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LYON – Michael Cheika has cautioned Australians – and the rest of the world for that matter – to write Eddie Jones’ Wallabies off at their peril.
After losing to Fiji in Saint Etienne a week ago, tensions are high ahead of the Wallabies’ do-or-die battle against Wales in Lyon on Sunday (Monday, 5am AEST).
Should Jones’ men go down, the Wallabies will all but certainly miss the knockout stages of the World Cup for the first time in the 10 tournaments to date since the tournament’s inception in 1987.
Having sacked Dave Rennie and gone all in on Jones in mid-January by signing the veteran boss on a five-year, multi-million-dollar deal, naturally the heat has turned on the coach – and the Rugby Australia board that parachuted him into the role – ahead of the Wallabies’ Test against Wales.
After months of rumours linking him to jobs elsewhere, including Japan, Jones himself admitted on Friday that he was unsure if he would be with the Wallabies post the World Cup.
“At the end of the World Cup there’ll be a review,” Jones said.
“Given the results we’ve had then maybe Australian Rugby doesn’t want to keep me. That’s the reality of the job I live in. And I understand that.”
Eddie Jones has received some support from former Wallabies coach Michael Cheika ahead of the Wallabies’ do-or-die match against Wales. (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)
Over the past week and, indeed, over the past 12 months, Rugby Australia chairman Hamish McLennan has claimed the game’s current standing, especially the Wallabies, is a result of two decades of inept leadership and direction.
World Cup-winner David Campese, who has laid the boot into Jones and RA in recent months, has called on Cheika to coach the coaches in Australian rugby once his current role overseeing Argentina’s World Cup campaign comes to an end.
“Rugby Australia are saying Eddie is staying win, lose or draw and that Eddie is a long-term plan. I am not sure. What do I think? I’m not sure, to be honest!” Campese told Vegas Insider.
“I have long felt after 2019 that Michael Cheika who is now coaching Argentina should be employed by Rugby Australia to produce a high-performance coaching programme bringing on the best young coaching talent in Australia and developing and mentoring them. We lose too many overseas.”
Cheika agreed the lack of coaching development in Australia was an issue, but said it wasn’t one he was interested in for the time being.
“Well, coaching development without a doubt. But it’s not for me. I’m not with Australia anymore,” Cheika told The Roar following Argentina’s 19-10 win over Samoa on Saturday.
However, Cheika, who lost his first seven Tests against Jones’ England before claiming his past two encounters, including July’s 34-31 win in Sydney, did issue a warning that the Wallabies could not be written off in this World Cup campaign.
“What I know is that it ain’t over, chaps,” he said.
“So be careful about ripping into people because Australia have a good team. They’ve got great players who can play footy. They’ll be stinging. On Sunday they’ll be coming out firing.
“Before we all start talking about the systemic (issues) and all that, the World Cup’s not over, there’s still plenty to go.
“I’d be seeing Australia have a great game on Sunday.”
Michael Cheika (C) has warned the rugby world to write the Wallabies off at your peril. (Photo by Jason McCawley/Getty Images)
Asked whether RA needed to back Jones beyond the World Cup, Cheika pointed to the support Jones’ Wallabies have received in recent weeks.
“I don’t think anyone from Rugby Australia’s not backing the head coach. It’s outside sources not backing the head coach,” said Cheika, who coached the Wallabies to the 2015 World Cup final before not seeking reappointment following their 2019 quarter-final loss to Jones’ England.
“I think the guy from Rugby Australia seems like he’s backing the head coach.
“They’re [The Wallabies] in, they’re doing their thing and it’s far from over. There’s a long way for it to play out.”
Cheika’s Pumas kept their own World Cup campaign alive when they beat Samoa in an ugly, scrappy Test in the wet.
Michael Cheika’s Argentina beat Samoa on Saturday after going down in their first World Cup Test against England. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
While Los Pumas dominated possession and territory, the South Americans struggled to turn pressure into points.
“I thought we played OK, we weren’t clinical in the score zone but I thought we dominated the game pretty well,” Cheika said.
“I was a bit disappointed we gave away the try because we’ve only given away the one try in two games.
“It’s been an area that we’ve worked on hard, our defence because that will be important for us.
“Still, we’re on the board and that’s all that counts.”
Despite coaching in his third straight World Cup, Cheika said the pressure didn’t get any easier.
“I know it’s hard and all that but they’re the best because we don’t get to play that much winner takes all footy. It’s the best feeling,” he said.
“It’s the most nerve wracking, but it’s also the most beautiful footy to play when everything’s on the line and sometimes it works out for you and sometimes it doesn’t, but there’s that excitement.
“You don’t want them to be easy. It’s not the experience you want if it’s easy.”
But is the pressure coaching a foreign nation to your own different?
“Why would it be different?” he said. “If anything, it’s easier because you can just say you didn’t understand the questions.”
There is no doubt that the fanatical support brings with it a lot of responsibility.
“Mate, that’s one thing. Twice, we played at Velez against South Africa. We didn’t show up there, we weren’t good and then the game at Marseille, I must say we had a lot of fans there too, but we want to activate those people,” he said.
“Our fans are fantastic. They’re unreal. It’s a great experience to be in the middle of that.
“You saw them in Australia when we were there earlier in the year, 1000 or whatever and it’s a great connection because you see the players reacting with them and them reacting with the players as the game was tight and they were pushing us on.”
Michael Cheika looks on ahead of Argentina’s World Cup fixture against Samoa at Stade Geoffroy-Guichard on September 22, 2023 in Saint-Etienne. (Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)
Meanwhile, Cheika backed World Rugby’s decision to overhaul their eligibility criteria over the past World Cup cycle, which has seen dozens of foreign-capped players play for their countries of origin, including Christian Lealiifano for Samoa, and therefore strengthen the overall tournament.
“I’ve had my stoushes with World Rugby but I’m super pleased that they’ve changed the rules to let the boys play with Samoa and Tonga like Christian and all the guys who have come back to play, Lima [Sopoaga], Steven [Luatua],” Cheika said.
“I had the rugby league World Cup with Lebanon and I saw how culturally that was such a huge event. It was really one of the best things I’ve ever done.
“I think for those lads you saw today – not only are they tough competition, like it was a physical encounter, but they’ve got some excellent players playing in the Top 14 and playing in Super Rugby and they’ve had a lot of international experience and it makes for a great occasion.”
On the subject of whether tier-two teams needed more competition against tier-one sides, as well as more funding, Cheika said the entire concept needed to be readdressed and pointed to Chile’s rise, who they will play next.
“Well, I don’t want to get into politics. What I want to say is I don’t believe in tier one and tier two. There shouldn’t be any tiering. Maybe for funding and all that, yeah I get it, but as far as the rankings are concerned and teams playing each other it’s all hands on deck now,” he said.
“Some of the games here, Chile have been very impressive. Uruguay have been very impressive, they come out, they’re firing.
“It’s the first time two South American teams are playing in the World Cup. And we know that it’s going to be a huge game for both teams because we have a lot of respect for what they’ve achieved.”
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.