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Read the tea leaves, Michael Cheika

20th October, 2018
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20th October, 2018
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Get used to it Roarers, Michael Cheika will still be coaching the Wallabies at the Rugby World Cup in Japan next year.

But the events of the last couple of weeks must force him to read the tea leaves.

All Cheika’s moves this year have been channelled towards winning the coveted Cup for the third time, even though those moves have proved disastrous.

Winning just three internationals in nine outings so far is simply not acceptable, and with the All Blacks, Wales, Italy and England still to be played to see out 2018, the Wallabies are staring at four wins from 13.

The one glaring error Cheika has made is his treatment of David Pocock.

This week the 30-year-old took out his second John Eales Medal as the best Wallaby over the last 12 months.

Not only did Pocock win the coveted award by a binocular distance, but he also did it from number eight when he’s the best seven in the country, and from only eight of the 13 internationals in the voting period, having missed the earlier games while he was on his sabbatical.

Does Cheika need any further proof Pocock should be the first choice number seven, and captain, instead of Michael Hooper who can’t play anywhere else but seven?

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The medal voting are the tea leaves – Pocock garnered 262 votes compared to Hooper’s 80, and he played in 12 of the 13 internationals.

Those votes were from within the Wallaby camp, but Pocock also took out the Qantas Player-of-the-Year as voted by the fans, making it a comprehensive wipe-out across the board.

So Cheika simply cannot afford to keep propping up Hooper to the continued detriment of the overall Wallaby performances.

It’s way past bite the bullet time, but better late than never to bench Hooper starting next Saturday against the All Blacks at Yokohama on the very ground that will host the Rugby World Cup final.

The John Eales Medal voting is the ultimate proof:

David Pocock – 262.
Lukhan Tui – 139.
Dane Haylett-Petty – 132.
Scott Sio – 124.
Marika Koriobete – 110.
Will Genia – 101.
Sean McMahon – 89.
Michael Hooper – 80.

But Cheika isn’t the only flaw in the Wallaby system – the players proved that in Salta.

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How can the men in gold be so totally dominated by the Pumas in the first half to be 14 points down after four minutes, and 31-7 adrift at the break, yet win 45-34?

If they were thoroughbreds the whole lot of them would be hauled before the stewards immediately after the final siren.

One thing for sure, the Wallabies proved in Salta what they can do when they put their minds to applying themselves to rugby basics of catch, pass, support, retain possession and tackle.

Pretty simple really, but it’s impossible to understand why the basics are so constantly ignored.

Let’s see how they fare against the men in black on Saturday.

A repeat of the Salta first half and the dwindling remaining few Wallaby faithful will reach for the remote, and click off for the year.

And Michael Cheika in conjunction with his Wallabies have no one but themselves to blame.

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