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When Michael Cheika played No. 8 in 212 first-grade games for Randwick, opponents knew they were in for a painful 80 minutes.
Many an opponent was heard to say, “Jeez I hate playing against that guy.” Cheika was never a dirty player, just a runaway cement truck in both attack and defence.
He took no prisoners as a player, and Cheika the coach won’t take any prisoners either.
He is a meticulous coach, crossing every t and dotting every i to mould his positive and entertaining brand of rugby – typical ‘Galloping Green’ Randwick rugby, there’s none better.
But have his Waratah and Wallaby squads got the necessary rugby nous to benefit from his coaching gift?
Last season’s Waratahs did, capturing their first ever Super Rugby title, but they then put in a kindergarten crap performance last Sunday opening their defence with virtually the same personnel.
Go figure.
But the reason why Michael Cheika is both the Waratah and Wallaby coach is simply because he’s the very best man for both jobs.
No argument.
The knockers reckon he can’t serve two masters, can’t wear two hats.
That’s crap. There’s not one clash of Waratah and Wallaby commitments in this World Cup year.
Cheika doesn’t need me to champion his cause, he has a hide thicker than a rhino’s. But certain facts need to be aired. So here are the seven valid reasons why Michael Cheika can do justice to both jobs:
Those seven reasons make it crystal clear why Cheika has no clashes in three formats, and plenty of time between them.
Now all he needs are two squads with enough rugby nous to stick to the Cheika coaching formula. Anything less, and those players don’t deserve to be in either squad in the first place, earning telephone number contracts.
Given what Michel Cheika can do, with the right players there’s no reason why the Waratahs and Wallabies can’t bring home two of the biggest trophies in world rugby in the same year.