Michael Cheika reportedly agrees to coach Wallabies

[tdevil]

NSW Waratahs coach Michael Cheika has agreed in principle to replace Ewen McKenzie in charge of the Wallabies, according to a report on Monday citing "an informed source".

Cheika led the Waratahs to the Super Rugby last season, completing a unique coaching double after he guided Irish province Leinster to a Heineken Cup triumph in 2009.

The report in The Australian said Cheika was hoping to retain control at the Waratahs and combine that role with his duties as national coach in the lead-up to next year's World Cup in England.

McKenzie dramatically resigned a few hours before the Wallabies lost 29-28 to New Zealand in Brisbane on Saturday amid the turmoil caused by utility back Kurtley Beale allegedly sending offensive text messages to a team official.

more...http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-union/au...20-118spx.html

[valzc]

You've got to be kidding - coach Wallabies AND still be Tahs coach! FFS are they for real!! How the hell can that work!

[UNCLE BOOG]

"an informed source"

[Alison]

You've got to be kidding - coach Wallabies AND still be Tahs coach! FFS are they for real!! How the hell can that work!

Because he'll be working with the exact same personnel all the way through?!

[Alison]

If Cheika gets the gig I imagine Beale will be odds on to stay in rugby. If that eventuates, then that's me done with the Wallabies. Don't care about Cheika being coach but I care very deeply about the disrepute into which Beale has brought the game.

[GIGS20]

If Cheika gets the gig I imagine Beale will be odds on to stay in rugby. If that eventuates, then that's me done with the Wallabies. Don't care about Cheika being coach but I care very deeply about the disrepute into which Beale has brought the game.

If that occurs, I'm sure James O'Connor can get the number of a good lawyer to argue a defamation and loss of earnings case.

Actually, he won't need a GOOD lawyer, any old hack will do!

[chibi]

I hope Cheika considers Foley for a consultation role, we need the Wallabies competing in the tight exchanges. A bit of the Force's pilfering, rucking, mauling, scrummaging and defence added to the Waratahs' structured triangle-runner phase-play would give them a good platform. There has to be some sort of brains-trust in Australia, you don't win two world cups before everybody else without it, we should use it. Larkham, Kafer, the guys in the NRC (we've seen some exciting stuff in that competiton) let's bring 'em all in to the think-tank.

[palitu]

I hope Cheika considers Foley for a consultation role, we need the Wallabies competing in the tight exchanges. A bit of the Force's pilfering, rucking, mauling, scrummaging and defence added to the Waratahs' structured triangle-runner phase-play would give them a good platform. There has to be some sort of brains-trust in Australia, you don't win two world cups before everybody else without it, we should use it. Larkham, Kafer, the guys in the NRC (we've seen some exciting stuff in that competiton) let's bring 'em all in to the think-tank.

sounds too much like a committee to me...

[Timbo]

So .... having manipulated the demise of Link to keep the sookie-tah members of the squad happy, the NSWRU are now wanting to ream the rest of the country to pay for Cheika's replacement costs - and presumably all the drinks tabs in NSW for five years to come.

Is it too late to vote NSW off the island?

[chibi]

sounds too much like a committee to me...

I'm still advocating a head coach, but I think it's a waste to look past all the positives that are around in Australian rugby right now. There's never any harm in garnering informed opinions. I certainly think Foley should be brought in, however.

[The InnFORCEr]

There is no way that he can be both the Wallabies coach and also the Waratahs coach. He will he to be Director of Coaching at Waratahs, and Wallabies Coach, .....problem solved for Uncle Bill!

[GAFFA]

This could be interesting

Head Coach Cheika
Backs Coach Larkem
Forwards Coach Foley

http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-union/au...20-118spx.html

[shasta]

Larkham has said he's not interested.

[GAFFA]

Larkham has said he's not interested.

Where did you read that? This says he would help if asked but would stay at the brumbies next year samethong foley said.

www.canberratimes.com.au/rugby-union/brumbies/stephen-larkham-to-stay-with-brumbies-despite-being-linked-to-wallabies-job-20141020-118lti.html

[The Ethicist]

Cheika is the man.

Jake White would have us playing 9 man rugby. It might beat the poms though?

I don't get the tahs hate Link sentiments. Link was a Randwick lad. Link was part of the Galloping Greens and runs with the "in crowd" in NSWRU circles. He was also a very successful tahs coach for many years. Link was a Tah. He had a falling out with some limp-d1cks in the current playing roster.

The whole sorry affair should have been kept in-house. I mean who the fark would know what happened at 2AM in a fully booked business class section 10KM above the Atlantic Ocean. Since they were in Argentina, it could have been sorted out without anybody ever knowing.

I don't understand why Di Patston seems to be coming up smelling like roses. She obviously has no people skills to initiate a mile high hand bag fight with players who were mentally and physically exhausted hours after a crushing test defeat. That whole issue stinks of rotting flesh. To throw the toys out of the cot and take her ball and go home was extremely unprofessional. I've never heard such nonsense from an Australian rugby team. It is laughable. The most heated exchanges usually occur during live scrum practice when starting jerseys are on the line and the big boys get a bit testy. A bit of fisty cuffs and it's all smiles back at the bar. Female tantrums and not the sort of behavioural issues that young men are trained to deal with and nor should they have to on an international rugby tour. What a circus.

Decisions should have been made after everybody had had a good kip following touch down. If she was threatening legal action for sexual descrimination, she should have been shown the door and we'll see you in court. Letting this stench fester for a month was the cataclysmic event that lead to a cascade of discontent and resignations.

The team expected Link to show solidarity with them. You can understand why they would be a little cheesed orf. Prioritising the tantrum chucker over a team training session was ridiculous. She can get a taxi and/or there are plenty of other support staff that could have taken the day off to take her elsewhere. The head coach does not dodge a team training session for Little Miss to go home. Players get dropped for missing training. Players expect the head coach to be in attendance. It's coaching 101. You can understand why Allan Jones gave Link both barrels........."Link is a super 15 coach coaching test rugby...." ie out of his depth.

There was some mystifying decisions that did not represent the team in the manner the playing group would have expected their leader to act. When you act inappropriately it leads to inuendo and speculation. Why it wasn't kept in house is a mystery to me. It was a squabble on a flight and not much else. The circus and rot that set in afterwards was intangible and unfathomable. No wonder the players had some doubts. They were drawn into this nonsense and it had nothing to do with them.

Michael cheika will bring some mongrel to camp wallaby. The Contiki tours are over.