England interested in poaching Cheika

Australian media are reporting that England’s RFU president Jason Leonard has approached Australia coach Michael Cheika about replacing Stuart Lancaster.

Cheika led Australia to the Rugby World Cup final after his Wallabies team finished on top of the pool of death which saw England eliminated and Wales finish as runners up.

The Australian reported that RFU president and former England prop Jason Leonard contacted Cheika about taking charge of England.

Cheika was appointed Australia coach late last year after Ewen McKenzie stood down days before their Northern Hemisphere tour.

Cheika is now contracted to the Australian Rugby Union until the end of 2017 and has left his position as Waratahs coach where he won a Super Rugby title in 2014.

Current England head coach Stuart Lancaster has been appointed through to the next Rugby World Cup but after England were eliminated from the World Cup a review has been launched and he could lose his position.

Even though Cheika turned Australia into Rugby World cup finalists in under a year ARU chief executive Bill Pulver has been quiet on whether he will extend his coach’s position through to the next world cup.

England and the RFU are rugby’s richest union and Australia have been struggling for cash in recent years so it is not unthinkable that the Wallabies coach could jump ship if the RFU offer the Australia Rugby Union enough cash for Cheika.

Australia’s next Test match is against England in June 2016 as part of a three match Test series in Australia.

Cheika will however return to Twickenham later this month to coach the Barbarians against Argentina at Twickenham on November 22.