England is being urged to appoint Michael Cheika as its next national rugby coach in a move – if it were to happen – that could have huge ramifications for the Sydney Roosters and Wallabies. Cheika is currently an NRL assistant coach at the Roosters under Trent Robinson and is said to be thriving in the role.
He will coach Lebanon at rugby league’s World Cup later in the year but his future beyond that is unclear. England has just completed its worst-ever Six Nations campaign, finishing a distant fourth after winning just one of its five matches.
They beat wooden spooners Wales in the first round before suffering consecutive defeats to Scotland, Ireland, Italy and France. The poor results have left coach Steve Borthwick fighting to save his job ahead of next year’s World Cup in Australia.
Borthwick has been savaged for his dull tactics and over reliance on kicking, with England’s Rugby Football Union ordering a full investigation into the failed campaign. If the findings are damning, the RFU will have no choice but to find a new coach 18 months out from the World Cup.
And former England fly-half Stuart Barnes, writing for The Times, believes Cheika should be that man. “England need a fresh man to take them to the World Cup. And that man is Michael Cheika,” he wrote.
“Here’s someone with a mind blessedly open to global influences. He (Borthwick) is a coach whose instincts trust stats rather than players. In contrast, Cheika is as inspiring as the present England coach is not. Borthwick is a technician, he’s not a leader (and) England need a leader.”
Sydney Roosters would be reluctant to lose Michael Cheika
Barnes also argues Cheika would relish raining on the Wallabies’ parade. “He would thrive on being the Australian trying to ruin Australia’s global party next year, and he’d put a snarl back on the face of English rugby,” Barnes added.
The Wallabies wouldn’t be the only ones caught in the crossfire should Cheika return to international rugby. The Roosters would be reluctant to lose a coach Robinson considers of the highest calibre.
The Roosters head into a round five bye after compiling a 2-2 record after four rounds of the 2026 premiership. They then travel to Perth for a Round 6 showdown against Perth on Saturday, April 11.
