Michael Cheika’s time in The Land of the Rising Sun has come to an end, with the respected coach departing from his role at NEC Green Rockets – and, at the same time, adding to speculation he could join Leicester Tigers as Steve Borthwick’s replacement.
The Roar can reveal Cheika and the Japanese League One side parted ways recently, with time management one of the main reasons for the 2015 World Rugby coach of the year’s departure.
It’s believed Cheika, who took over as Argentina coach last year and will lead the Pumas to the World Cup later this year, spent just 36 days at the Japanese club after joining them as their director of rugby. It’s understood his contract required him to spend 180 days at the club.
Not only did Cheika join Los Pumas last year as Mario Ledesma’s replacement, the only head coach to win major titles in the Northern Hemisphere and Southern Hemisphere also led Lebanon to the Rugby League World Cup and was one of the best additions to the Stan Sports coverage over the past two years.
Michael Cheika has left Japanese League One side NEC Green Rockets. Photo: David Rogers/Getty Images
Cheika is one of several renowned coaches to have been brought in by ambitious Japanese clubs, with the former Wallabies coach following in the footsteps of Robbie Deans, Sir Steve Hansen and Wayne Smith.
It’s also believed that Blake Ferguson’s alleged drug-related incident, which saw the former NRL star spend a month behind bars in Japan, was damaging to Cheika’s reputation at the club.
Nonetheless, Cheika has turned Argentina into one of the genuine bolters of this year’s World Cup, with Los Pumas pulling off brilliant victories against the Wallabies, All Blacks and England in 2022.
Cheika has based himself in France over the past year to be closer to the majority of Argentina’s players, who predominately ply their trade in the French Top 14 and English Premiership.
But with Cheika set to only take Los Pumas through to the World Cup before likely handing over the reins to Felipe Contepomi, it’s believed the former NSW and Wallabies coach is the favourite on the short list to take over Borthwick at Leicester.
Could Argentina coach Michael Cheika (L) link up with Los Pumas captain Julian Montoya after the World Cup? Photo: David Rogers/Getty Images
While Wallabies assistant Dan McKellar is also on a four-person shortlist, which also features World Cup-winning South African coach Rassie Erasmus, the reigning English champions made contact with Cheika late last year as they moved towards finding a replacement for Borthwick.
The former England captain’s sudden appointment as Eddie Jones’ successor has meant Leicester are urgently trying to nail down their head coach to replace the interim Richard Wigglesworth, who is temporarily filling the role before joining Borthwick at the World Cup. It has left players concerned about their future.
Leicester, who is one of England’s richest clubs, have cash to spend because the Rugby Football Union had to remunerate them for taking the vast majority of their coaching structure following Jones’ axing last December.
It means they could offer Cheika, or indeed another name, a compelling offer to join them.
In addition, the current Los Pumas captain Julian Montoya is one of Leicester’s stars.
Playing against Cheika is he will take charge of Argentina until at late as the last week of October, but his name alone would likely ensure the English powerhouse remains a force going forward.
Cain
Roar Rookie
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numpty
Roar Rookie
List me the dozens of coaches that have won more... No wait, not coaches, list me all the everyday people that have a better coaching record then cheika considering he 'bluffed' his way there. If he can do it, surely there are dozens of others who have done it also. If cheika, a supposed imposter, can win those cups what does it say of the "real" coaches he beat?
Ulysses
Roar Rookie
Is that all He won two provincial cups. He lost the RWC final that doesn`t count. How many cups or trophies has he won from 2015 -2022 ? How did he improve the Wallabies?
Daz
Guest
It will be NSW eastern suburbs stuff. We already are waiting. I can’t wait to see him fail. I’m going to deathride him all the way given what he did.
Highlander
Roar Guru
Leaving this year, but yes
numpty
Roar Rookie
Imagine being so detached from reality you think that any old person could just fluke winning the Heineken cup, super rugby, and make a rwc final. Head coaching must be easy as pie like open heart surgery.
Gutterboy
Roar Rookie
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numpty
Roar Rookie
We can hope. Just don't be surprised if the comments sections on the roar are heated when Eddie starts naming team sheets. There is also a lesson to be learned in Eddie getting a long honeymoon period because there is so much time between him being announced coach and game 1.
James584
Roar Rookie
It’s pretty clear that Cheika isn’t the one doing the chasing. He is in high demand and with a record like he now has, it’s no wonder.
Cain
Roar Rookie
Yes i get that, but Eddie had a more sustained success with his favourites. Cheiks on the other hand started to go downhill quick after only 2 years with his favourites. Fingers crossed Eddie has a very good 5 years again, this time coaching the Wallabies.
numpty
Roar Rookie
My point was that Eddie, like cheika, is well known for having their favourites and "shunning" other players. If you don't like cheika for this reason, you may not like Eddie either.
Malo
Guest
I don’t get how you can say Cheika is a bad coach, got tahs a title -2015, won Europe with Leinster,got an average wallabies team to a World Cup final, got Lebanon to the league qtr finals, got Argentina wins over the All Blacks and was it Springboks or wallabies. I’d hate to see what a dud coach brings to the trophy case. The world is his oyster.
Ulysses
Roar Rookie
MC is a terrible coach. Always has been, He has bluffed his way to into a head coaching position.
Cain
Roar Rookie
Head to head Eddie 6 Cheika 0 I know who id have more confidence in having a winning team. But as i said, fingers crossed.
Grommit
Roar Rookie
BP Tier one teams would never hire that buffoon !
numpty
Roar Rookie
Not like eddies has ever been accused of something similar... If that's the reason for the wallabies decline, Eddie may not be the answer.
carnivean
Roar Rookie
Clive Woodward to finally show the world that he is better than Eddie Jones by following Eddie's stint and leading the Wallabies to 100% win rate and 2 World Cups?
bungeye
Roar Rookie
So you tell us this now? When was this glowing endorsement when coaching the wallabies?
Bobby
Roar Rookie
It's funny about Chek and his legacy. He really is a professional rugby coach, chasing dollars and dare I say it, relevance. We all should remember just how much he was "on the nose" by the end of his tenure at the Wallabies. Reminds me of a "blow fly" looking for his next carcass. :happy: :happy: :happy:
Don
Roar Rookie
He's actually a good option for a club in a 2-3 year stint. And Leicester doesn't keep many coaches longer than that. Whilst I thought he was out of his depth coaching Aus, he clearly learned alot from the experience, and doesn't look like the same arrogant know it all that he portrayed when trying to cover up his failures and inadequacies here. Argentina now play a type of footy I would have liked to see the Wallabies playing when he coached us, but he was being far too clever and made things too complicated and convoluted when he had us. But no doubt he is a good club coach. Nick Bishop would be able to tell us if it would be a good fit culturally, but Leicester has had Aussie coaches before. I think Pat Howard coached them to a Premiership.