The ARU have just two choices regarding the future of Michael Cheika and both are definitive

THE clock is ticking for Rugby Australia to make a decision on under-siege coach Michael Cheika’s future as the point of no return rapidly approaches.

Wallabies coach Michael Cheika looks on prior to the Rugby Championship match between Australia and Argentina at Cbus Super Stadium on the Gold Coast, Saturday, September 15, 2018. (AAP Image/Dave Hunt) NO ARCHIVING, EDITORIAL USE ONLY

RUGBY Australia bosses must guarantee Michael Cheika the Wallabies’ coaching job for next year’s World Cup, regardless of his worsening record, or sack him.

Chief executive Raelene Castle has two weeks to make the definitive call because the point of no return is rapidly being reached.

If a replacement coach is needed, he has to be installed in time to muster a rushed, new lift-off on November’s end-of-season tour to Europe.

HORROR START: Wallabies can’t bounce back to beat Boks

Michael Cheika’s position is under threat.

Cheika had nine Tests in charge before whipping up a masterful run at the 2015 World Cup and just 10 Tests now remain before the new edition kicks-off in Japan next year.

Wallabies fans may be hurting again after Saturday’s 23-12 loss to South Africa started with a crazy own-goal intercept try yet the endless debate on Cheika’s future has become nearly as painful.

The ghoulish cycle of every Test week is poisoning Australian rugby … Cheika’s job under threat, Cheika backed, Cheika talks tough, Wallabies lose. Repeat.

Australian rugby in worst state since 1974.#Wallabies #Rugby pic.twitter.com/imYWLIPCP6

— Sports Sunday (@SportsSunday) September 30, 2018

No modern Wallabies coach has kept his job after a two-from-10 spiral although there is a significant difference between the Cheika case and Eddie Jones being given the boot with an identical record to end 2005.

Cheika and RA are working together trying to drag up fortunes while Jones ended his reign in open conflict with RA and a performance reviewer.

Castle’s recent public backing of Cheika is of the “our support is behind Michael, he’s contracted to the World Cup, he’s got a plan” variety.

Castle must go further with a 100 per cent Cheika guarantee for the RWC to best smother the “sack Cheik” chatter. It’s either that or off with the head of a coach whose winning rate has dipped to 48 per cent with 26 wins from 54 Tests.

STATS: @Springboks 23 @Wallabies 12, Port Elizabeth (via https://t.co/wD95wQVm0W). pic.twitter.com/7uPKJV6jgZ

— SA Rugby magazine (@SARugbymag) September 29, 2018

RA has no appetite for bloodletting. Cheika runs a close-knit squad and he’s the best man to guide the Wallabies to the World Cup in Japan yet weight of losses becomes fatal even for the best coaches at some point.

“I keep being asked the same question every week,” Cheika said of whether he felt his job was under pressure.

“It depends if you want to cry about it and sook or get on with the improvements we definitely made in this Test.

David Pocock was again a standout for the Wallabies. Picture: AFP

“We are strong group together, this playing team and the staff around them, and we know we are going to come out of it.

“Tough situations come, they go away and the tough people will stay.”

Cheika needs to claw a much-needed win against Argentina next weekend but the marathon travel haul just to reach high-altitude Salta, in the shadow of the Andes, makes it tougher already.

Cheika last week invited four travelling rugby media to every training session to watch even the most sensitive game-planning moves and twice gave briefings on what sessions were trying to achieve.

At least, criticise or praise with knowledge was essentially the offer.

Michael Cheika is in the unfortunate position of having to coach players who have somehow reached international level without learning basic skills of catching and passing #RugbyChampionship

— Ben Pobjie (@benpobjie) September 29, 2018

Two long passes were intercepted out wide last Thursday exactly like the disastrous Kurtley Beale pass in the opening seconds in blustery Port Elizabeth so the warning wasn’t heeded.

Plenty of big ball-carries off inside passes and switch plays were rehearsed at training to make sure clout up the middle balanced with the cutout ball method to the flanks to take advantage of the South African wingers coming in off the sidelines.

In the Test, the inside runners were missing in action and the support players for non-stop sideline runners like Michael Hooper only worked hard enough to get in position 50 per cent of the time.

Kurtley Beale is crunched by Andre Esterhuizen. Picture: Getty

The first lineout session of the week was ragged. That Brandon Paenga-Amosa misfire to Adam Coleman on a 5m attacking lineout when South Africa were down to 14 men could have turned the Test instead of being wasted.

All were player shortcomings, not coaching.

Skipper Hooper offered strong support for Cheika without being prompted: “I’m gutted we didn’t get the result but I’m clear on the things we did well and clear there’s a way forward for this team with our coaching staff doing everything to get us on that path.”

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