Michael Cheika does it his way but Wallabies results spoke loud and clear | Bret Harris

Bowing to the inevitable, Michael Cheika left before being asked to leave. His announcement that he would not seek re-appointment as Wallabies coach pre-empted Rugby Australia’s almost certain intention not to renew his contract.

It followed the day after an exchange between Cheika and a journalist, who had the temerity to question him about his future in the media conference after the Wallabies’ record 40-16 loss to England in the World Cup quarter-final at Oita Stadium.

It was a “cruel, cruel world”, Cheika said after being asked the question so soon after the game. The journalist, of course, was just doing his job. Cheika himself had stated publicly some time ago that he would step down as Wallabies coach if Australia did not win the World Cup. It was a fair question.

Cheika has fronted hundreds, if not thousands, of media conferences in his career. He must have known what was coming, but he deflected it, preferring to announce his departure on his own terms.

In his final act Cheika, as always, did it his way, which is his strength and his weakness as a coach.

How could Rugby Australia re-appoint Cheika? Not after the Wallabies’ thumping loss to England; not after four years of disappointment, which included Australia’s worst season since 1958 when they won just four of 13 Tests in 2018; not after producing a 42% winning record against tier one nations.

Cheika had to guide the Wallabies to World Cup victory in Japan to keep his job and that was always an unlikely proposition, although not beyond possibility. He had, after all, taken Australia from sixth in the world to the World Cup final in 2015, losing to the All Blacks.

The difference back then was that he inherited a dispirited team at the end of 2014 and lifted them to unexpected heights. The last four years have been his own handiwork and he has taken the team back to where he first found them.

No one really expected the inconsistent Wallabies to win this World Cup as their hopes have been undermined by questionable selections and strategy. Before the tournament Cheika stated he would adopt a horses-for-courses selection policy and suggested he would flip his halves combinations, which he did.

After the Wallabies’ unconvincing win against Fiji in their opening game of the tournament it was obvious that Nic White and Matt Toomua were the squad’s best halves combination. Not world class, but the best they had.

Will Genia was past his best, Bernard Foley was out of form and Christian Lealiifano struggled with the physicality of World Cup rugby. Yet, Genia and Foley started in the 29-25 loss to Wales in their key pool game, while Genia and Lealiifano started in the defeat to England.

Perhaps it would not have mattered who started in the quarter-final, for the Wallabies entered the sudden-death game with a flawed game-plan which revolved around keeping the ball in hand no matter what. That played into England’s hands.

Cheika lamented the fact some of England’s tries were scored off intercepts, as if that were some kind of bad luck, but intercepts happen because of poor skill execution or panicky play, both characteristics of this team. The writing was on the wall for Cheika even before the full-time siren sounded in the quarter-final.

There has already been speculation that Rugby Australia is in talks with New Zealander Dave Rennie as a replacement. Whoever takes over, the Wallabies need a coach who aims to play total rugby. Not ball-in-hand rugby, not percentage rugby, not tactical kicking rugby, but total rugby.

Rugby is a multi-faced game and a good team has to be across all aspects of play. A team can place an emphasis on a particular area to suit their personnel, but a certain part of the game cannot be ignored just because of a lack of interest.

The Wallabies displayed a lot of attacking firepower at this World Cup, but Cheika’s eschewing of tactical kicking made them predictable and limited their options. It proved costly.

A lot has been made of the so-called Australian way of playing. Australians prefer to play attacking rugby, but there is more than one way to attack, including attacking kicking.

When the Queensland Reds won the Super Rugby title in 2011 they kicked the ball more than any other team. And New Zealander Robbie Deans kept the Wallabies at No 2 in the world for about five years by playing a Crusaders style of game.

Cheika was given every opportunity to implement his ball-in-hand strategy to the Wallabies. It may have worked for him at Leinster and the NSW Waratahs, but it did not work at Test level – not with the playing group he had at his disposal.

It was time for Cheika to go. He did not need anyone to tell him. The results had already spoken loud and clear.

source: theguardian.com