting that Kurtley Beale not be sent home from Argentina following a mid-air altercation with Patston last month.
Subsequently Beale is now also subject to a code of conduct hearing after the ARU revealed last week that he had allegedly transmitted lewd texts and images referring to a staff member - Patston - in June.
Sceptics suggest the timing of that development - despite the matter apparently being resolved by way of apology four months ago - amounted to a deliberate distraction from McKenzie's questionable relationship with Patston, and the discord it inspired among the squad once she began touring in her capacity as a human resources expert.
McKenzie's denial that he knew about the allegedly obscene texts and images in June is also at odds with Beale's management while the fact that ARU chief executive Bill Pulver was only told of the utility back's supposed social media misconduct last week has also raised questions about the veracity of his leadership.
Pulver - who championed McKenzie's appointment on the grounds it would invigorate the code following Deans' generally dour yet statistically superior tenure - is under pressure on several fronts, including his decision to allow McKenzie to appoint Patston in the first place.
Reports on ESPNscrum last week also claim the ARU remains financially vulnerable despite a concerted cost-cutting exercise, with a substantial revenue slump forecast for 2015.
The bottom line is if the Wallabies were successful on the field the off-field issues would diminish. Though not even an unlikely win in the annual "dead rubber" Bledisloe match will provide much relief ahead of a tour that features World Cup pool rivals England and Wales.
McKenzie was aghast that it took more than 15 minutes for a question pertaining to his 32-man squad when it was announced on Friday. Quade Cooper's return from a five-month injury layoff is also destined to be a sideline regardless of whether he is named in the match-day 23 tomorrow.
The Wallabies assembled in Brisbane yesterday and no doubt headed to a meeting to air any grievances rather than to formulate tactics to beat a team that topped 50 during their previous meeting at Eden Park.
Ashley-Cooper's expected presence at a media opportunity today should provide some insight regarding the mood of the roster.
The personable veteran was nominated for media duties early in the week because, according to a team official, his 100th test at least offered a "feel good factor".
Considering he has already tweeted his continuing support for Beale, a positive start to the week is by no means certain.
