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Former Wallabies captain Horwill weighs into debate over Cheika's future

By Peter Thompson
Australia head coach Michael Cheika

James Horwill has backed Michael Cheika to stay on as head coach and thinks he can inspire Australia to a strong World Cup challenge next year.

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Cheika is set to face the Rugby Australia board next week following a poor Rugby Championship campaign and will be expected to outline his plans for an upturn in fortunes.

The Wallabies were heading for the wooden spoon before fighting back from 31-7 down at half-time to beat Argentina 45-34 in a Salta thriller last weekend.

Horwill does not believe replacing Cheika is the answer and thinks Australia have the quality to go far in Japan next year.

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The former Australia captain told Omnisport: “The Wallabies have had a tough time of it, there is no doubt about that, but I think he [Cheika] will stay on.

“I don’t see them making a change now. He has the support of the players, I think they have shown they are behind him.

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“They are trying different things and there is stuff going on in the background. They had a poor first half and a good second half last weekend, which about sums it up.

“There are aspects to work on and he [Cheika] knows that, he is looking at different combinations and this is the time to do that. 

“I still think we can challenge at the World Cup, the quality is there. Yes, there is work to do, but they are working on things and if they can get it right when it matters, there is no reason why they cannot be contenders in Japan.”

There has been talk of George Gregan or John Eales being brought in to assist Cheika, but Horwill is not convinced there is any need to tinker with the staff.

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“I think it’s important to back the coach and let him do things in his own way,” the Harlequins lock added.

You may also like: Ex-Western Force assistant John Mulvihill slams Australia media over Cheika treatment

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J
Jon 9 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

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