FORMER AUSTRALIA COACH Michael Cheika takes charge of Argentina for the first time on Saturday when Scotland visit the northern city of San Salvador de Jujuy, as the globe-trotting handler begins the tricky task of forming a cohesive unit out of his eternal exiles.
Having already coached in Italy, France, Ireland, his homeland, Japan and even Lebanon – where he was in charge of the national rugby league side – there was just one continent missing from Cheika’s CV.
It is not a totally new experience for the former Leinster and Stade Francais coach, who was an advisor to his predecessor Mario Ledesma from 2020-21.
But he has his work cut out to assemble a team that has not played at home in almost three years, since a 46-13 thrashing by world champions South Africa in Salta.
Since the coronavirus pandemic broke, the Pumas were forced to play all their Rugby Championship matches in New Zealand and Australia, while their other games have been away to European sides.
It has not helped, they have lost eight of their last nine test matches.
The loss of their club side Jaguares’ place in Super rugby was another blow.
After four years in the competition, their 2020 campaign was cut short by the pandemic.
New Zealand and Australia then closed ranks and set up their own domestic competitions while the South African sides joined the European United Rugby Championship.
Some hasty transfers, mostly to Europe, at least allowed the international players to limit their lost time on the sidelines.
Lining up at their new clubs, Argentines have quickly impressed.
Back row Pablo Matera won Super Rugby with New Zealand’s Crusaders, prop Joel Sclavi, set for his debut off the bench against Scotland, was European champion with La Rochelle, and hooker Julian Montoya and utility back Matias Moroni were crowned English champions with Leicester Tigers.
Cheika has little time to mould a team in his image, and he lacks the advantage his predecessor had in the Jaguares club side essentially mirroring the national team.
The 55-year-old wants to get off to a positive start, but also has one eye on the World Cup in 14 months time.
“You have to do the two things at the same time: prepare for Saturday, but also put layers on,” he said after announcing his team on Thursday.
“Because we have two plans: one more towards the World Cup, and one to help us win on Saturday.”
Cheika has rung the changes from Argentina’s last match, a humbling seven-try 53-7 rout in Dublin against an Ireland side that had just beaten the All Blacks.
Four changes in the backs and three in the pack.
There is even a return for veteran hooker Agustin Creevy, on the bench for the first time since the 2019 World Cup.
The door remains open to those left out, though.
“It’s always very difficult to pick a team of this level, there are many players who could play,” said Cheika.
There is good competition in the team, and this competition will be rewarded with people getting opportunities in the next games to take their chances.”
There have been few happy outings since the last World Cup when Argentina bowed out in the group stage following defeats to France and England.
But one such highlight was a first ever victory over New Zealand, 25-15 in November 2020.
Cheika has history in turning things around, and often in little time.
He took the reins of Australia in October 2014 in the middle of a run of six defeats in seven internationals.
But within his first year he had guided the Wallabies to victory in the truncated 2015 Rugby Championship, and to the final of the World Cup.
In 2008, he guided Leinster to their first Celtic League title in six years and the next season their first ever success in the European Champions Cup.
He then helped the New South Wales Waratahs to their first Super Rugby title in 2014.
Saturday’s clash will be the start of Cheika’s latest project.
“We know that we’re building for something, towards the World Cup next year,” he said.
“We are starting now what we think will take us to the top level. We know that on Saturday we will not be perfect, there’s many things to work on, many new things, but I’ve seen very good intentions from the players.
“They want to learn, they want to play rugby the way we are hoping to play.”
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Quality player, very surprised he was dropped.
I’d be very surprised if he was dropped in the first place as he needed match time. He’s better than Jager in all facets that I’ve seen, scrum, maul and as we’ve all seen, in the lose. Jager, just not seeing it with him especially scrum. Am I missing something???
@Noel Lynn: Bealham is certainly well ahead of Jager and all other TH (Furlong apart) in Ireland, but I think Jager is doing a better job than you’re giving credit for. He’s been very good at scrum time for munster, especially when he came up against Porter, and was solid against Wales. His ruck defense was excellent both clearing and counter rucking and his goal line defense was superb. His lineout work wasn’t up to scratch IMO and he still needs to improve his S&C but he’s certainly got a high ceiling and a great addition to our TH stock.
@Noel Lynn: Short answer – yes
Easily the best TH after Furlong, who seems to have recovered some of his previous form. Great to have several options here between Furlong, Bealham, O’Toole and Jager. The order is not important as they are all playing well at the moment.
