'It's a cruel, cruel world when you're asked those questions two minutes after your World Cup is finished'
Michael Cheika has refused to announce his resignation as Wallabies coach despite their ignominious dumping from the Rugby World Cup after being outclassed 40-16 by England in the quarter-finals.
Australia huffed and puffed but had no answer for ruthless England, who scored four tries to book England a semi-final berth for the first time in 12 years.
The result on Saturday has almost certainly ended the five-year tenure of Cheika, who’s failed to get consistency from his team in the four years since leading them to the 2015 tournament final.
Cheika has said he would stand down if the Wallabies didn’t win in Japan but he was guarded on his future at a post-Test media conference.
“I’m being honest. It’s a cruel, cruel world nowadays when you’re asked those questions two minutes after your World Cup is finished,” Cheika said. “If you’d find it inside you to find a little bit of compassion to just ask more relevant questions … think about peoples’ feelings for a minute. Just chill.”
(Continue reading below…)
Asked if the Australian public deserved an answer, Cheika said: “When the time comes, I’ll tell them. They don’t need to know today, it’s not going to kill them.”
England’s victory was built on an unforgiving defence and the control of five-eighth Owen Farrell, who kicked 20 points and was a class above underused opposite Christian Lealiifano.
Both pivots enjoyed perfect goal-kicking returns but Farrell’s eight successful shots included four conversions while Lealiifano only got to convert his team’s lone try along with three penalties.
Australia dominated many of the game’s statistics, forcing their opponents to attempt 181 tackles to just 78.
It's all over for Michael Cheika's Wallabies.
Here's how we rated the Aussie's #rwc QF in Oita 🌍🏆#ENGvAUS https://t.co/0AKE0QvCgA
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) October 19, 2019
However, turnovers and handling errors were a crippling factor – as they have been throughout the tournament – against opponents who were methodical every time they made an incursion into Australia’s territory.
Cheika again made no apology for his te am’s heavy ball-in-hand approach.
“Listen, that’s the way we play footy. I’m not going to go to a kick and defend game. Call me naive but that’s something we’re not going to do.”
Australia closed within a point of the lead early in the second half when brilliant winger Marika Koroibete bagged their try but England muscled up late to score the game’s final 23 points.
England are through to the #RWC2019 quarter-finals
– @alexshawsport rates the players #ENGvARG https://t.co/yVCn20cspT
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) October 19, 2019
The result equalled England’s biggest ever win over the Wallabies and was sweet revenge for the pool defeat at Twickenham four years ago that knocked them out of the global tournament.
It was also the seventh straight win for England coach Eddie Jones over Cheika, whose erratic approach to selection at the tournament played a part in their lack of cohesion when it counted.
The Wallabies led briefly through Lealiifano’s first of three first-half penalties before the game broke wide open through May’s double in the 18th and 21st minutes.
The speedy winger’s second try summed up t he Test when a loose David Pocock pass was gathered by Henry Slade, who scooted 40m before a pinpoint grubber was collected with glee by the man celebrating 50 Tests.
Both sideline conversions were slotted by Farrell, who also landed a penalty before the break to put his team 17-9 ahead.
Koroibete’s try was set up by smart passing from Reece Hodge and Petaia before the former NRL winger scorched around Elliot Daly.
Just one point clear, England re-established control through Farrell, whose inch-perfect pass sent prop Kyle Sinckler thundering across.
A long spell of Australian attack came to nothing and England’s pack gradually took control, earning three penalties that all turned into three points as well as a late intercept try to Anthony Watson.
– AAP
Comments on RugbyPass
Danny Care. Lang in die tand.
1 Go to commentsBig empty stadium does nothing for atmosphere but munster are playing well with solid performance
1 Go to commentsYes, Fiji can win the World Cup! With that belief plus their christian faith🙏 and hard work it is achievable. Great article. Ian Duncan Fiji resident 1981-84
2 Go to commentsInteresting comments about Touch. England’s hosting the Touch World Cup this year and the numbers have exploded since their last World Cup in 2019, something like 70% more teams and 40 nations taking part. And England Touch have made a big thing about how many universities are in their BUCS University Touch Championship as well as Sport England membership. Can only see this growing even more domestically as more people become aware of it
10 Go to comments“Cortez Ratima is light years ahead of anyone on current form, while TJ Perenara has also skyrocketed into contention following the unfortunate injury to the talented Cam Roigard.” At last some sanity. Hitherto so many pundits have been wittering on about Finlay Christie to the point one wondered if they were observing a FC in a parallel universe where the FC they saw wasnt just the mediocre Shayne Philpott project of Fosters hapless AB reign in the real world. Ratima, Perenara and Fakatava are the ONLY logical 9s for Razor now Roigard is crocked.
2 Go to commentsThis game was just as painful as the Hurricanes game. It was real fork-in-the-eye stuff.
2 Go to commentsNow if they could just fire the Crusaders ground PA guy who likes to play his dance music and just loves the sound of his own voice the entire game, even when play is going on. And I thought their brass band thing of a few years ago was bad.
5 Go to commentsUnfortunately when you lose by far the two form players this season in Roigard and Aumua, you're left replacing two game changing Tanks with a couple of pea-shooters. Which is also about the speed of TJs pass.
4 Go to commentsBit rich coming from the guy with zero loyalty to anyone or any team, including happily taking a players place in a league world cup squad because well, SBW wanted to play in it and thus an already named player got told he was no longer going. And airing stuff like this, which may or may not be true, doesn't exactly say you're a stand up guy either SBW. Just looking to keep his name in lights as usual.
38 Go to commentsTamati Tua. …the Taniwha NPC midfielder. Ollie Sapsford, Hawkes Bay NPC midfielder…doing well
4 Go to commentsFiji deserve to be in the rugby championship, fans love seeing the Fijian national team play, the Fijian Drua is a wonderful idea but the players can still be stolen to play for NZ and AUS…
2 Go to commentsThe first concern for this afternoon are wheather forecast…
1 Go to commentsWhy cant I watch Rugby games please?
1 Go to commentsBeautiful shot from Finau, end of story. Gutted for Shaun Stevenson though.
4 Go to commentsThe Chiefs definitely didn’t win ugly. They had the superior scrum, a dominant lineout, and their defence was excellent once the Waratahs scored their two tries (thanks to some lucky refereeing calls mind you). They put pressure on the Waratahs lineout throughout the game, and the mind boggles as to why the referee did not award a yellow card or a penalty try against the Waratahs for repeated scrum infringements on their own try line before Narawa’s first try. And the Chiefs were slick with their passing and running angles on attack. It was a dominant performance all round, even with many questionable refereeing decisions.
1 Go to commentsWasnt late. Ref 2 assistants andTMO all saw it so who are you to say it was?
4 Go to commentsAre the Brumbies playing the Blues twice in a row?
4 Go to commentsBig difference from the Saders. Forwards really muscled up and laid a solid platform. Scooter brought some steel and I liked the loosie combination. Newell has been rather disappointing this season but stepped up big time - happy also to see Franks dot down. He should do that more often! Reihana had a good game and there seems to be more flair and invention with him in the saddle. McNicoll plays well from the back and is reliable plus inventive when he joins the line. Keep it up chaps!
5 Go to comments🤦♂️🤣 who cares who’s the best . All I know is the All Blacks have the star coach but have few star players now …
35 Go to commentsJe suis sûr que Farrell est impatient de jouer avec Lopez et Machenaud et d’être entraîné par Collazo… 🤭
1 Go to comments