WORLD Cup-winning coach Bob Dwyer has taken aim at the poor fitness levels of the Wallabies.

And he has cited Will Skelton’s dramatic weight loss and form surge as the latest example of how Australia is falling behind its northern rivals.

Skelton, the giant lock who played 18 Tests for the Wallabies between 2014-16, is now tearing up England’s Premiership with Saracens, having cut ties with the Waratahs last year.

His weight fluctuated playing in Australia and, while he was a key cog in NSW’s maiden Super Rugby title in 2014, was never able to fulfil his potential in the gold jersey.

Former Wallabies coach Dwyer remains a keen watcher of all rugby, including the Premiership, and is dismayed that Skelton, Kurtley Beale and Matt Toomua appear to have improved their games by playing in England, not Australia.

“My gut feel and observation is that our Super Rugby teams are not fit enough,” Dwyer told the Fox Rugby Podcast.

NEW PODCAST! World Cup-winning coach Bob Dwyer provides some fascinating views on Michael Cheika and the struggling Wallabies ahead of their clash with the Springboks

Subscribe to the podcast on iTunes by CLICKING HERE

Bob Dwyer gives a speech at Coogee Beach Club at the Randwick season launch. Source: News Corp Australia

“And I’ve never had it more clearly driven home to me than when I watched Saracens on the tele a week or so ago and I saw Will Skelton in the Saracens team.

“Now he doesn’t look anything like the Will Skelton that played out there.

“The commentary team said he’s lost 20kg and he’s playing at 130kg.

“He goes to England... we thought they were soft and you could always run them around and beat them.

“And all our players that go there come back better now.

“So that’s an indictment on us.

“If Will Skelton can be 130kg and look like a million dollars... he looks fantastic and I watch the Premiership on the tele and all the players look in fantastic physical condition.”

MORE RUGBY NEWS

‘I’M A NEW MAN’: KARMICHAEL TACKLES BINGE DRINKING, DRUG DEMONS IN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

GENIA OUT, GORDON IN: DWYER’S RADICAL WALLABIES HALFBACK CALL

FIJI’S FUTURE: NO WORLD CUP FOR HAYNE AS SEMI’S STOCKS SOAR

Will Skelton of Saracens takes on Ehren Painter of Northampton. Source: Getty Images

Wallabies coach Michael Cheika last year admitted Australia’s players were not in the necessary condition to play his desired high tempo style at Test level.

It was hoped that more sharing of fitness data between club and country would help remedy the situation this season but Dwyer said that was simply not the case.

The Wallabies’ Bledisloe Cup battering at ANZ Stadium in August rammed home the point, in his eyes.

“I have a belief and a demand of my players that nobody is allowed to walk while the game is in motion — nobody,” said Dwyer, who masterminded Australia’s first World Cup victory in 1991.

“You’re allowed to run or you’re allowed to stand still.

“If you think you should be somewhere else, then get there in a hurry.

“If you think you’re where you ought to be, stay there.

“Ten minutes into the second half against New Zealand in Sydney, I saw five players in a diameter of about 10-12 metres, a small part of the field, five players walking.

Get ready for cricket like never before. FREE Sport HD + Entertainment until the first 4K cricket ball as part of 2 months free on a 12 month plan. SIGN UP TODAY. T&Cs apply

Wallabies players catch their breath after another All Blacks try in Sydney in August. Source: Getty Images

“So New Zealand had the ball, they had 15 attacking and we had 10 defending.

“I said this is totally and absolutely unsatisfactory.”

Dwyer said Rugby Australia needed to take a tougher stance on fitness levels and be more hands on improving standards with its four Super Rugby clubs.

“They need to be able to say ‘this is not good enough,’ we’re going to continually test all our players and if they’re not up to scratch we’re going to withdraw them from your Super Rugby team until they get fit enough.

“That’s what I would be pushing for, whether I’d get support for that is another thing but that’s certainly what I’d be pushing for.

“It is just absolutely nowhere near good enough.

“I am sure that (Tevita) Kuridrani got overweight a year ago and he played poorly.”