Sean McMahon and Adam Ashley-Cooper on Cheika’s World Cup radar thanks to Japanese shutdown
A SUSPENSION of Japanese rugby in 2019 due to the World Cup could open a door for Australian stars to return and be eligible for the Wallabies - and Michael Cheika is already on the job.
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A SUSPENSION of Japanese rugby in 2019 due to the Rugby World Cup could open a door for Australian stars to return and be eligible for the Wallabies’ campaign — and Michael Cheika is already on the job.
Cheika confirmed he is attempting to get Sean McMahon back into a Super Rugby team next year, to have the backrower available for the Rugby World Cup.
And 116-cap Wallaby back Adam Ashley-Cooper is also rumoured to be in the coach’s sights for a possible fourth World Cup campaign.
The potential repatriations have arisen amid strong speculation there will be no Top League competition games played at all in 2019, due to Japan hosting the Rugby World Cup.
The Daily Telegraph understands Japanese rugby authorities are contemplating running shortened Top League seasons before and after the 2019 World Cup, which will be held between September to November.
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The Top League competition usually goes from August to early February but the upcoming 2018-19 season may conclude as early as December, to ensure Japanese players get adequate preparation time for the Sunwolves’ Super Rugby season, and the Brave Blossoms World Cup campaign thereafter.
There is talk the 2019-2020 Top League season may not then start up until December, or possibly as late as January.
The goal is ensure Japan has the best possible Rugby World Cup — on and off the field — but such a reshuffle would leave a large number of Top League foreign imports staring a year without rugby.
Short-term deals for players like McMahon are therefore being discussed behind closed doors.
McMahon, 23, shocked Australian rugby last year when he signed a two-year deal with Suntory, as he only just began to reach his prime as a Wallaby backrower.
He was only due to begin playing in the 2018-19 season but he joined Suntory at the end of last year on an injury cover deal, and duly won a Premiership with Suntory alongside Matt Giteau. He is contracted to Suntory until 2020.
“We will be trying to get a flexible deal for Sean, to get him back here playing next year and be eligible for the World Cup,” Cheika said.
“That’s what we would like to do. We don’t know what is happening in Japan but regardless, we will be trying to do everything we can to get him back here and be available for the World Cup.”
McMahon was open to the possibility as early as last year, when he said in an interview: “Obviously there’s rumours and chat that the Japanese season might be postponed in 2019, so then it’d be up to the club and my managers to talk about what I’d be doing in that time.”
There are a handful of former Wallaby stars in Japan who could, theoretically, also be free to have a Super Rugby-World Cup crack: Giteau, Ashley-Cooper, Berrick Barnes, Peter Kimlin and Digby Ioane
It’s not known how many are interested but one man Cheika is believed to be keen to lure back is Ashley-Cooper.
The 33-year-old is eligible via the Giteau Law but it is very unlikely Cheika would pick a player for the World Cup who hasn’t played for eight months so a Super Rugby stint would be required.
There is no shortage of outside back talent in Australia but Ashley-Cooper’s voice, experience and dependability are rated by Cheika, and the coach demonstrated in 2015 he likes to have a greybeard element in his World Cup squad.
The former Waratahs centre was keen on the idea last year, too.
Ashley-Cooper told News Corp in February last year: “The fire is still burning there for sure, and there is obviously that 2019 World Cup down the track. To get to four World Cups, I reckon that would be a pretty special achievement and something I could be pretty proud of.”
George Gregan is the only Wallaby to have played in four World Cups.
Giteau made a late dash into the 2015 World Cup squad via a new 60-cap rule that now bears his name but the 35-year-old is understood to have effectively retired from international rugby.
Originally published as Sean McMahon and Adam Ashley-Cooper on Cheika’s World Cup radar thanks to Japanese shutdown
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