Michael Cheika is no dill, he’s arguably one of the most switched on blokes in world rugby.
The 50-year-old speaks fluent French, Italian, and Arabic, has built up a hugely successful multi-million dollar fashion house from scratch called ‘Live Fashion’.
He has done this in and around his time in rugby where he was a fearsome, uncompromising back rower of 300-plus first grade games with the Galloping Greens.
Every week Randwick’s Shute Shield opponent would ask the big question – “Is Cheika playing this week?”
A premiership player became a premiership coach before becoming the first to win major tournaments in both hemispheres – the Heineken Cup with Leinster in 2005, and the Super Rugby crown with the Waratahs in 2014, ending a 19-year drought.
When Cheika took over from Ewen McKenzie as Wallaby coach in November 2014, he had a debut win over Wales 33-18 at Millennium Stadium.
After 16 internationals Cheika had 11 wins to boast a healthy 68.75 per cent success rate.
The 16th international was the 2015 Rugby World Cup final, and although the Wallabies were never going to beat the awesome All Blacks, it was no mean feat reaching the decider at Twickenham.
Since then the Cheika wheels have fallen off.
(AP Photo/Alastair Grant)
In 18 internationals, the Wallabies have only won eight, or 44.44 per cent, with the Wallabies dropping from two in the world, to fourth.
Cheika knows only too well he desperately needs a tactical change, and when Stephen Moore unselfishly stood down as captain en route to retirement, the new tactics needed a new skipper.
Why on earth would under the pump Cheika give Michael Hooper the nod when Hooper’s track record is a whole lot worse than his coach?
Since rugby turned pro there’s been 19 Wallaby captains, and where does Hooper stand?
Dead motherless last among the eight skippers who have led the Wallabies in at least ten internationals.
It’s no surprise John Eales tops the list. Not only was one of the world’s all-time great locks, but he was an inspirational leader who kicked vital goals as well.
John Eales – 55 captaincy caps – 41 wins – 12 losses – two draws – success rate 76.36 per cent.
Nathan Sharpe – 10 – 8 3 – 1 – 65 per cent.
Stirling Mortlock – 29 – 18 – 11 – 0 – 62.06.
Stephen Moore – 26 – 15 – 11 – 0 – 57.69.
George Gregan – 59 – 34 – 25 – 0 – 57.62.
Rocky Elsom – 24 – 13 – 10 – 1 – 56.25.
James Horwill – 16 – 8 – 8 – 0 – 50.
Michael Hooper – 15 – 6 – 8 – 1 – 43.33.
If that wasn’t enough to stop Hooper being Wallaby captain, his abysmal track record with the Waratahs this season should have been the clincher.
The Waratahs, with 14 Wallabies on their roster totalling 432 caps, finished fourth in the Australian Conference with just four wins from 15 games.
(AAP Image/David Moir)
The only wins they had were two against the last placed Rebels, and one each over the Reds and the Force.
The Waratahs lost all five against the Kiwi franchises, but no news in that, so did the other four Australian franchises – 0-25 for the tournament.
There’s enough ammunition in Hooper’s captaincy at Wallaby and Waratah level to never be captain of either side in the future.
Now Cheika had burdened himself with a proven failure when he’s failing himself – not what you’d call a positive combination.
Will Genia should be captain with giant lock Adam Coleman his deputy.
Genia is automatically a leader driving his forwards and setting his backs on fire, so the captaincy will be an easy fit.
Coleman will make a great captain after the 2019 Rugby World Cup, and he’ll learn plenty as Genia’s sidekick.
Repeating Michael Cheika will be forced to make tactical changes, and will be better supported by Genia and Coleman.
Hooper will never change.
And who will be the Wallabies first two opponents?
The All Blacks on August 19 at ANZ, and August 26 at the Eden Park fortress.
Unless there’s a miracle, the Cheika success rate since the 2015 Rugby Word Cup final will be 20 internationals for just eight wins.
A success rate of 40 per cent won’t set the turnstiles clicking.
marto
Guest
^ So you are saying Hooper has no talent
Barney
Guest
Pocock must be captain, sooner the better. He is up there with Eales in leadership ability. Results won't be the same but neither are the soldiers!
Cynical Play
Guest
No it isn't. This is his eighth anti Hooper article this year. Lord is a fake. Retire.
Charlie Turner
Guest
Love this comment.
Timbo (L)
Roar Guru
4. The Field of candidates is selected by Michael Chieka. The players we need are not being selected or have left the country because they are not getting selected.
double agent
Guest
Ardie Savea probably the only great runner among them. Kronfeld got loads of tries through support play not by making line breaks.
Art Vandelay
Guest
Mzi Genia has no competition for his spot. Phipps continued selection is insulting to wallabies fans. Hoopers competition for his spot is our hands down greatest current player. We are hopeless without Pocock and he doesn't get the respect he deserves from Cheika for carrying the team. Without Pocock and Genia Cheikas record would be 10%. Only Waratahs fans can be happy with the Wallabies anymore. What a total disgrace they have become! Pocock should be captain first picked and the team picked around him because his performances and leadership have earned him that. He wouldn't now be on a sabbatical had he been shown the respect he deserves. The current Wallabies are devoid of honesty.
