Argentina’s rugby union players believe Michael Cheika is instilling belief into them that they can be world beaters.
The Australian coach is having an extraordinary week in two codes, leading Lebanon’s rugby league team into a World Cup quarter-final in Huddersfield against his homeland on Friday, before taking the Pumas to face England at Twickenham, the home of rugby union, on Sunday.
The Pumas aim to build on a promising Rugby Championship in which they defeated both Australia and New Zealand.
Cheika took charge earlier this year and the Australian, who guided the Wallabies to the 2015 World Cup final, has been credited with overseeing their revival.
He steps down after next year’s global showpiece in France, with three-quarter Matias Moroni explaining how Cheika’s grasp of player psychology is already having a profound impact.
“Michael has been working with us and the most important thing is the mentality. He has started to show us if we want it, we can do it,” Moroni said.
“He has been working with us on our mentality and giving us the confidence that we have a great team and great players. It’s showing in those of us playing in the Premiership and in France.”
Moroni, who swapped Leicester for Newcastle in the English club game over the summer, also departed Welford Road with a high opinion of the leadership skills of Ellis Genge, who will start at prop for England on Sunday.
“The way he led when we played at Leicester was by doing things,” he said.
“He talked really well also but also did his talking on the pitch and through the way he trains, the way he plays, the way he carries.
“He pushed the team to win the Premiership title last season but this weekend we are on different teams.”
Wallabies_Larkham
Roar Rookie
MC is on a 8-match loosing streak against Eddie J I think..At some point he will need to break that duck..
Passit2me
Roar Rookie
Chieka is very good at reviving ailing teams through his experience in his own life with the power of belief. As a migrant here in Australia, he identifies with the underdog. That much is obvious. I just hope he has learnt valuable, real life lessons from his time with the Wallabies. Namely, belief and “ripping in”, just isn’t enough at test level. In all my life, I have never seen such horrible ruck technique, with forwards simply over running the ruck and becoming useless. I have also never before, in all of rugby history, seen such a long, drawn out display off horrendous, match burning, wild, intercepted offloads, go ignored. It wasn’t until Scott Johnson and the new team of assistants arrived, that both of these mind blowing, obvious issues got addressed. On reflection, I find it funny that Cheika’s early comments about his Wallaby players, was that “they don’t seem to realise they are in test match”. Hello, hello, anybody home huh, think Mcfly, think…
Malo
Guest
Cheika and the Argies should get another scalp here.
Bluffboy
Roar Rookie
Not really 100% on this revival. If beating the All Blacks and Australia is the revival :thumbup: If its finishing 4th in the Championship :thumbdown: Pretty sure did something similar with the Wallabies before sky's turned dark.