Cheika faces D-Day as Nucifora push grows
THE immediate fate of Wallabies coach Michael Cheika will be decided at Rugby Australia’s board meeting on Monday while former Test hooker Brendan Cannon says the long-term solution to the team’s woes is David Nucifora.
Employed as Ireland’s high performance director, Nuci- fora has been instrumental to the grand slam winners’ climb up the rankings to No.2 to sit among the World Cup favourites alongside New Zealand, who they beat last month.
Cheika will present his case to Rugby Australia chief executive Raelene Castle and the board while high performance boss Ben Whitaker will also submit a review of the Wallabies’ season. With nine months until kick-off for the World Cup in Japan, and given Rugby Australia’s precarious financial situation, it’s unlikely Cheika will be axed.
However, his assistants Simon Raiwalui, Stephen Larkham, Nathan Grey and Mick Byrne are in the firing line.
Cannon said despite their credentials as former Wallabies, Grey and Larkham weren’t immune from criticism with the organisation not wanting to be seen to be sitting on their hands.
“Assistants sadly seem to be the easiest ones to target because they are probably the more affordable expense to get rid of,” said Cannon, who played 42 Tests.
“Larkham and Grey are two of my former teammates and two outstanding individuals but no one is immune from scrutiny. As good a player as these guys were, they’re all tarred with the same brush.”
Cannon said Rugby Australia should be targeting a return for former Super Rugbywinning Brumbies coach Nucifora, who has been with Ireland since 2014.