Wallabies coach Michael Cheika will come under serious pressure if team lose next two games and slip to lowest-ever ranking

IF the Wallabies lose on Saturday night in New Zealand, and in a fortnight in Brisbane to South Africa, they’ll slip to seventh in the world rankings.

Wallabies players at training at Auckland’s Eden Park on Friday. Picture: Getty Images

IF the Wallabies lose on Saturday night in New Zealand, and in a fortnight in Brisbane to South Africa, they’ll slip to seventh in the world rankings.

They’ve never been lower than sixth in the history of the rankings system.

So while Rugby Australia has not sounded out any coaches to replace Michael Cheika before next year’s World Cup campaign, fan disenchantment will force their hand should the Wallabies fall so far down the pecking order.

Cheika is under siege, with Australia having lost five of their past six Tests, and facing a 16th successive year without the Bledisloe Cup if they lose to the All Blacks on Saturday night.

If there is not a vastly improved showing from last week’s 25-point defeat to the Kiwis, the drums will be beating but the wound not be fatal for the coach.

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If, however, they can’t beat the improving South Africans at home, and slip below Wales, Scotland and the Springboks in the rankings, the heat on RA will be extraordinarily profound and phones will start ringing.

One factor RA is already weighing up behind closed doors is the fact Cheika would need to be paid out a significant amount of money they can barely afford.

Wallabies players at training at Auckland’s Eden Park on Friday. Picture: Getty Images

The second is the lack of an obvious viable candidate, with all of the best coaches locked in for international jobs for the World Cup campaigns of rival nations.

Some say it may be a case of Stephen Larkham jumping into the hot seat, others whisper that Dave Wessels could be thrown the role.

Bolder characters suggest that overlooked but talented Kiwis such as Dave Rennie or Chris Boyd be offered lucrative short-term deals for the World Cup and then results should determine the future course.

This is the kind of wild speculation that is thrown forward when coaches are under fire.

Cheika still has much currency from the fact he led Australia to the 2015 World Cup final when most fancied them to be bit-part players.

But his influence over questionable selections and contracting has been the subject of more incessant chatter in quiet corridors over the past few months.

The lineout debacle of last week sums up the frustration best.

Cheika signed an ageing Stephen Moore to a long-term deal only to see him retire.

In that time Tatafu Polota-Nau, who was playing behind Moore when most felt he should be starting, decided to take up a contract in English rugby.

Jordan Uelese was promoted, but got injured.

Brandon Paenga-Amosa was given a debut in the three-Test series against Ireland and performed well above all expectation.

Wallabies players at training at Auckland’s Eden Park on Friday. Picture: Getty Images

Polota-Nau became available for the Bledisloe, was rushed into camp two weeks before the game and given a start in Sydney, while Tolu Latu, who’d played off the bench for NSW most of the season but performed well off the bench for Australia in June, was his back-up.

Together Polota-Nau and Latu lost seven lineouts, gifting New Zealand the ball they needed to storm home.

Paenga-Amosa was left in Australia, with Cheika taking rookie Folau Faingaa to Auckland this week.

After reviewing the horrors of last week and watching training, Latu has been dropped as back-up hooker for Faingaa, who has played just 13 Super Rugby games.

Cheika, who would fall under a 50 per cent Test winning record with defeat on Saturday night, called it a “gut feel” selection.

He needs it to come off in a big way at Eden Park, where no Australian side has beaten New Zealand since 1986.

RA is desperately hoping that Cheika and his side can give supporters something to be hopeful about on Saturday night. Even a courageous defeat would restore some hope, and boost confidence that the Wallabies can win their home games in September against the Boks and Argentina.

Australian captain Michael Hooper says Cheika has remained stoic.

Wallabies coach Michael Cheika has reshuffled his side for the second Test against New Zealand. Picture: Getty Images

“What we’ve seen in Cheik this week is the guy wants to win, he wants to win,” Hooper said.

“That’s what he’s shown this week, an absolute thirst to get this team to reach its potential. That’s what Cheik is about.”

Some Wallabies fans have decided Cheika’s tenure has gone on too long.

But a significant amount are willing to keep the faith, and believe that any other coach could not yield better results from this playing group.

Where that group sits in three weeks’ time along with the Wallabies’ ranking will determine who picks up the phone and dials what number.

It is, and always will be, about the numbers.

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Originally published as Wallabies coach Michael Cheika will come under serious pressure if team lose next two games and slip to lowest-ever ranking