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'I owe that man a lot': Wallabies stars refuse to blame World Cup debacle on Michael Cheika
The Wallabies have returned to Australia accepting they just weren’t good enough after their humbling Rugby World Cup quarter-final exit.
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Skipper Michael Hooper refused to blame coach Michael Cheika’s erratic selections or high-risk game plan for Saturday’s 40-16 loss to England on his arrival at Sydney airport on Tuesday morning.
“We weren’t able to execute our big moments. Our game plan was solid. We believed, we bought into the game plan a hundred per cent,” Hooper said.
“And by the way we started, which was (behind) a lot of the criticism we’d copped up until that point, was pretty good, pretty sharp.
“We came out of the blocks and had the English under a lot pressure.
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“You can talk about game plan or certain skill areas in parts of the field, and we’ll do a full review still of that game because it’s a big-moment game and a lot of players who played in that game will be going on in the future.
“So we’ve got to have a look at how we would have done it different.”
Cheika quit on Sunday after presiding over Australia’s worst World Cup campaign before making the stunning claim that he had virtually no relationship with Rugby Australia boss Raelene Castle.
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But Hooper and champion flanker David Pocock both maintained Cheika had the full backing of the entire 31-man squad throughout the tournament.
A former Australian captain is among the voices calling for an independent review of both the Wallabies coaching role and the Rugby Australia hierarchy following the World Cup debacle. #RWC2019 https://t.co/HvN1Rysowp
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) October 22, 2019
“Me personally, Cheik’s been amazing for me. I owe that man a lot,” Hooper said.
“The passion that he represented us, stood up for us all the time and just genuinely wanted the best for Australian rugby.
“Not just the team, not just for him being the coach of the team, but what’s best for Australian rugby after he’s long gone, to leave something that’s positive.”
Pocock said the playing group was very much shielded from Cheika’s dysfunctional relationship with Castle and RA chairman Cameron Clyne, and insisted the off-field friction had no bearing on the Wallabies’ poor showing in Japan.
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“There’s no excuses,” Pocock said.
“We prepared well and you’ve got to cop it on the chin. We weren’t good enough.”
Neither Hooper or Pocock, who has retired from international rugby, would be drawn on who should replace Cheika.
Two-time Super Rugby-winning coach Dave Rennie is the frontrunner, with fellow New Zealander Jamie Joseph, former Wallabies mentor Eddie Jones – who remains contracted with England for two more years – and ex-assistant coach Stephen Larkham have also been mentioned as possible candidates.
AAP
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Comments on RugbyPass
Except for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
33 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
2 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
33 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
49 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
33 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
33 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
33 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
33 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
1 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to commentsObscene that SA haven’t been knocking
1 Go to commentsChances of Blackadder being injured seem too high to give him serious consideration. ABs loosie combination finally looked good with 2 committed to tackling and clearing rucks in the centre and Ardie roaming. Hoskins/Ardie together would force one of them into where they don’t excel and don’t get to use their talent, or require a change in tactics. If we continue to evolve last years systems I would take Papali’i and Finau at 6 and 7 (conceding that Blackadder will be injured) and Ardie at 8.
33 Go to commentsArdie’s preferred position 7? Where do they get these writers from? I've no idea where he's playing in Japan, but the previous two seasons he wore the 7 jersey exactly twice.
17 Go to commentsNot good to hear Ulster described as “financially troubled”. Did not think it was getting to that level. I would hope the Irish system of spreading players of talent away from Leinster would kick in now. Better to have a Leinster fringe player with Ulster or Connacht, then getting only a few games a season in Dublin. 10, for example, would seem to be a case for spreading the talent. I would not be at all adverse to a SA man coming in as head coach/DR. Ludeke is worth trying. Certainly got a long and impressive coaching career at this level…..149 games in SR, then Japan, 30 years experience. And Ulster’s ledger of successful SA coaches and players is on the positive side. Is talk of Ruan Pienaar interested in coming back as a coach…..could be a good combination with Ludeke. And Pienaar and family would have no settling in to do, one would judge. He loved life in Ulster when there, by all reports.
1 Go to commentsSome thoughts to consider here, Sam. Thanks
2 Go to comments