Michael Cheika has opened up on his pain at not being able to win a trophy during his tenure as Wallabies head coach.
Cheika resigned in October 2019 after Australia’s humiliating World Cup quarter-final exit against England, which brought an end to a five-year reign that started strongly but ended with criticism.
The 53-year-old has been replaced by Glasgow Warriors coach and New Zealander Dave Rennie.
Since resigning, Cheika has been working in rugby league with the Sydney Roosters.
He said he wished that he had achieved more during his time with the Wallabies
‘Am I satisfied in the end? No, because I wanted to win a Bledisloe [Cup] and win the World Cup and I wasn’t able to do that,’ Cheika told Fox Sports.
‘That hurts me personally because I really value the supporter on the street and I know that’s what they want. I see it in my own family.
‘The kids are watching the game, all dressed in their jerseys and then the next morning, if you lose, they’re unhappy.’
The high point of Cheika’s tenure came in the 2015 World Cup, when he guided the team to the final where they were ultimately beaten by the All Blacks. That saw him named World Rugby Coach of the Year for 2015.
However, his last 18 months in charge were marred by off-field issues as tension between himself and Rugby Australia grew to the point that he admitted that he barely had a relationship with the governing body.
There was also the controversial axing of Western Force from Vodacom Super Rugby in 2017, an exodus of players overseas and the sacking of Israel Folau last year.
‘I’ve always been an outsider in rugby, outside the establishment,’ Cheika said. ‘Considering the circumstances we had going on in Australian rugby in the last five years, we always represented with maximum courage.
‘The Wallabies are a result of our preparations in Super Rugby and they’ve been difficult because we’ve had a lot going on. I’m proud of being part of some of the great wins. A lot of them played above their potential.’
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