No repeat World Cup heroics for Wallabies suggests Michael Cheika's tenure will come to an end
It was appropriate that Eddie Jones and England should deliver the knockout blow to Michael Cheika’s tenure as Wallabies coach.
Cheika’s hopes of extending his contract beyond December 31 were skewered by a stark 40-16 Rugby World Cup quarter-final defeat.
A Rugby Australia review into what went wrong in Japan is inevitable and is unlikely to reflect kindly on the 52-year-old, whose unsophisticated approach has been shown up over the past two years.
Cheika’s passion for the role could never be questioned since his appointment five years ago.
However, his proud boasts that he didn’t analyse opponents and that all-out attack and inspired players could overcome the world’s best became increasingly less convincing.
His persona as a hot-headed coach routinely wronged by referees also lost any sense of charm.
The Jones-coached England were apt executioners in Oita on Saturday given the grief they have dished out.
Since Cheika scaled the heights of steering the Wallabies to the 2015 World Cup final, he has been completely eclipsed by a grinning Jones.
Seven losses from seven. Six by big margins.
The most critical result was England’s historic 2016 series sweep in Australia, stripping much of the goodwill from a year earlier.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B3zYcEsgSWv/
Consistency eluded Cheika’s teams from that point on, his job not helped by off-field issues plaguing the sport and a tepid production line of quality players emerging from Australia’s Super Rugby teams.
Nine losses from 13 Tests in 2018 was the Wallabies’ worst calendar year.
Calls for Cheika’s head mounted and reports that Rugby Australia couldn’t afford to sack him were refuted.
Dumped attack coach Stephen Larkham was seemingly a sacrificial lamb.
Speculation the Wallabies had climbed straight out of their hole this year with a record triumph against the All Blacks in Perth proved to be fool’s gold.
A real head-scratcher. #ENGvAUS https://t.co/AUXeDNJbHG
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) October 19, 2019
Their World Cup hopes were stymied by a selection revolving door and the newly-introduced tactic to rarely kick the ball, because “it’s not the Australian way”.
Cheika’s 50 per cent winning record is the equal worst by any Wallabies coach since 1982, matching his immediate predecessor Ewen McKenzie.
Heart on his sleeve to the end, an emotional Cheika wouldn’t confirm his departure in the immediate wake of the Oita humbling.
However, he’ll soon be free to link with French club Montpellier, if the media reports are accurate, and Australia can set about a sizeable restoration process.
– AAP
It was an understandably sombre mood at the Wallabies’ post-match press conference on Saturday evening:
Comments on RugbyPass
I like the idea, in NZ the Ranfurly Shield and NPC coexist, both having their own bragging rights. The World Cup would be the pinnacle, but the competition and travels of these trophies would be interesting.
40 Go to commentsDon’t worry Sonny bill Williams leave that awkward situation about the curfew in the pass whoever it was it doesn’t matter its no big deal we back our All Blacks through the storm and the thunder until we see the Sun light again.
41 Go to commentsWho listens to this retard? He was a massive liability as a player but obviously a media sensation
41 Go to commentsI’m not surprised by such ‘virtue signalling’ by Sonny Boy. Butter wouldn’t melt in his mouth. He’s such a pious Islamic muppet, imo.
41 Go to commentsI’ve actually never heard of the guy (then I don’t watch League as it is boring). But if he is good enough.. then good luck to him. If not, well, he can always return to league.
2 Go to commentsIt is pretty clear that by almost any measure that NZ are a more successful rugby nation than South Africa. Quite aside from the distasteful events during the last RWC final. NZ lead SA in all significant measurements.
40 Go to commentsDickson went to his pocket for a card, saw who it was, changed his mind and spoke at length to TMO. One angle clearly shows Care diving over a Saints player to kill the ball. 1st yellow, reason given for not Red was player was falling backwards. He was only falling backwards after contact with Lawes. Graham try should have stood. Mitchell did not have both hands on the ball, ball went forward from a Saints boot dragging over it. 2 intentional knock-on's. One of which had an overlap on the outside. If Quins are happy to win by intentional foul play, then it does not say much for them. Would appear to be a bad day for Karl Dickson, also for the RFU in appointing a Ref who spent 8 years as a player at one of the clubs.
1 Go to commentsLet’s not forget about Ardie Savea just yet.
4 Go to commentsThe URC and the Euro Championscup can’t run at the same time, basically dilutes both competitions.
1 Go to comments“While Sotutu should start at No.8 for the All Blacks against England, but it’s only in that arena that he can prove just how good he really is.” And that my friends is where simply hasnt shone despite multiple opportunities. Even in this performance you can see what did him in in the test arena..he almost always still runs at the opposition almost ramrod upright making him easier to stop than it should be.
4 Go to commentsShould have been 0-0 and a message from SR CEO to both teams - “don’t worry about turning up next year”.
4 Go to commentsGreat work Owen Franks. A great of this team, scoring his first try for the Crusaders since 2010.He was beaming, justifiably. A fine win, he and the rest did the job up front.
1 Go to commentsDanny 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.
4 Go to commentsThis game was just as painful as the Hurricanes game. It was real fork-in-the-eye stuff.
4 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 comments