Former Wallabies have called for wholesale changes in the Australian test set‑up after the side's worst‑ever season and revelations of dressing‑room tension.

With just five tests left until Australia open their World Cup campaign against Fiji next September, time is running out to reset the Wallabies' course.

Decorated former Australian fullback Matt Burke and 42‑test former hooker Brendan Cannon were stinging in their assessments of Michael Cheika's management, which has seen the team slump to sixth in the world and notch a season of nine losses from 13 tests.

Cannon said the Rugby Australia board and executive had no choice but to take action while Burke said the team had lost the respect of their rivals.

The Rugby Australia board’s final meeting of the year is on December 10, which could leave fan frustrations to fester for the next two weeks.

It has been revealed over recent days that the Wallabies ended the season with strained relations, mostly over perceptions of a double standard on team discipline.

Kurtley Beale and Adam Ashley‑Cooper, both of whom played under Cheika at the Waratahs in 2013 and 2014, were not disciplined for breaking team rules until 10 days after the fact.

Fairfax Media revealed a group of players had approached team leaders with concerns the incident was going unpunished, pointing to the standing down last month of Sefanaia Naivalu after the Melbourne winger almost missed a team bus in South Africa because he had been drinking.

[Source: SMH]