Rugby World Cup: Michael Cheika can’t be the only casualty of Wallabies mess

Rugby Australia chief Raelene Castle must share some of the blame for the state of the game in this country. Picture: Getty Images

The Wallabies have arrived back in Australia with their tails between their legs. There weren’t many fans lining up for autographs as they players slunk through Sydney airport, after Australia’s worst Rugby World Cup campaign.

Flanker David Pocock admitted it: “We weren’t good enough.”

His skipper Michael Hooper agreed: “We weren’t able to execute our big moments.”

But so far, the only person who has truly taken responsibility for this disaster for Australian rugby is Michael Cheika. After the humiliating quarterfinal loss to England, Cheika did the honourable thing and fell on his sword. It would be a travesty if the coach was the only casualty.

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Clearly Cheika has to accept a significant slice of the blame for Australia’s exit — and the fact that the Wallabies under his watch have won just 25 times in 59 Tests against tier one nations, including Italy and Argentina. His my-way-or-the-highway attitude, his questionable tactical decisions, his sometimes baffling selections have been major contributing factors. It’s hard to imagine that the Wallabies won’t improve under a new coach.

Outgoing Wallabies coach Michael Cheika arrives in Sydney today. Picture: AAP

But he should not take all the blame. It was the players, not Cheika, who made twice as many carries as England on Saturday (151 to 71) but committed twice as many handling errors (12 to 5) and turned over possession 18 times to their opponents’ eight.

But the problem is broader than that. Australian rugby is at its lowest ebb and responsibility for the crisis must be accepted at the highest levels.

As well as being bundled out of the World Cup by the old enemy, rugby is up against it on almost every front.

Australia’s Super Rugby teams struggle to beat Kiwi and South African sides, struggle to attract crowds, struggle to attract television ratings. You will be excused for not knowing this, but the National Rugby Championship — the competition designed to be a stepping stone between club rugby and Super Rugby, reaches its crescendo this weekend. Canberra Vikings will play the Western Force in the grand final — although I’m not sure how many fans will be watching.

Meanwhile, at grassroots level, clubs struggle and the game is being muscled out of schools by AFL and rugby league.

Wallabies captain Michael Hooper today. Picture: AAP

This is scratching the surface of the ills of Australian rugby. And responsibility for such problems lies with the administration of the game, the executive and board of Rugby Australia.

For a start, if blame lies with Cheika then it also clearly lies with those who appointed him — and then reappointed him last year. Warned by any number of rugby experts that the Wallabies could not win the World Cup under Cheika, CEO Raelene Castle and the RA board reaffirmed him in the position 12 months ago. Their only concession was to replace a couple of members of his coaching staff and appoint Scott Johnson as director of rugby — effectively Cheika’s boss.

Now their proposed solution to the problem is a review of the World Cup campaign to be led by Johnson. This can hardly be considered an independent review when every major rugby decision made this year has borne Johnson’s stamp of approval. If nothing else he was a member of the three-man Wallabies selection panel — along with Cheika and Michael O’Connor — so he must take responsibility for the teams put on the park.

Australia’s rugby director Scott Johnson. Picture: AFP

Clearly, a review conducted by someone genuinely independent — preferably someone who really knows the game — would be a preferable option. And the outcome needs to be root and branch change, right up to board level.

Two key board members could be gone relatively quickly. Chairman Cameron Clyne’s second term is about to expire and he’s up for re-election. The former banking executive apparently wants to continue in the role, but support for him would appear to be ebbing away. Vice-chairman Brett Robinson will step down in April after serving his maximum three terms.

But if rugby is to pull out of its death spiral and reclaim its place in the Australian sporting landscape, a complete clean-out of the board is necessary.

Radical change is the only real alternative. And here’s a radical suggestion that just might work: Rugby Australia’s most vocal critic in recent months has been former Wallabies coach Alan Jones. On radio, TV and in his provocative rugby column every Friday in The Australian, Jones has detailed what is wrong in the game and what is required to fix it. Rather than have him outside the tent raining hell down on them, Rugby Australia should invite him inside. Get him on to the board and get him involved in sorting out the crisis. It could be just the rocket Australian rugby needs.