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Two coaches have now been linked with Michael Cheika's job - reports

By Online Editors
Australia flanker David Pocock

Two coaches have been linked with the Wallabies head coach position in the wake of their poor showing in the November Tests series.

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Last weekend the Wallabies crashed to a 37-18 defeat to England after the two sides were deadlocked at halftime at Twickenham Stadium.

The latest loss has heaped even more pressure on Cheika, who has lead Australia to a win ratio of under 50 per cent of the course of his five-year tenure.

According to Fairfax Media’s Georgina Robinson, two coaches have now been linked with the Australia head coach job, as the incumbent Cheika faces an informal meeting with the ARU board.

Watch: Michael Cheika following Australia’s loss to England at Twickenham.

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Former Springbok supremo Jake White – who is currently coaching Japan – is the biggest name being linked with the role. Beside winning a Rugby World Cup, White recently coached the Brumbies in Super Rugby and Montpellier Herault in France.

Rather more left of field, Scott Johnson has also been linked to the job. Johnson hasn’t taken the reins at an international team since he acted as interim coach of Scotland in 2014, but had coached both Wales and the United States before that, as well as a stint as head coach of the Ospreys.

All told, the 56-year-old Sydney native only won 5 out of 16 international games that he acted as headcoach on, but did coach Australia A way back in 2001.

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For some, getting rid of current coach Cheika can’t come soon enough. This week more ex-Wallabies added to calls for the former Waratahs and Leinster headcoach to be shown the door.

Fullback Matt Burke, hooker Brendan Cannon, and former coach Bob Dwyer are all critical of the current environment, labeling the performances ‘unacceptable’ and the respect factor has disappeared from the opposition.

“They can’t sit back and let this decline continue without someone deciding to take the bull by the horns, say this is unacceptable and we need to do something to turn it around,” Cannon said.

Last month Michael Lynagh told RugbyPass he believes Michael Cheika is bulletproof heading into next year’s World Cup in Japan even if the Wallabies continue their poor record.

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Lynagh said: “He will stay because a) there is nobody else and b)there is a financial issue that the ARU wouldn’t be able to meet. So, on both those fronts the logistics of trying to get rid of Michael are not right. You have to ask is Michael the right guy to take the team forward and for me that is the case.

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