Michael Cheika has resigned as head coach of the Wallabies following their quarter-final exit. Photo / Getty Images
Michael Cheika has resigned as head coach of the Wallabies following their quarter-final exit. Photo / Getty Images
COMMENT:
Spare a thought for Michael Cheika.
The departing Wallabies coach has not had an easy time of it in Japan and the fallout from his team's limp exit from the Rugby World Cup over the weekend has been equal parts heartbreaking and riveting to follow.
Cheika quit as coachonly hours after Australia were comprehensively dumped out by England in their quarter-final clash on Saturday, a result that saw the Aussies plummet to a record low seventh on the world rankings (behind Japan) bringing down the curtain on his controversial five-year stint in charge.
True to form, Cheika aimed a barb at Rugby Australia boss Raelene Castle on his way out, saying he has "no relationship" with the Kiwi administrator.
Castle returned fire a day later, while a number of former players – most notably Quade Cooper – stuck the boot in on social media.
I don't know Cheika personally and from what I've seen and read he's not the most pleasant of blokes – but if there's one thing I can't stand, it's coaches taking the blame for underperforming players.
Love him or loathe him, Cheika had one of the hardest jobs in world rugby over the past 18 months – trying to restore pride to a faltering national team in a country increasingly distancing itself from the game, while having to do so without the services of his best player, Israel Folau.
A coach can come up with what he or she thinks is a foolproof game plan but if the players can't execute in the heat of the battle, well – they should take at least some of the responsibility.
On the topic of coaches, I've been impressed with the way Steve Hansen has handled the pressure of the tournament up until now.
The All Blacks were relentless against Ireland in the quarter-final. Photo / Mark Mitchell
The All Blacks' "no dickheads" policy is well documented but the support Hansen has shown to other coaches – especially to departing Irish coach and fellow Kiwi Joe Schmidt - has been remarkable.
The Irish were well and truly beaten from the first whistle in Tokyo. The All Blacks came out with a fantastic tempo and wouldn't relent, starving the Irish of possession and running at them from all angles.
Even more impressive was how the All Blacks improved as the match progressed – the shell-shocked Irish never had a chance.
Captain Kieran Read deserves more credit than he's been given – not only for his quarter-final display but for the work he has put in over the past two to three months.
Read has been heavily criticised in recent times, but he managed to find some form during the Bledisloe Cup and has continued to build on it.
In 2011 and 2015 Richie McCaw was colossal in the All Blacks' march to the title and what we've been seeing in Japan over the past six weeks from Read has been no different.
It's hard to find fault with any aspect of the display in Tokyo and – if anything – their semifinal opponent England might wonder whether the All Blacks have another gear.
It was a near-perfect performance against an Irish side who have gone backward over the past 12 months and it would be hard to be that good from minute one to 80 against England.
There's no doubt Eddie Jones will be up for the challenge.
His big pack of forwards was impressive against the Wallabies, tight around the rucks and brilliant on defence, and they could compete with the All Blacks on most days.
But a World Cup semifinal against an All Blacks team with many players in the form of their lives isn't just any old day.
Who would I want us to play in the final?
Wales.
Do I think they will advance?
No.
The South Africans are just too powerful up front and their backs are slowly starting to look like a threat.
Ending the tournament the same way it started with the All Blacks taking on the Springboks for the crown 42 days after starting their campaign with a 23-13 win in Yokohama City would be quite fitting.
Given what we saw from both teams at the weekend, however, the scoreline could be significantly more lopsided this time.
