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Michael Cheika now favourite to take on Wales job
By Neil Fissler
Michael Cheika has emerged as the clear favourite to become the next Wales coach when his contract with Leicester Tigers runs out at the end of the season.
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The Welsh Rugby Union are looking for a new boss after ending Warren Gatland’s two-year reign earlier this month, following a 14th successive defeat against Italy.
Caretaker boss Matt Sherratt, who oversaw a 16th defeat on the spin against Ireland at the weekend, has ruled himself out of taking the job on a permanent basis and will return to his post at Cardiff.
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Cheika, 57, who was World Rugby Coach of the Year in 2015, has a proven track record in international rugby, spending five years in charge of the Wallabies and then taking Argentina to a World Cup semi-final in 2023.
He announced last month that he will be leaving the Tigers, who are fourth in the Premiership and hunting a play-off place, when his one-year deal with the Welford Road outfit runs out at the end of June.
Cheika took advantage of the Tigers’ Premiership Cup exit to return to Australia and was spotted having lunch with Rugby Australia boss Phil Waugh at a Sydney restaurant, sparking speculation that he could return to his old job.
But it has since been played down, with former London Irish boss Les Kiss, now in charge of Queensland Reds, seen as the clear favourite when Joe Schmidt stands down at the end of the Rugby Championship in October.
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Cheika was immediately installed as the 3-1 favourite by Welsh bookies when it was announced that Gatland was leaving, with Simon Easterby and Franco Smith, two of his rivals, at 5-1.
Smith has since said that he wants to coach internationally again but has a £500,000 compensation clause in his Glasgow Warriors contract, which runs until the end of next season.
And the whispers coming out of Australia over the weekend suggest that Cheika is keen on taking on the task of rebuilding Wales.
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Isn't one of the main reasons he’s leaving Leicester because it’s too far away from Australia and from family?
I don’t think the connections from Cardiff airport are that much quicker.
Could be very smart business but surely they’d only have him to the end of the 2027 world cup? He gets bored easily.
Locking down a younger coach for 4-5 years is maybe better for them.
No chance! If Wales continue to play the way they did against Ireland and start to add more layers to their game, Matt Sherratt will be the man. No doubt whatsoever. Proving he can turn the ship that quickly, get them performing and also no costs involved. It’s the most clear and obvious path for the WRU, so clear and obvious, even they couldn’t miss it…!
Cheika taking the Wales job would mean Franco Smith remains an option for the Wallabies after the Rugby Championship as long as Rugby Australia come to the realisation that New Zealand isn’t the only country that can produce overseas coaches worthy of coaching the Wallabies.
I don’t get it. It is reported (so might not be true) that Gatland 2.0 had difficulties connecting with what is now a very young Welsh squad. He’s 61. Cheika is 57, so how would that be any different?
I think both of them would be much better candidates for “DoR” type roles with a brief to rebuild the pathways in Welsh rugby, than to be a head coach again.
He’d be an excellent option for England with just two years out to the World Cup.
England’s loss, Wales’ gain I guess.
EJ 2.0…
international coaches are now like Hollywood actors. People in charge seem to believe that only known “actors” can be a good coach. Surely there must be a local coach worth his salt. This whole grab a celebrity coach from overseas is a bit ridiculous. Look I get it if you can access someone amazing like say Japan did with Jamie Joseph, but surely one must look internally first.
Don't do it Wales, don't do it.
He is well suited to the ‘emotional’ Argentinians or Italians but no one else. He might be good for a couple of games on the hype but it’s downhill from there.
Stop selling your country out and find a Welsh coach.
Looks like they possibly have found their coach, albeit English rather than welsh, based on Saturday’s match. Every man and their dog expected them to be demolished, but they were unrecognisable from Gatlands team. They clearly wanted him out.
I personally enjoy Cheika's histrionics whenever his charges do not perform as well as he would like. He at least displays a passion for what he does and is entertaining. Most teams do better with homegrown coaches however and I agree that a Welshman should coach Wales.
I think the evidence is that Cheika is one of the best coaches in the world for giving a short term bounce, but not a guy who can reliably build long term success.
I actually think it wouldn’t be the worst idea to bring him on for the remainder of the RWC cycle, given (1) there’s only 2 and a half years until the tournament, so that might be within the Cheika-bounce period; (2) the RWC draw could be disastrous for Wales if they don’t beat Japan in the summer (as losing would probably mean they drop to the 3rd band), so they really really need a short term bounce; and (3) their long term targets (ROG?, Easterby?, Shaun Edwards?) might be unwilling to leave their current contracts mid-way through a RWC cycle in order to join a team that seems a bit like a sinking ship.
Read the two numbers on successive defeats and answer me honestly, is there quality control on this website?
Nobody reads the articles. We’re just here for the comments.
Good move?
Bizarre move on his part. He wants to leave Leicester to be closer to home in Sydney, yet Wales is a long way from Sydney.
Cheika's a 2-3 year coach but Wales’ problems will take 4-5 years to fix.