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Michael Cheika lambasted by English duo for 'headless', 'selfish', 'irresponsible' quarter-final game plan
The game plan deployed by outgoing Wallabies head coach Michael Cheika against England has been labelled as “headless”, “selfish”, “irresponsible” and defined by “sheer stubbornness”.
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The 52-year-old announced he would not seek re-appointment in his role as head coach of Australia following his side’s dismal 40-16 World Cup quarter-final defeat to Eddie Jones’ team in Oita on Saturday.
The result not only spelled the end of the Wallabies’ ill-fated World Cup campaign, but it also brought to an end Cheika’s five-year reign in charge of the Australian national side.
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During his time in charge, the ex-Leinster, Stade Francais and Waratahs coach led the Wallabies to the 2015 World Cup final after taking over at short notice towards the end of 2014, but the ensuing four years of his tenure ended in turmoil as he picked up just 10 wins from his final 25 outings.
News of his departure from Rugby Australia was met with swift criticism from a raft of rugby personalities worldwide, with 70-test Wallabies playmaker Quade Cooper, who missed selection the 2019 World Cup and hasn’t been selected by Cheika since 2017, leading the onslaught on social media.
It didn't take long for Quade Cooper to pass judgement on the Michael Cheika reign in charge of the Wallabies https://t.co/BtnTeGA0nM
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) October 20, 2019
However, perhaps the harshest evaluation of Cheika’s involvement in the Australian set-up came from former England and British and Irish Lions wing Ugo Monye and Olympic champion sevens coach Ben Ryan.
Monye, who won 14 caps for his country and the Lions, was stunned by the tactics of which Cheika persisted with during his side’s 24-point thumping at the hands of England.
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“[It] was one of the most selfish tactical game plans I’ve seen in a long time because it wasn’t about the players,” Monye told BT Sport.
“Everyone knows a blueprint of how you can challenge England. What Cheika put up against Eddie Jones — he let his players down.
“They’ve got brilliant players. When they got into England’s half, when the likes of Will Genia, [Samu] Kerevi, [Marika] Koroibete — they looked unbelievable.
Consider those bridges burned Michael. #RWC2019 https://t.co/LKL3fQswQZ
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) October 20, 2019
“But he totally ignored all that with sheer stubbornness. I didn’t like the tactics, it didn’t work out and I personally feel he let his team down because it didn’t give them the best opportunity to win. How many trophies have you won (with these tactics)?
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“It was irresponsible because the game plan wasn’t about the players, it was about him. It was about ‘this is what I believe Australian rugby to be and we’re going to stick to it come hell or high water, this is the way which is going to work’.
“And it’s not worked in the Rugby Championship and in a knockout game — the biggest game of his career — I genuinely believe he’s let his players down because they’re too good a side to be getting beaten (40-16).”
Former England and Fiji sevens coach Ryan, who led the Fijians to a gold medal at the inaugural rugby sevens event at the 2016 Rio Olympics, doubled down on Monye’s comments, condemning Cheika for undermining Australia’s attacking prowess by instructing them to play inside their own half.
“He hid behind saying we’re (playing) attacking rugby,” Ryan said. “It’s not attacking rugby if you can’t get out of your own 22. It was headless rugby. He just let down his players.”
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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