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Let me start by saying I think Michael Cheika is a great coach. He’s openly passionate about the role, has the ability to get the required aggression out of his players and commands respect both from his players and the media.
It’s a refreshing change from bumbling Robbie Deans, who struggled in front of the camera, and Ewen McKenzie wasn’t much better if we’re honest.
In his relatively short time in charge, we’ve already seen an increase in physicality. Cheika’s Wallabies seem to be putting in bigger hits and showing far more aggression in the ruck area than they did under both Deans and McKenzie.
Despite this improvement, we’ve somehow dropped to fifth in the world rankings, and after Wales’ win over the Springboks, a win against either England or Ireland in the Six Nations could drop us further back to sixth ahead of the World Cup, maybe even seventh if France have a blinder and topple both Ireland and England.
It’s a sobering thought, and one that puts into perspective calls for previous coaches to be replaced after failing to beat the number one ranked All Blacks.
If we were to apply the same standards of fickleness to Cheika, the knives would be out by now, but not only has he largely escaped criticism, he’s been offered unprecedented excuses for the Wallabies’ poor showing in Europe.
Sure, his last minute appointment wasn’t ideal, but let’s not forget Deans won his first Test in charge – against the All Blacks no less – and he was bringing a completely new style of play to the Wallabies. Cheika’s style isn’t too dissimilar to the running game employed by his predecessor, who in the last 12 months led the same team to impressive victories against largely the same opposition.
While Cheika didn’t pick the squad, he presumably did have the autonomy to make a few additions such as adding Paul Alo-Emile, which in hindsight may have been enough to keep him in Australian rugby next year.
Instead, he brought in his man Kurtley Beale, who did nothing but prove once again that he’s not up to it at international level.
Equally worrying in my opinion are the fresh reports that Cheika intends to keep Michael Hooper on as captain next year. Notwithstanding that a fit David Pocock is a vastly superior openside flanker that should under normal circumstances keep Hooper out of the XV or on the bench at best, he is simply out of his depth as captain of the Wallabies.
And then there are the halves – half-back and fly-half – again gifted to Cheika’s own Waratah players with high barriers to entry for challengers Will Genia and Quade Cooper, and relatively low standards of performance required by the incumbents to retain their spots.
Now, don’t get me wrong, both Nick Phipps and Bernard Foley had strong Super Rugby seasons with the Waratahs and performed well at international level, but weren’t outstanding. If you want to see outstanding halves in action, refer to Genia and Cooper from Bledisloe 3 onwards last year.
It must be said that Genia, Cooper and even Matt Hodgson were given a chance to start in the token match against the Barbarians, and while none of them stood out the way Sean McMahon did in that game, they weren’t bad either and certainly played no better or worse than their successors Phipps, Foley and Hooper in the remaining four Tests.
It makes no sense then that they weren’t given more of a chance to build on their performance against the Barbarians, instead of being largely discarded for the remainder of the tour. He seems all too willing to give Will Skelton time to find fitness and form at international level yet he apparently won’t do the same for Genia, Cooper and Hodgson?
Even more shocking is that Kurtley Beale got almost as many Test minutes as all three of them combined.
I like Cheika, I really do.
Let me re-phrase that. I liked Cheika, I really did. I still want to like him as I think he’s the right man for the job at this point. We need someone who can get the mongrel back into our forward pack and get them playing like warriors.
Cheika is the right man to do that. We need someone who can fire up the team before a big game and get them mentally ready and focussed on the task ahead. Cheika is the right man to do that.
Unfortunately he appears not to be the right man to make unbiased selections and develop a game plan around the talent and strengths we have at our disposal, rather than squeeze square pegs into round holes that have been the backbone of his past success.
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.