THE Jekyll and Hyde Wallabies continue to confound their supporters — including the boss of Rugby Australia.

Raelene Castle sat down with Kick & Chase’s Louise Ransome ahead of Michael Cheika’s presentation to the RA board, in an interview that will air on Fox Sports 503 from 7.30pm AEDT on Wednesday.

Wallabies coach Cheika will also feature on Kick & Chase, joining our all-star panel to reflect on a mind-boggling match in Salta, as Australia recorded its biggest comeback in Test history to beat Argentina 45-34.

That remarkable second half may well have saved Cheika’s coaching career, with his players responding magnificently to a passionate halftime address in the bowels of Estadio Padre Ernesto Martearena.

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“I think everyone who’s watched the games will be frustrated by the inconsistency of performance,” RA chief executive Castle said.

“We’ve seen brilliance, we’ve seen frustration.

“I was sitting on the couch, desperately hoping that the boys could turn it around in the second half and the environment, the crowd that was in behind the Argentinians only makes it more special, what they managed to do.

“And there’s no doubt that Michael’s halftime speech was very special and something that will go down in rugby folklore.

“His ability to use that passion and turn it around is something really special.

“But, probably, the question is how did we get ourselves into that situation in the first place?”

Indeed, neither Cheika or Castle are glossing over a poor run of results in 2018, with the Wallabies winning just three of nine Tests and slipping to No 7 in the world rankings.

Castle confirmed her support for Cheika but will still be seeking answers when he makes a presentation to the RA board before the John Eales Medal in Sydney on October 19. “Michael’s got a contract through to the World Cup and a plan that he’s continued to work on to get through to that World Cup and make sure that the Wallabies are in a position to perform,” Castle said.

“He’s the head coach and it’s his responsibility to put that plan together and he will be presenting that to the board.

“What is the plan?

“What is the plan to recognise that we can see improved performances?”

While delighted with the dramatic victory in Salta, Castle added it was important that the Wallabies didn’t gloss over the team’s obvious issues.

Australia’s next assignment is against the All Blacks in Yokohama on October 27 before they continue their journey north for Tests against Wales (November 11), Italy (November 18) and England (November 25). Wallabies back from the dead

“We’ve all identified the inconsistent performance but... he’s a world class coach and he will be coming to us to present what he believes is the plan to see us deliver those consistent performances,” Castle said.

Cheika’s coaching crew of Stephen Larkham (backs), Simon Raiwalui (forwards), Nathan Grey (defence) and Mick Byrne (skills) appear to be safe for the northern tour at least.

But Castle seems keen on the idea of having a Wallabies selector operating with some distance and independence from the team, similar to the role Grant Fox holds with the All Blacks.

“I think there’s models around the world that you can see that mix of having a selector, head selector or working with the head coach is working well in international programs around the world,” Castle said.

“That’s certainly something that we would discuss with him, to see if that’s something that could be helpful to him.

“It’s certainly a model that’s proven to be successful elsewhere.”

Cheika guided the Wallabies to the 2015 World Cup final and, despite recent results, Castle said similar success would be expected four years on.

“World Cup’s are different because you have a whole campaign mentality, the boys are together for a eight or nine week period so I think there’s different emphasis.

“That’s something that Michael’s proved he’s very good at, creating that team engagement and making sure everyone feels part of that environment that can prove to be successful.

“I can’t overstate the value of having been through that experience before.

“So the reality is we expect to go very, very deep into the World Cup.
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