The cries to sack Michael Cheika as Wallaby coach have become so loud they could be heard on Mars.
But it’s not going to happen, and that’s not the answer, nor would it be for any possible replacements such as Jake White, Eddie Jones, Sir Graham Henry, or the Messiah.
If Cheika’s guilty of anything it’s not the losing, which is bad enough – it’s the why?
It’s inconceivable that the vast majority of the current Wallabies simply just don’t know how to play the game. They are devoid of the basics.
Which begs the question – just how in hell did they get that far with so little knowledge?
Let’s tell it as it is in the real world.
The Wallabies have only five world-class players – David Pocock, Israel Folau, Will Genia, Kurtley Beale, and to a lesser extent Michael Hooper who was better three years ago.
You can’t win rugby internationals when only 33 per cent of the team know how to play.
I can hear the howls of indignation about Beale being included, but he’s naturally gifted – always has been since he was a spindly teenage kid with headgear at St Josephs College, and always will be.
Sure he’s gone off the boil lately, but just about every sportsman has his lean periods.
(Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
The good ones survive the downturn – Kurtley Beale will survive because he was grounded in the right rugby doctrine at Joeys which has provided more Wallabies than any other school in Australia.
And it’s that doctrine that’s missing in schools, where so many rugby-only orientated schools of the past are now catering for rugby league, AFL and soccer as well.
Rugby has been fractured at grassroots level, but that’s not the only reason for the decline.
Let me turn back the clock 60-odd years to when I was coaching a prep school of 10 and 11-year-olds.
They kept pleading when can we play a game during training.
My answer was there’s no point in playing a game when you don’t know how to play.
“When you get your passing, catching and tackling right, then we’ll play.”
Support play, retaining possession, and locking down scrums and lineouts followed and to see the smiles on their faces when they understood what they were doing was a joy to behold.
Everyone was a winner – rugby, the kids, the kid’s parents, and the coach.
Story two was exactly the opposite.
A few years later my son Andrew was playing as a 15-year-old in a school side coached by the music master who had no idea whatsoever on rugby – he was only doing it as an integral part of his job specification.
At half-time they were down 40-nil in just 20 minutes as the “coach” said eat your oranges, that’s the most important thing to do.
A couple of minutes later he added – “Has anyone got anything to say for the benefit of the team?”
My son piped up we must get up quickly in defence, not wait until they get to us – and tackle. His side didn’t win, but the opposition didn’t score in the second half.
The second half was a genuine achievement, and you could see it in their faces.
Sadly there are far too many masters coaching schoolboy rugby because they have to, not because they want to.
Cheika is different – he wants to be the Wallaby coach, it’s his chosen profession outside of a very successful international fashion house.
Where he’s made his big mistake is not drumming basics into his squads day after day after day until they get it right.
And he has the perfect forum with all his players being full-time professionals.
They should be made to get the basics right until they drop with exhaustion.
And do it again tomorrow, and the day after, and the day after that until they can pass, catch, support, retain possession, and tackle in their sleep.
Only then can the squad call themselves Wallabies, and Michael Cheika be called the Wallaby coach.
Fox
Roar Guru
I think l it is high time you climbed down off your protect my mate stance on Cheika DL and had the guts to admit that he is not up to as an international coach and before you say 2015 WC - the Wallabies were very fortunate to beat Scotland and the runners-up tag flattered to deceive when itcame to Cheika and the results since have shown this to be the case
Monsta
Roar Rookie
But they did a great top down review to fix it all up. Herbert came in, saw lots of issues and got the GM job to fix it all up. More jobs for the boys. And can anyone tell me about the stitch up with insurance for players? I've been told it's again one of the boys that provides it nationally, doesn't go to tender and if anyone has tried to make a claim, it's not worth the effort. I know an insurance broker who tried to make a claim for his son and simply gave up. Until this type of thing is fixed, rugby in Oz is sadly on life support.
MaxP
Guest
David, everyone has piled in on you for this rubbish article already, but I really don’t want to miss out although everything has already been said. In a previous article I made a comment about how wrong it is for you to liken rugby to a battle. But I didn’t get any acknowledgement from you so I thought I’d make a comparison between the two in order to highlight what nonsense your arguments are. The thrust of your Cheika defence is that he receives rubbish players who let him down all the time due to a broken system. Well, he’s had four years to sort it out and has failed miserably. Players seemingly have devolved if anything. Compare this, say, to the Australian Army, who get everyday men and women from all walks of life and within roughly six months (depending on their role) train them and shape them to potentially head into combat. From first hand experience I know that some of them are not the brightest, not blessed with natural gifts and some of them are not even great people with good core values. Most are not born to be soldiers. But they are worked hard to become excellent at what they do and subscribe to an organisation with good values and clear aims. Those who don’t meet these requirements are cut away. If they fail to achieve a goal, the only individual who is blamed is the person who is in charge, who made the plan and who had the responsibility to lead. Can you see any comparison with Cheika, who receives elite players with years of experience? He has made them worse, he has no plan, he has created a boorish culture and has refused to accept ANY responsibility for his team’s failings. My last observation is that any military commander who has a failure on operations is immediately sacked and sent home with their career in tatters. They don’t get to claim they have a plan for next year. If you really see the correlation with battle, start judging Cheika the same way real professionals who understand real battles are judged.
