'We don't need empathy, we need respect' - Cheika has crack at ref
Argentina's Australian coach Michael Cheika says this year's Rugby Championship proves his side can compete with the best teams in the world.
But he was also left lamenting a missed opportunity to make a major statement ahead of next year's Rugby World Cup.
Argentina finished the competition with a 38-21 loss in South Africa on Saturday, but victories in New Zealand and at home to Australia made this one of their most impressive campaigns to date.
"There were two (other) games that we could have won, against Australia (also at home) and last week (at home against South Africa). I'm not happy with the results, but as a team we are improving," Cheika told ESPNScrum.
"It's difficult to say this because I don't want to give the impression that we are only going to compete and nothing else. We need to win, we played well and we were able to do it.
"In general we have increased the level of our game, but it's time to believe that we can win more often again st the best teams in the world. It's very important to take these learnings into November (the autumn internationals)."
Cheika bemoaned his side's decision-making in their loss in Durban, a game in which they conceded 22 penalties, two penalty tries and received four yellow cards.
"I think the score is not a reflection of the match," he said. "The lesson we take from this game is that it is very important to make good decisions at important moments."
Cheika was also confused by some of the calls from referee Damon Murphy and for the second week in a row was not pleased with the match officials.
"For us it is not very clear, because in the first three games of the Rugby Championship we were among the least penalised teams," he said.
"At one point the referee tells Julian (Montoya) he has empathy for him. We don't need empathy, we need respect. It is very difficult to win games when decisions are made like this."
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This is all being blown totally out of proportion. First of all, since half the Irish team isn’t Irish - it’s very likely that none of the Irish players said that at all and, thus, we’re not being arrogant. Second, since half the Irish team is Kiwi - it’s very likely the Kiwi players were predicting a NZ SA World Cup final. Which they got spot on. Good on them!
Go to commentsAha. An Irishman with logic! Follow the flow: - Ireland peaks with a >80% win record between 2020 and 2023. And then… - crashes out of another QF at the WC; - Beat a poor French Team; - Beat 6N wooden spoonists Italy; - Play shite against eventual wooden spoonists Wales; - Lose against the most boring, “the worst English team ever” , a team widely regarded as unable to attack; - scrape through against Scotland. This article, No - Trimble, is on the money! Except for one glaring statement: _The Springboks have a few aces in the hole in this debate being the reigning world champions and official world number ones_ There is no debate, boys and girls. There it is. In black and white. “Reigning World Champions and OFFICIAL world number ones”. Come July, the overrated Andy Farrell and this overhyped team are going to enter into a world of hurt.
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