Michael Cheika rejected Ireland return as he doubles down on teams he ‘can’t coach’ stance
Former Wallabies boss Michael Cheika during his stint as Leicester Tigers head coach.
Michael Cheika has repeated his claim that he will never coach the Reds and revealed that he also rejected the chance to become Munster’s boss recently.
Cheika has been one of rugby union’s leading coaches over the past 10 years as he guided the Wallabies to the 2015 Rugby World Cup final in England, which they lost to the All Blacks, and after stepping down from that position after the global showpiece in Japan in 2019, he was part of Argentina’s coaching staff from 2020 to 2023, initially as an assistant before becoming their head coach in 2022.
He took Los Pumas to the semi-finals of the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France before taking charge of Leicester Tigers on a one-year deal last year and guided them to the 2024/25 season’s Premiership final which they lost narrowly to Bath.
Prior to his stint with the Wallabies, Cheika was the head coach of the Waratahs with whom he won the 2014 Super Rugby title.
The Reds are currently looking for a new head coach after Les Kiss, who has been in charge of the Brisbane-based outfit for the past two years, was unveiled as Joe Schmidt’s successor as Wallabies boss after this year’s Rugby Championship.
Earlier this year, Cheika told the Sydney Morning Herald that “I can’t coach Queensland” due to his association with their arch rivals the Waratahs and he reiterated that point recently.
‘Some lines are drawn’
“I feel like some lines are drawn,” Cheika told Stan Sport’s Inside Line. “When I coached the ‘Tahs – morally, maybe – I can’t go wind that back and then say, ‘well, it’s the same against them’ when I go up there.
“Because those words, when you say them as a coach, when it’s that type of derby, they’re heartfelt, like they’re passionate.
“And I feel like they’d almost think, if I go up there, the players would think I’m a fraud, because I was the coach of the enemy, which it should be.”
The 58-year-old was then asked how that was different to coaching Los Pumas against the Wallabies and replied: “Well, the difference is that Argentina and Australia aren’t a derby.
“It’s not about coaching another team in that competition, which I haven’t really done. If I’m being honest, I think (Waratahs coach) Dan McKellar would be probably struggling with this issue right now.
“From the Brumbies, he’s done well with the Brumbies. He’s in NSW now. It’s hard, because you’ve been on the other team. And I think that those lines are good to have, as much as it would be great to go and coach those guys (Reds).
“I think it sounds stupid, but you’ve got to have your value. That’s what a lot of my coaching is about. Sure, there’s lots of tactical and technical, but a lot of it is about getting the mindset right to go on and do a job.
“And in order to do that, you have to be all in as a coach. If you’re all in, good things happen… that time with NSW was extremely special. It’s nothing to do at all against Queensland.
“I’m a huge fan of the way they play footy.”
Cheika also revealed that Irish outfit Munster had approached him to take over their coaching reins but he rejected them for the same reason as he also had a stint in charge of Leinster from 2005 to 2010.
Munster instead acquired the services of Chiefs head coach Clayton McMillan.
‘Not a move I would make’
“There’s just something inside me that says if I want to keep my coaching integrity, I suppose, in that regard, that it’s not a move I would make,” said Cheika.
“I feel like I’d hand in my credibility chips plus gain heaps of enemies. Plus lose a lot of friends. I don’t have many friends as it is. I can’t lose the ones I’ve got.
“Coaching rugby is not a job, right? It’s more than that. It’s your life when you’re doing it. And you’ve got to be so in that you can’t be compromising anything to save your pay packet.
“It’s not a job. It’s about complete conviction to the thing that you’re trying to do, which is win the comp or win whatever you’re doing with everything you can.
“There’s no international footy on the table at the moment for me, but there’s definitely club footy over there (Europe), which I had a great experience at Leicester.
“In Australia, mate, I understand. There’s not a lot of spots. I’m certainly not blowing up about it. That’s the way it is. It’s also about timing as well.
“I’m not complaining in any way, shape or form. I’ve had the opportunity to coach my country, mate, in rugby here, and that’s something I’ll never, ever, ever complain about, someone giving me the opportunity to do that.
“Had some great times, had some hard times, but loved it, always, and loved and appreciated the opportunity to have done it.”
READ MORE: Michael Cheika reveals the team he simply ‘can’t coach’ as Australian jobs are ‘out of the question’