Cliff Bishkek
Roar Rookie
Lano, question. I am not certain what you mean about "bewildering structures unique in world rugby". Are you referencing the structures in Australia or other? I do not see how the world rugby structures "sap the life out the players". I believe Cheika has sapped the life out of our players, definitely!
No.24
Roar Rookie
Great suggestions re: Skelton, McMahon, even O'Connor. Cooper is rocks or diamonds. I love the diamonds but fear the rocks and as history shows you will definitely get the rocks. If the current complaint is that the 10 (being Foley) can't tackle then Cooper is NOT the man to fill that role. Sadly there has been ZERO investment / developement in this position since 2014. What is the fascination with Higginbotham? His discipline is poor. Always has been. He is 32 and is not going to get any better. Dempsey and Tui both offer more than Higginbotham at 6. To think that Higgers remains in the conversation at No.8 highlights another position in which Australia has failed in its development. Naisarani has far greater prospects. Ditto Ioane. He has hands like feet. Most of his career metres made came after the whistle was blown. He is 33 and is not going to get any better.
tauranga boy
Guest
Rugby in Australia has gone downhill since pay TV got the broadcast rights to Super games. 85% of Aussies seldom watch rugby regularly now. Will cricket go the same way?
The Terminater
Guest
Train 7 days a week,get back to basics,less aimless kicking,develop the wizz factor all areas ,set a winnng plan and stick to it,Tackle more, Moan less ,develop the Aussie swagger,be fearless,be proud of being Aussies Think win Get rid of bully boy Cheka
“The terminator
Guest
Cheoka please bugger off Get these guys back Scott Higgenbottom Sean McMahn James Oconner Will Skelton Quake Cooper Nick White Digby Ioane Nick Cummings Scott Fardy Morahan At least these guys all have proven track records It’s time for Cheka to go back to the rag trade better suited for his bully boy tactics as seamstresses do argue Please hear the pleas and go,you will get more respect for doing the right thing instead of being the worst coach Australia has ever had Scott Fardy
No.24
Roar Rookie
Only ~40% of new caps in the professional era are from GPS schools.
No.24
Roar Rookie
David, the problems go WAY beyond 2018. The Wallabies have had losing seasons in three of the past five years. That is their worst run since four in a row from 1971-74. ALL of our "world class" / 50+ capped experienced players - Hooper, Pocock, Genia, Foley, Simmons, Folau, Phipps, Kepu - have been constants during this losing thematic.
Dingo McNumbat
Roar Rookie
Cheika gets a pass because a) he's one of the Randwick old boys, and b) he's Australian. If any international coach were in charge of the Wallabies right now, you and Spiro would be howling daily for him to pack his bags so an Aussie can step in and 'play the Aussie game'. How is that working out, incidentally?
Dingo McNumbat
Roar Rookie
No, this is not the right place. The place you're looking for is the 1930s.
Bodger
Roar Rookie
Schmidt has resigned from Ireland....
Kane
Roar Guru
"You can’t win rugby internationals when only 33 per cent of the team know how to play." That's a fair call David! But you can't rugby internationals when your head coach doesn't know how to select, motivate, strategise, or coach. What does Cheika bring to the table apart from being able to swear in five different languages? A whistle and a temper! You can’t win rugby internationals when your defence coach doesn't know how to defend. You can’t win rugby internationals when only attack coach doesn't know how to attack.
Michael
Roar Rookie
Are you completely deaf David? Not one roarer has blamed the players?!? We’ve been here pointing out almost every week that Foley isn’t an international number 12 (or 10 for that matter). That Hooper shouldn’t be keeping the worlds best breakaway out of the number 7 spot. That Beale needs a break. That Phipps can’t pass. That Hannigan is softer than a wet lettuce. No one is saying “sack Cheika but keep every player in the team”. Most here are quite rightly saying Cheikas time is up. He has failed. He’s taken us to the depths of despair. And we are getting worse. We are also saying some of the players should be gone with him. We all know who they are. Your argument is a straw man. Cheika should go. So should a few of his favorite hangers on. With them out of the way we can start to improve.
Bodger
Roar Rookie
Keeping him certainly hasn't solved anything and if anything they are worse than in 2014. Clean out required and get someone like Vern Cotter in, there is only upside to a change. The players deserve a regime change and a better environment as it must be dreadful at the moment. No one can work and perform when you are getting hammered all of the time from every direction.
Oblonsky‘s Other Pun
Roar Guru
I think they're all very fair comments.
Keilidh
Roar Rookie
Bit harsh blaming Cheika, some school master was supposed to teach them ;)
adam smith
Guest
Fred, I think you have said what I was trying to say, only way better then I did. I think I let my frustration with David’s unwavering defense of Cheika get the best of me. Agree with what you said.
Keilidh
Roar Rookie
If I instructed them to do it I would expect to be charged, similarly with Cheika providing the game plan he is culpable. Additionally, if it has taken Cheika three years to work out his players don’t have the required skills, then he should be fired for incompetence. If he identified it earlier and failed to address it, again it’s incompetence. No other coach at any level has the luxury of being able to absolve themselves of responsibility for the coaching team and players’ performance. RA can sit back and hope the four year plan comes together, or they can address the issues.