- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
Success for the Wallabies in the World Cup final at Twickenham against the All Blacks will see Michael Cheika set three new international rugby milestones.
He will become the first to coach his country to a record third World Cup, ahead of the All Blacks and Springboks (two each), and England (one).
He will become a World Cup-winning coach in the fewest number of internationals at the helm, after just 16 Tests.
After 21 Tests – Kitch Christie for South Africa in 1995. South Africa missed the 1987 and 1991 World Cups while in sporting isolation over apartheid.
After 28 Tests – Brian Lochore for the All Blacks, winning the inaugural Rugby World Cup in 1987.
After 30 Tests – Rod Macqueen, when the Wallabies won the 1999 Rugby World Cup.
After 31 Tests – Bobby Dwyer in the Wallabies’ 1991 success.
After 46 Tests – Clive Woodward for England in 2003.
After 53 Tests – Jake White for South Africa in 2007.
And after 103 Tests – Graham Henry, when the All Blacks won in 2011.
The icing on the cake?
A win on Sunday, and the Wallabies will be officially ranked world number one for the very first time.
The 1987 All Blacks, 1991 Wallabies, 1995 Springboks, and the 1999 Wallabies were unofficially ranked number one after winning their respective Rugby World Cups. But the official world rankings only started after the 2003 Rugby World Cup, with the champions England ranked one, Wallabies two, All Blacks three, and France four – the order they finished the tournament.
The All Blacks have totally dominated the top ranking since November 2009. In fact, the men in black have controlled 86 per cent of the number one ranking since 2003.
Only England in 2003 to 2004, and the Springboks from 2007 to early 2009, have put a slight dent in the All Blacks’ rankings armour.
But a win on Sunday will see the Wallabies take over for the first time after fairly long periods as world number two during 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, and currently.
So there’s a lot at stake come Sunday.
And it’s been made possible by the coaching skills of Cheika.