Michael Cheika for Leinster Coaching position

Downtime

GT reports in the Irish Times today that there is a strong possbility that Michael Cheika of Randwick may be the next Leinster coach after being head hunted by the recruitment committee including M Dawson. Seems that Kidney may have suggested him and that he is quite similar to Gaffney in coaching style. He has been quite successful down under with Randwick as coach and former Waratah No.8.

GT also presents the fact that Randwick are like an AIL club which I strongly disagree with as I feel they would wipe the floor with Shannon or any other AIL team, but it is quite a big step from 1st Grade to HEC Rugby.

Announcement expected later in the week.

RuggieBear

interesting.


I agree about Randwick being far superior to AIL...when i was down there my local team, Norths, had a couple of internationals playing for them (those who couldn't make their Super12 squads) and also about 8 adult teams and countless juniors teams

Downtime

Look at the amount of internationals Randwiick have aswell.

Admitedly some have not played for them in ages but I remember watching them play Uni and Tuirinui, Finegan and Hasseshain were playing - John Langford was playing his last game for Uni.

Definitely superior to AIL.

RuggieBear

was that a game near the end of the season tho? Coz thats when the clubs get all their players back from the super 12 and international squads.

RuggieBear

do randwick play in the Coogee oval....think i might have watched them play once....but i was absoluterly slaughtered drinking across the way in the coogee bay hotel...

Downtime

Mid season - I do know that Finnegan was coming back from injury but the other two were available.
The following Randwick players achieved representative status in 2004.

Australia [4]

Owen Finegan, George Gregan, Stephen Hoiles and Morgan Turinui.

New South Wales [13]

Shaun Berne, Rocky Elsom, Adam Freier, Dwayne Haare, Stephen Hoiles, Wise Kativerata, Arthur Little,

Patrick Phibbs, Rex Tapuai, Lei Tomiki, Morgan Turinui, Adam Walsh and Chris Whitaker. Luke Milton was selected for the New South Wales end of season tour of Argentina but was unable to tour because of an injury.

Australian Capital Territory [2]
Owen Finegan, George Gregan.

Further information about games played for Australia, New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory are contained in the representative data elsewhere in this report.

Australian Sevens [2]
Arthur Little and Patrick Phibbs.

Australia under 21 [3]
Rocky Elsom, Rex Tapuai and Lei Tomiki.

In the 2004 pre-season Randwick squads won the Easts [Canberra], the Crescent Heads [Port Macquarie] and the Kiama seven a side competitions.

Special Awards
Michael Cheika was awarded the New South Wales Rugby Union Premiership Competition: David Brockhoff: Coach of the Year Award.

Stephen Hoiles was awarded the Sydney Morning Herald Club Player of the Year Award.

Downtime

RuggieBear wrote:

do randwick play in the Coogee oval....think i might have watched them play once....but i was absoluterly slaughtered drinking across the way in the coogee bay hotel...

Yes they do - ahhh the CBH - many happy memories there ( I think) Randwick have a lovely club house now aswell.

RuggieBear

it's phenomenal club....i wonder how they'd do, full strength, against some of europes big boys....leiecster, tolouse etc?

Downtime

Very nicely I'd say - I'd like to see them play Toulouse all right. Not in the Coogee Oval though as I'd go for the first game and be slaughtered by the third!!!

RuggieBear

Michael Cheika is new coach of leinster with david knox as assistant

Bri

Don't know much of either but from what I've read I'm quite satisfied they're a good choice as a unit...seem to want to focus on both Celtic and HEC, and look very promising. Lets hope expectations are met!

Santa Claus

And let's hope that they don't go the way of Gary Ella (i.e. the senior players oust them!)

Eoin

Santa Claus wrote:

And let's hope that they don't go the way of Gary Ella (i.e. the senior players oust them!)

They need someone to put them in their places IMO. Alan Gaffney said that the main difference between Munster and Leinster players is that the Munster lads don't get above themselves, but if they did then the other players would sort it out very quickly without management having to get involved.