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Michael Cheika lambasted by English duo for 'headless', 'selfish', 'irresponsible' quarter-final game plan
By Online Editors
The game plan deployed by outgoing Wallabies head coach Michael Cheika against England has been labelled as "headless", "selfish", "irresponsible" and defined by "sheer stubbornness".
The 52-year-old announced he would not seek re-appointment in his role as head coach of Australia following his side's dismal 40-16 World Cup quarter-final defeat to Eddie Jones' team in Oita on Saturday.
The result not only spelled the end of the Wallabies' ill-fated World Cup campaign, but it also brought to an end Cheika's five-year reign in charge of the Australian national side.
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During his time in charge, the ex-Leinster, Stade Francais and Waratahs coach led the Wallabies to the 2015 World Cup final after taking over at short notice towards the end of 2014, but the ensuing four years of his tenure ended in turmoil as he picked up just 10 wins from his final 25 outings.
News of his departure from Rugby Australia was met with swift criticism from a raft of rugby personalities worldwide, with 70-test Wallabies playmaker Quade Cooper, who missed selection the 2019 World Cup and hasn't been selected by Cheika since 2017, leading the onslaught on social media.
However, perhaps the harshest evaluation of Cheika's involvement in the Australian set-up came from former England and British and Irish Lions wing Ugo Monye and Olympic champion sevens coach Ben Ryan.
Monye, who won 14 caps for his country and the Lions, was stunned by the tactics of which Cheika persisted with during his side's 24-point thumping at the hands of England.
"[It] was one of the most selfish tactical game plans I’ve seen in a long time because it wasn’t about the players,” Monye told BT Sport.
"Everyone knows a blueprint of how you can challenge England. What Cheika put up against Eddie Jones — he let his players down.
"They’ve got brilliant players. When they got into England’s half, when the likes of Will Genia, [Samu] Kerevi, [Marika] Koroibete — they looked unbelievable.
“But he totally ignored all that with sheer stubbornness. I didn’t like the tactics, it didn’t work out and I personally feel he let his team down because it didn’t give them the best opportunity to win. How many trophies have you won (with these tactics)?
“It was irresponsible because the game plan wasn’t about the players, it was about him. It was about ‘this is what I believe Australian rugby to be and we’re going to stick to it come hell or high water, this is the way which is going to work’.
“And it’s not worked in the Rugby Championship and in a knockout game — the biggest game of his career — I genuinely believe he’s let his players down because they’re too good a side to be getting beaten (40-16).”
Former England and Fiji sevens coach Ryan, who led the Fijians to a gold medal at the inaugural rugby sevens event at the 2016 Rio Olympics, doubled down on Monye's comments, condemning Cheika for undermining Australia's attacking prowess by instructing them to play inside their own half.
“He hid behind saying we’re (playing) attacking rugby,” Ryan said. “It’s not attacking rugby if you can’t get out of your own 22. It was headless rugby. He just let down his players.”
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Latest Comments
No he's just limited in what he can do. Like Scott Robertson. And Eddie Jones.
Sometimes it doesn't work out so you have to go looking for another national coach who supports his country and believes in what he is doing. Like NZ replacing Ian Foster. And South Africa bringing Erasmus back in to over see Neinbar.
This is the real world. Not the fantasy oh you don't need passion for your country for international rugby. Ask a kiwi, or a south african or a frenchman.
Go to commentsDont complain too much or start jumping to conclusions.
Here in NZ commentators have been blabbing that our bottom pathway competition the NPC (provincial teams only like Taranaki, Wellington etc)is not fit for purpose ie supplying players to Super rugby level then they started blabbing that our Super Rugby comp (combined provincial unions making up, Crusaders, Hurricanes, etc) wasn't good enough without the South African teams and for the style SA and the northern powers play at test level.
Here is what I reckon, Our comps are good enough for how WE want to play rugby not how Ireland, SA, England etc play. Our comps are high tempo, more rucks, mauls, running plays, kicks in play, returns, in a game than most YES alot of repetition but that builds attacking skillsets and mindsets. I don't want to see world teams all play the same they all have their own identity and style as do England (we were scared with all this kind of talk when they came here) World powerhouse for a reason, losses this year have been by the tiniest of margins and could have gone either way in alot of games. Built around forward power and blitz defence they have got a great attack Wingers are chosen for their Xfactor now not can they chase up and unders all day. Stick to your guns its not far off
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