Under siege Wallaby coach Michael Cheika has been pilloried from all four points of the compass over the season.
The attacks range from the criticising his three wins from 10 internationals this campaign, his lack of tactical nous, his inconsistent selection policies picking out of form Wallabies, others out of position, and a trigger temper.
On the other side of the coin, Cheika is a remarkable man, and remarkable men have a habit of breaking down barriers.
He’s the only rugby coach of import in the world who speaks fluent English, French, Italian, and Arabic, with a smattering of Spanish.
He’s the only provincial coach in the world to win big tournaments in each hemisphere, taking Leinster to the 2009 Heineken Cup success in the north, and ending a 19-year Waratahs drought to capture the 2014 Su[er Rugby crown in the south.
And for the icing on the coaching cake, Cheika’s men reached the 2015 Rugby World Cup final, and won the 2014 Rugby Championship.
But the 49-year-old would be the first to salute Rod Macqueen as the Wallabies most successful coach, winning the 1999 Rugby World Cup. four Bledisloe Cup series, two Tri-Nations, a Tom Richardson Cup, and coach the Wallabies to it’s only series win over the British and Irish Lions as his farewell gesture.
That’s the max, the ARU trophy cabinet has never been so chockers.
Eddie Jones coached the Wallabies to the 2003 RWC final, and won the Bledisloe in 2002, while Robbie Deans won the Tri-Nations in 2011.
It’s been my experience rugby coaches coach the way they played.
Macqueen, Deans, and Ewen McKenzie were high quality players who got on with the job with no bells and whistles, and they coached the same way.
Jones was full of cheek, and remains a cheeky coach.
The only Wallaby coach to differ from his playing days was the late great Dave Brockhoff.
He was the loosest of Wallaby flankers, seagulling would be more accurate, but his coaching was strictly tight 10-man rugby with the fly-half constantly kicking, and in the very successful Sydney Uni days it was Rupert Rosenblum’s boot that struck constant leather.
As a result, the centres, wingers, and fullback very nearly died of boredom, rarely did they touch the ball, only chase.
That leaves Michael Cheika.
He was an explosive player who didn’t take any prisoners, week after week. There were times he was over-aggressive which possibly cost him the gold jersey he richly deserved.
In the lead-up to clashing with Randwick, opposition players would always ask – “Is Cheika playing?”
And he’s turned out to be an explosive coach who wears his inner most feelings on his sleeve, be it refereeing, or the recent coloured cartoon on the front page of The New Zealand Herald before the last Bledisloe at Eden Park, depicting him as a clown with all the trappings.
Cheika wasn’t impressed, and blew his stack.
Yet given the chance, Cheika has a great sense of humour.
He’s had a dicky shoulder since his 300-plus games with the Galloping Greens, and last week he collided with a yet un-named Wallaby at training, resulting in necessary surgery.
Afterwards he rang his wife Stephanie to tell her, and her first reaction was “How is the player?”.
Cheika followed that up with suggesting a peace drink with All Blacks coach Steve Hansen was out of the question as he’ll spend most of the upcoming northern hemisphere tour with his arm in a sling.
Which begs the question can Michael Cheika ever become one of the Wallabies most successful coaches?
Darn right he can, just curb his trigger temper and the rest will fall into place.
Westie
Guest
It's a popularity contest. nothing more.
Nick Turnbull
Roar Guru
I'm a fan.
seven mile
Guest
Nah he's a bit one dimensional imo, but he's a good stop gap meanwhile.
seven mile
Guest
Truth hurts huh jake.
Tinfoil Hat
Guest
And yet one of the reasons you put forward for dismissing my opinion was that I am a kiwi. It says alot about you character that you use ethnicity/birthplace as a determinant of the quality of someone's opinion.
Tinfoil Hat
Guest
The guy makes up stories to get upset about. You say he doesn't suffer fools, but ranting about unsubstantiated conspiracy theories make him look like the fool.
PeterK
Roar Guru
Tinfoil - I notice I did not even mention NZ in anyway in my first post on this thread. Yet you had to bring NZ into it and personally attack me. Just to provoke a flame war. That says a lot about you.
Tinfoil Hat
Guest
You will upset the hive mind victim mentality of "we wuz robbed" by pointing out that oz, like every other team, gets the benefit of bad decisions. Anyway, cheika has a clear policy with regard to respecting the refs decision. When it benefits oz, no one should complain about it and when it does not, it is clear evidence of an anti wallaby international ref conspiracy that he must rant about.
PeterK
Roar Guru
resorting to personal attacks means you have lost the argument. As usual you have preconceived ideas and read what you think is there. The comment re kiwi collective was to ClarkeG and taylorman who wait to jump in on me, note I mention join in, do you understand the difference.
Garth
Guest
Sadly, they are the ones who keep getting the headlines...
CUW
Guest
well u do have an Arab-born hooker :) but then rugger aint the foreign service , so is he in the wrong job? :P
Jacko
Guest
Bill Shifted to NZ...Permanently
Jacko
Guest
Peter you dont understand fair and objective
stillmissit
Roar Guru
ROat: If he was that is a damning incitement on a coach who played hard in the back row?
stillmissit
Roar Guru
mikeylives: You must have watched a different game to me. Or , your rose tinted glasses and darker than mine?
nmpcart
Guest
And Graham was a good Sevens players too, represented Australia at 7s for quite a while I think.
mapu
Guest
Timani at 8 might be the goods
Ruck
Guest
Come on Bigbaz, nothing wrong with a bit of a reality check. I'm trying to help you lot. I need at least one team in the world that can give us at least a run for our money. Australian rugby actually does have the talent. But Cheika is stumbling upon it through injuries more than good stewardship. He is hopeless as a coach and I'm trying to save Australian fans from him.
Timbo (L)
Guest
Have you ever heard any team say anything bad about any player? A horribly out of form Folau got the sound bite: ?Looking forward to him to fire in this game". Foley got something simmlar when he got demoted to 12. Pocock raves about Hooper's contribution to the side even though everyone knows Pocock is streaks ahead in the traditional 7 duties. Teams don't air their dirty laundry, in fact they are an active part of propaganda. I have never heard anyone say that Hooper is best by a long margin
Timbo (L)
Guest
Fionn, Interesting to hear your perspective on selection bias, I have a similar view but a different set of players. I like Douglas, but I respect that his value and performance is hard to see. He works in dark places My list for the Blue Monocle used to be quite long but has shrunk through attrition. Skelton, Horne, Palu. Izzy and Hooper are on my list because I don't think they well rounded players in their respective positions and force disruption to other players. Izzy is keeping DHP out of 15 and Speight/ Morahan out of 14, Hooper is keeping Pocock out of 7 and Timanai out of 8 Phipps and Foley were on my list but I have upgraded them to "Should be fighting for their spots" Frisby and Cooper should get more airtime. Foley was on the list because he was keeping Hodge away from 12 and Naivalu away from 11. I would like to see Jack Debraczini against (Or in) the Baa Baas, Stirzaker is already there.. And then there is everyone's favorite whipping boy: Dean Mumm. I like him as a player but don't think he is our best starting #6. I like him off the bench as a utility. He has the skills to be a reserve 4,5,6. He can have a spot in my 23 but not 15. As to the Brumbies: Scott Sio is great in open play but can't seem keep a scrum off the ground. Moore needs a graceful exit plan, we should be looking for a Dane Coles style hooker - Ready, Tessman and Scoble are all mobile scavengers and half decent play makers, Tessmann has probably missed his window.