Tonight on The Breakdown the team celebrate the return of rugby to NZ and dissect the matches over the weekend.
Michael Cheika has hit back at outgoing Wallabies selector Michael O'Connor's scathing criticism of Australia's disastrous 2019 Rugby World Cup campaign.
O'Connor was brought in as Wallabies selector at the start of last year as part of a three-man panel alongside Chieka and Scott Johnson, a move that didn't sit well with the former Wallabies coach who felt like his decision making was being diluted as a result.
In an interview with the Sydney Morning Herald on this week, O'Connor delivered a brutal assessment of Cheika and his handling of the World Cup, saying it was "only ever going to end in tears".
Cheika fired back at O'Connor saying he was disappointed with his public comments, especially so long after the tournament.
"Being a selector for Australia is a prestigious position," Cheika told rugby.com.au.
"I think it shows the disregard for it when that person's talking like that about stuff that's close to the team and is not really qualified to make those comments."
O'Connor, who is moving on from the team this year after his position was cut due to cost-cutting measures by Rugby Australia that saw 47 full-time staff and 30 contractors let go, was particularly critical of Cheika for making too many changes to the team – a grievance also shared by fullback Kurtley Beale – and his "scam" game plan.
"It was brought up quietly (to me) by a few players that the high-risk strategy (wasn't working) but they weren't strong enough to go to the coach and say 'hey listen, we disagree'. Somebody needed to stand up," O'Connor said.
"We had some reasonably strong personalities but we didn't have a strong enough group. They didn't challenge Michael and the style of footy they were asked to play. There were players in the team that weren't sold on it."
Cheika was quick to dismiss O'Connor's claims.
"I don't know what he bases that on," he said.
"The discussions that you have with selectors are about selection.
"I sat down and spoke to both selectors exactly about how we were playing the game so they could have an understanding about selecting teams and nothing was ever brought up at that discussion.
"He certainly didn't not understand the tactics or the plan when we beat the All Blacks by a record score in August, it was never mentioned then."
Michael Cheika. Photo / Photosport
Cheika also said O'Connor's job as a selector meant he didn't see the full picture of how the team operated.
"His attendance at training, different days and different times, could've totalled maybe four or three weeks overall," he said.
"So much happens in there, discussions and meetings happen at different times.
"He's not to be privy to any of those, that's just maintaining the boundaries of what you're supposed to do in that role."
Cheika has been fairly quiet since leaving his role, but said he needed to speak up after O'Connor's comments.
"Since the whole thing (the World Cup) finished, I ... spoke at the end of the tournament and I did one interview in the Times, where I spoke about my accountability, I've not slagged anyone, not spoken poorly of any other person inside the organisation and I don't want to," he said.
"At a certain point sometimes where the line is crossed on what the truth is you have to stand up and say, 'This is not right and that person shouldn't be talking like that'.
"This concept that I could dominate the selection process is totally ridiculous, it was a vote of three every time."
