Rugby World Cup: Michael Cheika coaching masterclass guides Argentina to semi-final
Michael Cheika ended his first stint as Wallabies coach with an uninspiring record, but the current Argentina coach is a significantly better mentor now as he just showed at the World Cup.
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If Eddie Jones reneges on his promise to stay with the Wallabies and scuttles off to Japan, Michael Cheika should be right at the top of Rugby Australia’s list of potential replacements.
Already the last Dinky Di Aussie coach still standing at the Rugby World Cup in France, Cheika just reminded everyone what a masterful big-game thinker he is by guiding Argentina through to the semi-finals for only the third time.
Dismissed as outsiders to beat Wales – the same team that completely humiliated the Wallabies in the group stage three weeks ago – Cheika’s underrated Pumas produced a classic rope-a-dope turnaround to thump the Welsh 29-17 in Marseilles and become the first country through to the semi-finals.
It wasn’t always pretty but Cheika has already figured out that beauty is in the eye of the beholder and winning ugly beats losing every single time.
One of the criticisms of Cheika in his final days as Wallabies coach at the last World Cup in 2019 was that his players often overplayed their hand, sacrificing easy points on offer from penalties by going for tries.
It was bravado that backfired badly but he’s wised up since he took over as the head coach of Argentina in 2022.
The Pumas take the points when they are on offer and it’s one of the reasons they are through to the semi-finals and the Wallabies are licking their wounds back home in Australia.
The 56-year-old has always enjoyed plenty of success as coach, taking the Wallabies to the 2015 World Cup final, winning a Super Rugby title with the Waratahs and a Heineken Cup with Leinster, but his accomplishments with Argentina may be his biggest achievements yet.
In the past 18 months, the Pumas have beaten nine different countries, including posting historic wins away from home against Australia, New Zealand and England.
One of the keys has been Cheika’s more patient approach. His side trailed 10-0 early on against Wales, but never panicked and kept chipping away, with Emiliano Boffelli striking his penalties as sweetly as Lionel Messi at last year’s FIFA World Cup, nailing four attempts in a row to give his side a 12-10 advantage early in the first half.
Wales did regain the lead when replacement halfback Tomos Williams darted through a gaping hole to score under the posts but the South Americans piled on 17 unanswered points in the final quarter with late tries from Joel Sclavi and Nicolas Sanchez.
“I’m pretty happy, I suppose,” Cheika said.
“These players are such good people, without getting too emotional. They have worked really hard and I think that hard work showed at the end of the game today.
“They wanted to fight for it, they wanted to earn it. We were behind so it takes a bit of leg work.
“I don’t know if we’ll go with the sweeping statements just yet. We will wait and see. We are just thrilled to be going to Paris, we haven’t had a taste of it yet at this World Cup.
“We won’t be favourites but we’ll be giving it our best.”
While Rugby Australia is fully aware that Japan wants Jones to oversee the rebuild of the Brave Blossoms, he’s repeatedly said he is committed to the Wallabies and they have no plans to fire him even after the Wallabies missed the quarter-finals for the first time.
"We're thrilled to be going to Paris. We haven't had a taste of it yet. We'll have a look at tonight's game now."
— Virgin Media Sport (@VMSportIE) October 14, 2023
Michael Cheika a happy man after Argentina booked their place in the World Cup semi-final!#WALvARG | #RWC2023pic.twitter.com/BTl9a8qIuX
That hasn’t stopped the speculation that he may still be packing his bags, with the besieged coach expected to cop a grilling when he fronts a press conference in Sydney on Tuesday.
Cheika, who was roasted when the Wallabies lost to an England side coached by Jones at the 2019 World Cup, has already reached out to his old Randwick teammate to see whether he is okay, knowing exactly the intense scrutiny he is facing.
That’s another sign that Cheika might be interested in rejoining the Wallabies if the opportunity arises.
It’s understood Cheika’s contract with the Pumas ends after this World Cup, and it’s no secret he wants another shot at the Wallabies job one day.
It ended badly last time when Raelene Castle was running the show but Hamish McLennan and Phil Waugh would be far more open to bringing Cheika back.
For now though, his only concern is the Pumas.
He won’t even talk about coming back to Australia but those questions won’t go away in a hurry either. Watch this space.
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Originally published as Rugby World Cup: Michael Cheika coaching masterclass guides Argentina to semi-final