The formalization of the successor of Mario Ledesma, who resigned, will be made in the coming days.
Australian Michael Cheika, world rugby globetrotter and former Australia coach, will be appointed coach of the Argentine Pumas in succession to Mario Ledesma, a source told the Argentine Federation on Tuesday. “The decision was difficult, but we understood that Cheika was the right person to lead the Pumas, since he had collaborated with Ledesma, and knows the philosophy and structure of Argentinian rugby“said a member of the board of the Argentine Federation (UAR), who has not been identified, quoted by the public agency Telam. The announcement should be formalized in the coming days, according to the same source.
A half surprise
It constitutes a half-surprise, because according to the Argentine press of the last few weeks, appeared rather in a “shortlist” the Argentinian coach of the Stade Français Gonzalo Quesada, Felipe Contepomi (in charge of the backs of Leinster) or Mauricio Reggiardo (manager of Provence Rugby).
During a wandering and eclectic career, Michael Cheika, a 55-year-old Australian of Lebanese origin, notably coached the Irish province of Leinster from 2005 to 2010, the Stade Français (2010-2012), the Australian Waratahs, before being coach of the Wallabies from 2014 to 2019. He left his post in October 2019 after Australia’s defeat in the quarter-finals of the World Cup against England (40-16). In the previous edition, the Wallabies had reached the final, losing against New Zealand (34-17).
Advisor to the Pumas at the end of 2020
At the end of 2020, Michael Cheika had been an adviser to the Argentine Pumas led by Ledesma. Then he was appointed coach of the Lebanese rugby league selection, and in 2021 director of the Japanese club NEC Green Rockets. A former third line player, Cheika notably played as a three-year player in France between 1989 and 1992 (at Castres Olympique and CASG Paris).
Mario Ledesma, former hooker for Castres and especially Clermont, who had led the Argentine selection since 2018, announced his resignation in February, citing the end of a “cycle“. The announcement came a few months after a heavy defeat against Ireland (53-7) at the end of November, the heaviest of Ledesma’s term, signing a record of eight wins, three draws and 22 defeats, a success rate of 29 %, despite a first prestigious victory against the All Blacks.
