Under-fire Cheika rejects job concerns
Australia head coach Michael Cheika has insisted he is not worried about his job despite his side’s 40-12 loss to New Zealand in Auckland, their sixth defeat in seven games.
Cheika was under pressure going into Saturday’s match and four tries by Beauden Barrett ensured New Zealand retained the Bledisloe Cup with a game to spare.
The Australian newspaper reported before the game that Cheika had just three games to win the support of governing body Rugby Australia and remain in charge for next year’s World Cup in Japan, but Cheika was adamant he is not concerned about his future.
“If you are naive enough to think that I’m worried about myself here, then you don’t know me at all,” he said in a testy exchange with a reporter after the match.
“The last person I’m thinking about is me. I want Australia to play good rugby, and be the best it can be. So if you think that I’m worried about myself then you’ve never known me.”
Cheika received support from his opposite number, Steve Hansen. “Because they lose to us, it doesn’t make them a poor team,” said Hansen. “It’s a pretty special team down there in that change room,” he added of his side. “I don’t think a coach should be under pressure for losing to us.”
In the other game, South Africa head coach Rassie Erasmus was scathing of his team’s performance in their 32-19 loss to Argentina.
“We played like a team that’s playing club rugby,” he told Supersport. “I must point the finger at myself. When you play like this, the coach did something badly wrong during the week.”