Wallabies boss Michael Cheika happy to ride the ups and downs of coaching
Wallabies coach Michael Cheika may be under the pump but insists his intentions are right and therefore ‘every decision is good.’
Rugby
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For a man facing the most fierce criticism in Australian sport right now, Michael Cheika has an awfully wide smile.
“I love the challenge, I’m stubborn which is probably why I’m not people’s favourite all the time,” the Wallabies coach said, grinning.
Cheika isn’t finding much support from Australian rugby fans after eight defeats in 11 Tests this year, but he’s shown no signs of concern about his job security this week in Italy and says it’s due to self-belief.
“You’ll have some success and you can’t enjoy the successes unless you enjoy and acknowledge the hardships that come to you too,” Cheika said.
“You’ve got to have melancholy, you’ve got to be upset and angry sometimes and sometimes you’ve got to be extremely happy. It’s how we work.
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“That’s a reflection of life too. It comes from a lot of intrinsic belief in oneself.
“I believe in myself a lot, very humbly as well. I know I’ve got stuff to learn and people to learn from but I believe in the intent of what I am doing always, so it makes the challenge more interesting because you are putting yourself on the line.”
Australia has never lost to Italy. Defeat to the hosts this weekend would presumably seal his fate as Wallabies coach but the emotional rollercoaster of the job is “an addiction”, Cheika said.
“I believe in everything we are doing and I know that in life things sometimes don’t go your way and you can’t cry about it,” he said.
“Don’t be scared to make decisions that not everyone may like.
“As long as your intent is for the success of the people you are representing, and the team you are a part of, then every decision is good.
“I’m never scared to make those and also accept the consequences that come with them.
“It’s an addiction of some sort, maybe, the adrenaline, the thrill of it as well as trying to make sure that you have prepared yourself correctly to make the right decisions because when it does come off it’s a real buzz.”
It hasn’t been coming off often enough for the Wallabies, who under Cheika have gone from World Cup finalists in 2015 to a record low seventh in the rankings.
“I can’t remember a time when I haven’t [enjoyed it],” Cheika said.
“Obviously post-game when you lose you feel bad, but feeling bad is a normal emotion when things don’t go your way. It doesn’t mean you’re not enjoying the challenge.”
Padua is where Cheika began his coaching career at the Petrarca club in 1999 after being approached by club figurehead Vittorio Munari.
“It’s a huge honour to be back,” Cheika said.
“I was here 18 years ago for one season and I still have such solid friends from that year and the connections that you build are the friendships for life.
“I was just with Vittorio Munari, he was the guy that brought me out here in the first place.
“He took a bit of a risk. I’d never coached anyone before.
“It’s so much fun just doing it - coaching.
“It’s the challenge of trying to get the best out of people. Living the difficult situations as well as the triumphant ones.”
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