- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
On Sunday’s showing it’s hard to see the Waratahs making the Super Rugby finals. But one game is not a good indicator of form, particularly when it’s the first game of the season.
The reality is that this Tahs outfit is a solid one. Stacked with Wallabies and the national coach, there is no reason they shouldn’t be in title contention at the business end of the season.
Therein lies another twist: the debate around Michael Cheika’s dual roles.
What happens on Saturday June 13, when the Waratahs play their final-round match against the Reds at 8.40pm? The Chiefs play the Hurricanes in the final match of the New Zealand conference at 6.35pm the same day, and I daresay that is when Steve Hansen’s role as All Blacks coach ‘officially’ begins.
My bet is that Hansen will be getting potential All Blacks not involved in the finals together as early as Sunday 14th for a team recovery session, and perhaps some video analysis of Ireland and France as they’re likely to be the All Blacks’ first opponents in the knockout stages.
Assuming another New Zealand side drops out during the semi-final stages, Hansen will get another handful of All Blacks a week later, and will have the full squad after the final on July 4 at the very latest.
By that time, he would have already had a good portion of the squad for the best part of three weeks to work on different tactics/game plans to beat Argentina, Australia and South Africa in the Rugby Championship and then France, Ireland and England in the World Cup.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the ditch, coach Cheika will be either celebrating back-to-back Super Rugby titles for the Waratahs or lamenting the one that got away. He’ll then have barely two weeks – compared to Hansen’s five – to get the Wallabies prepared for their first Rugby Championship game against South Africa.
Heyneke Meyer, like Hansen, would have been on the job for at least five weeks by then.
Questions have already been raised about Cheika’s ability to handle both roles following the Waratahs’ disappointing start to the season. The real question should be how can he possibly handle both roles if the Waratahs make the finals again?
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.