Timbo (L)
Roar Guru
I think G Smith and Josh Kronfeld, James Haskell, Obrien, Sam Caine, Matt Todd, Ardie Savia, David Pocock............ would disagree. We are the frog in the slowly boiling pot. We have got so used to Hooper, we haven't realized that there are others out there. Most of them Jumped Ship this year, Perhaps the water got to hot and they were smart enough to get out. Alcock, Gill, MacMahon, Butler, Hodgeson, Pocock. Add Fardy and Smiler to the list and Cheika is starting to get himself a dead pool of Players overlooked for Tah's favorites.
Ruckin Oaf
Guest
Hey G Slacker "Do you even understand how numbers work" Indeed it do. For example I know that 40,000 is a big number. More than 40,000 is an even bigger number. Take your time, wrap your head around it. After you've done whatever passes for thinking tell me why the game against the AB's in 2016 was at ANZ stadium. Is that also a boutique stadium now? Is Suncorp ? Tell me what happened to that grassroots boom after the last lions tour when all that money flooded down to them. Poorly constructed arguments a terrible thing I guess. But you still haven't advanced any arguments at all. When you manage to do that we'll see how you go. I ain't holding my breath.
Wal
Roar Guru
Apologies "Deans just couldn’t find a way to beat the Best AB’s team ever." Should have been Deans just couldn’t find a way to regularly beat potentailly the Best AB’s team ever. But with 3 wins from 18 tests, you kind of get my point.
Wal
Roar Guru
If you are going to insult someone about their fact checking make sure yours are also right. Deans stood down after 3 tests in 2013 against the Lions. I did mention that "until then" in my post. So his replacement had a 50% win record that year. I am happy to admit I took some liberties with the "improvement" comment however His ongoing record at the end of each year looks like this 2008: played 14 won 9 – 64.3% 2009: played 28 won 15 – 53.57% 2010: played 43 won 24 – 55.8% 2011: played 56 won 33 – 58.9% 2012: played 71 won 42 – 59.2% So it also hard to argue that he was getting worse. I also didn't argue Cheika isn't a good coach I pointed out he had 2 fantastic results with some struggles in-between.
G Slacker
Guest
Oh yeah Ruckin' Oaf. Way to break crowd attendance records, by playing in boutique stadiums. Do you even understand how numbers work? If attendance was BOOMING like you are trying to make out, why did they play at Allianz (capacity 45,500) in Sydney instead of at ANZ stadium (capacity 83,500)? Oh that's right, because attendances are down, because of POS "fans" like you, don't support your team. Keep trying to come back at me though, it's hilarious watching you humiliate yourself with your poorly constructed arguments
Ruckin Oaf
Guest
Hey G Slacker, Careful there mate if we start talking about the things you're NOT aware of we'll never end. You didn't think that there were plenty of fans at games in the last few years - where have you been. It was only last year there was boasts of the Wallabies v England setting crowd records. Heck the money and crowds that flowed into the game from the last Lions tour should have kept the grass-roots flourishing for years. This quixotic notion of yours that strong crowd figures will invariably mean strong funding for the grass roots of the game is arrant nonsense. Which seems to be becoming your speciality. Once again I'd advise you to think things through then comment - but I think I'd be wasting my time.
Gel
Guest
Was this written in jest? I can't think of another Australian captain with such a list of disputes with his own players aside from Kim Hughes. And to even put Clarke and Bradman in the same post, let alone the same sentence is laughable. Clarke did not have respect of his players and to suggest otherwise is revisionist.
Mickey of Mo$man
Guest
David Lord, no one in the current wallaby line up has as much passion when they pull on that wallabies jumper, a captain needs lead by example. Yes it can be said his winning record is not great at this point in his career.. but with a side riddled with inconsistent players, young players.. and players that at times look uninterested in being their. selecting Michael Hooper was a bold move but it was also the only viable option.
mzilikazi
Guest
"The real question is why you would bother to write such a rubbish article?" Sadly, In Brief, that is the heart of the matter here. Well said !
mzilikazi
Guest
Mr Lord, I don't feel your article does anything to help with the current problems Australian rugby is facing. You are far too negative. I also feel you are a poor analyst and observer of the game......"Genia is automatically a leader driving his forwards and setting his backs on fire, so the captaincy will be an easy fit." Will was once the best scrumhalf in the world, but injury and age has dulled the edge he once had, IMO. I still have a lot of respect for him, but the next generation should be given their chance, and greater exposure at the top level.
G Slacker
Guest
He was selected. He's got 11 caps. He was just never good enough to ever be a regular. And he was a Waratah, he was just never good enough to get a start there either. And BS that he was ever statistically our best 7.
Bring Back...?
Guest
Here we go again, applying 20/20 hindsight and doing our best to ignore facts. Cheika was initially appointed to take the team thru to the end of the RWC. Bearing in mind how they were positioned at the end of the 2014 spring tour, he did an exceptional job to get them to the final. The constant sniping that none of the teams they played were any good is just rubbish. The ABs played Argentina in their pool and won by about 7....France were a very stern test in the quarter final weren't they? And then the Boks who had lost to Japan. And then the hopeless Wallabies. So I take it there is a big asterix next to the AB's RWC win. Cheika started 2016 using the same formula he used (successfully) in the RWC....it didn't work and we got done by England who went on to beat all comers for the next 14 or 15 matches. Cheika had to start again and it's been patchy at best. I'm not sure what we would have made of last season had we beaten the Boks over there. All that said, I am concerned about the selection issues and am a Tahs fan. Hooper would be on my bench. This really is the year to judge Cheika and presently I'm concerned.
bigbaz
Roar Guru
Well, we could do a Gidley and Hooper could captain off the bench