Michael Cheika now favourite to take on Wales job
Michael Cheika has emerged as the clear favourite to become the next Wales coach when his contract with Leicester Tigers runs out at the end of the season.
The Welsh Rugby Union are looking for a new boss after ending Warren Gatland’s two-year reign earlier this month, following a 14th successive defeat against Italy.
Caretaker boss Matt Sherratt, who oversaw a 16th defeat on the spin against Ireland at the weekend, has ruled himself out of taking the job on a permanent basis and will return to his post at Cardiff.
Cheika, 57, who was World Rugby Coach of the Year in 2015, has a proven track record in international rugby, spending five years in charge of the Wallabies and then taking Argentina to a World Cup semi-final in 2023.
He announced last month that he will be leaving the Tigers, who are fourth in the Premiership and hunting a play-off place, when his one-year deal with the Welford Road outfit runs out at the end of June.
Cheika took advantage of the Tigers’ Premiership Cup exit to return to Australia and was spotted having lunch with Rugby Australia boss Phil Waugh at a Sydney restaurant, sparking speculation that he could return to his old job.
But it has since been played down, with former London Irish boss Les Kiss, now in charge of Queensland Reds, seen as the clear favourite when Joe Schmidt stands down at the end of the Rugby Championship in October.
Cheika was immediately installed as the 3-1 favourite by Welsh bookies when it was announced that Gatland was leaving, with Simon Easterby and Franco Smith, two of his rivals, at 5-1.
Smith has since said that he wants to coach internationally again but has a £500,000 compensation clause in his Glasgow Warriors contract, which runs until the end of next season.
And the whispers coming out of Australia over the weekend suggest that Cheika is keen on taking on the task of rebuilding Wales.
News, stats, live rugby and more! Download the new RugbyPass app on the App Store (iOS) and Google Play (Android) now!
Isn't one of the main reasons he’s leaving Leicester because it’s too far away from Australia and from family?
I don’t think the connections from Cardiff airport are that much quicker.
Could be very smart business but surely they’d only have him to the end of the 2027 world cup? He gets bored easily.
Locking down a younger coach for 4-5 years is maybe better for them.
No chance! If Wales continue to play the way they did against Ireland and start to add more layers to their game, Matt Sherratt will be the man. No doubt whatsoever. Proving he can turn the ship that quickly, get them performing and also no costs involved. It’s the most clear and obvious path for the WRU, so clear and obvious, even they couldn’t miss it…!
Cheika taking the Wales job would mean Franco Smith remains an option for the Wallabies after the Rugby Championship as long as Rugby Australia come to the realisation that New Zealand isn’t the only country that can produce overseas coaches worthy of coaching the Wallabies.
I don’t get it. It is reported (so might not be true) that Gatland 2.0 had difficulties connecting with what is now a very young Welsh squad. He’s 61. Cheika is 57, so how would that be any different?
I think both of them would be much better candidates for “DoR” type roles with a brief to rebuild the pathways in Welsh rugby, than to be a head coach again.
He’d be an excellent option for England with just two years out to the World Cup.
England’s loss, Wales’ gain I guess.
EJ 2.0…
Boosting my business’s visibility was a top priority, and after searching for solutions online, I came across a seemingly legitimate business listing service that promised to give my business the exposure it needed. The website looked professional, with impressive testimonials and convincing marketing claims. It seemed like the perfect opportunity, so I decided to invest $72,000 in the service, believing it would be a game changer for my business.However, shortly after making the payment, everything started to unravel. The business listing service vanished. The website went offline, and all my attempts to reach their customer support went unanswered. I felt completely duped that what seemed like a promising investment had turned out bad, and I was left with nothing.I was devastated. As an entrepreneur, that kind of financial loss was a huge blow, and I didn’t know where to turn. That’s when I found Digital resolution services. I was initially unsure if there was any chance of recovering my funds, but their reputation for helping people in similar situations gave me hope.The team at Digital resolution services jumped into action right away. They quickly identified the fraudulent website, recognizing it as part of a broader network of racket targeting unsuspecting business owners like myself. They didn’t waste any time and immediately began working with my payment platform to investigate the situation.Digital resolution services handled everything, from gathering the necessary documentation to filing a formal claim. Their expertise and experience in dealing with fraud became clear thanks to their thorough approach, they were able to ensure that all the details were in place for a successful recovery.To my relief, Digital resolution services was able to recover the full $72,000 that I had lost. It was an incredible feeling to get my money back, and I was extremely grateful for the team’s hard work and dedication. They were professional, transparent, and kept me updated throughout the process, so I never felt like I was in the dark.Looking back, if it weren’t for Digital resolution services, I would have lost my money with no way of getting it back. Their ability to navigate the complexities of online fraud and recover my funds was nothing short of amazing. I highly recommend their services to anyone who finds themselves in a similar situation.Email them at : digitalresolutionservices@myself.comAnd their WhatsApp: +1 (361) 260-8628There are the best them out there to reach other too, Good luckGrateful foreverNiko weijenberg
international coaches are now like Hollywood actors. People in charge seem to believe that only known “actors” can be a good coach. Surely there must be a local coach worth his salt. This whole grab a celebrity coach from overseas is a bit ridiculous. Look I get it if you can access someone amazing like say Japan did with Jamie Joseph, but surely one must look internally first.
Don't do it Wales, don't do it.
He is well suited to the ‘emotional’ Argentinians or Italians but no one else. He might be good for a couple of games on the hype but it’s downhill from there.
Stop selling your country out and find a Welsh coach.
Looks like they possibly have found their coach, albeit English rather than welsh, based on Saturday’s match. Every man and their dog expected them to be demolished, but they were unrecognisable from Gatlands team. They clearly wanted him out.
I personally enjoy Cheika's histrionics whenever his charges do not perform as well as he would like. He at least displays a passion for what he does and is entertaining. Most teams do better with homegrown coaches however and I agree that a Welshman should coach Wales.
I think the evidence is that Cheika is one of the best coaches in the world for giving a short term bounce, but not a guy who can reliably build long term success.
I actually think it wouldn’t be the worst idea to bring him on for the remainder of the RWC cycle, given (1) there’s only 2 and a half years until the tournament, so that might be within the Cheika-bounce period; (2) the RWC draw could be disastrous for Wales if they don’t beat Japan in the summer (as losing would probably mean they drop to the 3rd band), so they really really need a short term bounce; and (3) their long term targets (ROG?, Easterby?, Shaun Edwards?) might be unwilling to leave their current contracts mid-way through a RWC cycle in order to join a team that seems a bit like a sinking ship.
Earn extra cash every week from the comfort of your home! This flexible part-time opportunity is perfect for anyone looking to make 300-1300 Dollars weekly. Start now and receive your first payment in just a few days. Don’t miss out—join today. Tap on Finance Economy OR Investing.
Here’s what I do………… Www.EarnApp1.Com
Google is now paying $99 to $140 per hour for doing work online work from home. Last paycheck of me said that $18537 from this easy and simple job. Its amazing and earns are awesome. No boss, full time freedom and earnings are in front of you. This job is just awesome. Every person can makes income online with google easily....,
Here is I started_______ 𝗪𝘄𝘄.𝗛𝗶𝗴𝗵𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗶𝘁𝟭.𝗖𝗼𝗺
sda
Read the two numbers on successive defeats and answer me honestly, is there quality control on this website?
Nobody reads the articles. We’re just here for the comments.
Good move?
Bizarre move on his part. He wants to leave Leicester to be closer to home in Sydney, yet Wales is a long way from Sydney.
Cheika's a 2-3 year coach but Wales’ problems will take 4-5 years to fix.