Michael Cheika has revealed he would be open to taking the Wallabies to another World Cup campaign in future.
The 53-year-old Cheika’s tumultuous six-year tenure in charge of the Wallabies ended when he was sacked shortly after Australia’s elimination from the 2019 World Cup.
He has since joined Argentina’s coaching staff on a consultancy basis and have also signed on to become head coach of Lebanon’s national rugby league team.
In an interview with The Australian, Cheika said he believes he has what it takes to coach at international Test rugby level and that he wants another ‘crack’ at the Wallabies.
‘No business person has ever failed and not come back, not achieved a target and not come back,’ he told the paper. ‘People focus on the negatives. We had plenty of wins. I still want to coach now. I love it, I love being part of the sport.
‘When we made the World Cup final in 2015 and lost, my thoughts were about succeeding in 2019. It didn’t happen. But do you sulk about it or let it beat you or come back stronger? Everyone moans that people are not resilient. Why would I ever try to resile from the past, from the honour of coaching an international team?
‘Maybe that’s where society has positioned itself – go hide under a rock if something doesn’t go your way. As a leader, if I am not showing fight and resilience, how can I expect others to be resilient. You have to believe in yourself.’
NB: The interview will run in full in WISH magazine on Friday.
Photo: Getty Images