Literally no one else is suprised.
@Thesaltyurchin: I’m surprised, arguably pushing Furlong for a starting spot
Bealham is a quality player but I think it’s getting a bit clearer that farrell and his coaches are huge fans of jager. To go from the ‘training squad’ to the verge of the 1st choice 23 over a couple of weeks is pretty phenomenonal
@munsterman: jager has plenty to work on to over take Bealham. He may not have over taken TO’T yet, so 1 step at a time.
@Patrick O’Sullivan: well I’ve never seen farrell move so quickly to promote a player in a meaningful match. Even players like Joe Mccarthy and crowley had to put in their time in camp for a year or so. There’s every chance that bealham will be back-up th v England but you wouldn’t bet on it
@munsterman: There’s every chance that Bealham will start and Jager on the bench if Furlong injured.
@Con Cussed: yea that’d be the most likely scenario I’d imagine. It’s quite tough on otoole who’s been very good for Ireland too
@munsterman: Agreed. It just means the pressure is now on all four to keep the momentum up. It’s a tough position and injuries abound so can see them all getting a chance in the future.
This could mean Furlong has an injury concern… I hope not!
Has anyone authoritative said that Bealham was dropped? As far as I recall the mood music before the Welsh game was that Bealham had proved himself across a number of matches to be no great step down from Furlong; and that Farrell was taking advantage of a game we were almost certain to win to have a look at Jäger off the bench.
Depressing stuff
@Kevin Ryan: when have we ever seen farrell use a competitive game to just have a look at a player? The only time he ever changes up his side much is v the most tier2 of tier2 nations in Nov or else gets A games set up
@munsterman: Giving a guy a debut as a bench prop is not really changing the side much, though. And if he didn’t pick this game, he’d have to wait until the Autumn, assuming SA too strong. Anyways, we’ll see what Farrell does with the selection for the England game.
The story around Bealham is a bit of a head scratcher. Why was he dropped? Some say he needed time off as a new dad. Personally I believe the coaches think Jager is a better prop. When your coach uses faint praise to describe your last performance then you are in trouble. I think Farrell described Bealham’s last outing as “decent enough”. In all these scenarios the public never gets a true picture until someone writes a book.
@Tom Reilly: I seem to have missed him saying that about Bealham – was that in a press conference? I checked the post Italy match press conference again to refresh my memory, and Faz was effusive in his praise of the set piece, calling it excellent and top notch, so I’m surprised he would then be naming Finlay as not being a top performer. A lot of media said that Finlay was doing as much as he could possibly do to challenge Furlong for the starting berth on the back of his performance against Italy, so I don’t think I’m the only one who thought he performed excellent in that match.
@Tom Reilly: ah, I heard it now – it was from the pre-Wales match conference. To be honest, the way I hear it, it seemed more so saying that Oli deserved a chance in spite of Bealham having a decent performance. TBH, I think he couldn’t say “Wales’ scrum is poor so this is the best chance to give Oli a tryout in the six nations window”, so has to justify it on the basis of competition for places. If he said Finlay was excellent, then he would effectively be needing to say that Oli is even better, which would be a huge amount of pressure to put on a debutant. So, he kind of has to nearly qualify Bealham’s performance so as not to put down Wales.
@JoeVlogs: As I said earlier it is hard to know what exactly is going on. I think most people think Bealham did not deserve to be dropped from a playing point of view. Maybe something else is going on.
The euphemism that Alex Ferguson developed to replace “dropped” was “rotated.” The image that most of us have of a “dropped” player is of someone so bad in the last match that they had to be replaced. Sometimes it is about building squad depth, other times you were the Lions captain last week and this week not in the 23 – an utterly unexplainable event.
I suspect that Furlong has twinged his hamstring. If Furlong is out, Bealham absolutely starts ahead of Jager – and we all know that.
@PatN: I meant calf not hamstring
Bealham should be pushing Furlong for a starting position not getting dropped
When was the last v good game from Furlong?
@Derek Casserly: Last week!
There is much debate about the word “dropped” concerning Bealham. Was he or wasn’t he dropped. IMO if a player is available for selection, has been selected everytime he is available and then he is not selected, then he is indeed deemed “dropped”.
Let’s stop using the word “dropped”. To play at elite level you need a squad of 35 players and the ability to get game time into all of them. ( let’s not repeat RWC errors from the past). Rotatated is a much better word.