OUT OF THE SHADOWS
Former Leinster boss Cheika has big plans for Argentina
LEINSTER reported back for pre-season training last week. These days, training is a high-tech affair with GPS monitoring, nutrition and hydration schedules, mindfulness blocks and cryotherapy recovery.
Getting fitter is an exact science and programmes are tailor-made to the needs of an individual player. Within the high-spec confines of their UCD training base, the province are building towards another season, with world-leading training, support and coaching.
It was more of an old-school approach when Michael Cheika was in charge. The fiery former Randwick No8 felt the under-performing operation needed a shake-up when he arrived as Leinster head coach in 2005.
Around this time of the year, Cheika would take the likes of Brian O’Driscoll, Shane Horgan and Leo Cullen to Killiney Hill. Players would be marched up and down its steep inclines exhaustively. It wasn’t just about building up some stamina, it was about building character.
Leinster won their first Heineken Cup under Cheika’s watch in 2009. It was the first step in a fascinating coaching career. Cheika can be a divisive character. He has no shortage of admirers but no shortage of critics either, including Rob Kearney, who admitted that the pair ‘did not necessarily get on’. No one can argue with his track record though. He is the only head coach to win the top trophy in both hemispheres, following up the landmark European title with Leinster by leading the New South Wales Waratahs to Super Rugby glory in 2014. He guided the Wallabies to the World Cup final in 2015, despite only landing the gig a year out. His tenure with his native country ended acrimoniously in 2019, but Cheika is back aiming to rebuild Argentina into a global force. He has lured Felipe Contepomi away from Leinster to assist in the project.
And the early signs are encouraging as a youthful Pumas side sealed a 2-1 series win against Scotland last month. Argentina were at a low ebb when Cheika accepted the role. He had been working alongside Mario Ledesma in an advisory capacity for two seasons previously.
The pair managed to pull off a stunning victory against the All Blacks in 2020, but the fortunes of the Pumas nosedived during the pandemic. Ledesma, the former Clermont and Argentina hooker, left his post late last year after a run of eight losses in their last nine Test matches. A 53-7 hammering by Ireland in Dublin last November was the final nail in Ledesma’s managerial coffin.
It was a tough time. Argentina hadn’t played a home game in almost three years due to Covid19 restrictions. The dismantling of Super Rugby’s Jaguares representative side, after the New Zealand and Aussie teams closed ranks, was another blow. It meant all the best Argentine players were scattered to the four corners of the globe, again. All the positive developments in the wake of their thirdplace finish at the 2015 World Cup has seemingly evaporated.
So, they have turned to Cheika to perform yet another redemption job. The 55year-old is made for this gig. His ability to speak French, Italian and Spanish is handy in this multi-lingual environment. Cheika’s approach has softened since his abrasive days at Leinster as well. He has learned plenty about emotional intelligence in the decades which followed, taking in coaching stints all over the world, from Paris to Japan. Off the pitch before coaching, he helped create a multimillion dollar fashion business, selling jeans all over the world — you can’t do that without getting on with people either. Short term, Cheika will aim to get some steel back into the Pumas ranks, beginning with the looming Rugby Championship. The recent series win against the Scots, thanks to a late try from Emiliano Boffelli in the final play of the series decider, was a much-needed confidence boost. A brace of home games against the Wallabies is a welcome start, beginning with Saturday’s meeting in Mendoza. Cheika’s squad are then on the road with two games against New Zealand before a home meeting with South Africa and then a final clash with the Springboks in Durban two weeks later. The newly-installed Pumas boss is going to learn plenty about this young group in the weeks and months ahead.
Cheika has no shortage of talent at his disposal either. Pablo Matera, their brilliant backrow, is now plying his trade with the all-conquering Crusaders in New Zealand. Veteran hooker Agustin Creevy is on the books at Declan Kidney’s London Irish. Matias Moroni was part of the Leicester Tigers side which won the English Premiership recently while Juan Cruz Mallia is an exciting wing at Toulouse. Joel Sclavi is a serious prospect at tighthead, developing nicely under Ronan O’Gara at La Rochelle.
This group could be a real dark horses at next year’s World Cup, where they will contest Pool D alongside England, Japan, Samoa and Chile. ‘We know that we’re building for something, towards the World Cup next year,’ the Aussie stated recently. ‘We are starting now what we think will take us to the top level. We know that on Saturday we will not be perfect, there’s many things to work on, many new things, but I’ve seen very good intentions from the players. They want to learn, they want to play rugby the way we are hoping to play.’
They have a head coach who knows who to get the best from a squad who are low on confidence. Many Leinster, Waratahs and Australia players will attest to it. They all reached the summit, eventually.