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I am surprised how many people are already calling for Michael Cheika’s head. He inherited a side at the end of a poor Rugby Championship campaign, and just before a trip to play the European sides in their backyard.
If I only got two months to prove myself in similar roles in the work force, I’d be making quarterly appearances at Centrelink with my hands out.
So, after losing the last three internationals on the trot, why should Mick be trusted with the role in 2015?
The support staff are literally knocking down doors
It’s important that when you’re focused, you knock down those doors which stand in your way.
Unfortunately, in the case of the Wallabies support staff, this is quite a literal action.
After the loss to Ireland, the Wallabies admitted that some unnamed support staff had damaged a broken a door and its hinges in the Aviva Stadium dressing room.
The damages bill, to the tune of ‘a few thousand euros’ worth, was to be covered by the ARU.
You gotta, love the passion though, and maybe they’re just following Coach Courageous after Cheika managed the same in Canberra during the Super Rugby season last year.
That glass door was just a pane anyway…
The aggregate looks good
All the matches on the spring tour were close ones, starting with the match against the Baa-Baas. If you were to take an aggregate of the points from all five matches, the Wallabies only lose 145-139.
How much better does that sound? Not too bad for a new coach on his first Northern Hemisphere tour.
Unfortunately, the IRB rankings don’t take that into account. Otherwise, we wouldn’t be below the potato eaters and the whingers on that all important list.
Still, ol’ Mike should take some solace that we didn’t fall too far behind in the Australia versus Europe stakes – that they just need to work on closing those games out.
We look amazing in patches
If rugby matches only lasted 70 minutes, then we would have won the Rugby Championship. If the games were only judged by the final 20 minutes, we would have snared a few more wins on the Spring Tour.
The skill is there, the desire is there, it’s just that the Wallabies haven’t been the best of telling time. Perhaps if they were all issued ‘Qantas Watches’ to wear on field, or perhaps have Laurie Lawrence shouting out a countdown, the boys might be better versed to put in a full eighty minutes worth of rugby.
In summation, don’t throw the baby out with the bath-water, especially a two-month-old like Michael Cheika.
It’s not like he’s Steve Hansen, being gifted a World Cup winning side at its prime. While there are some legit concerns about whether there’s a Waratah where his heart should be, he deserves another dig, and three coaches in three months would only further disrupt the Wallabies as they enter a World Cup year.
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.