Michael Cheika is better known to fans of rugby union as the former coach of Australia who is now in charge of Argentina. In addition, he is now coaching Lebanon in the Rugby League World Cup.
He is very proud of his Lebanese background despite the fact that his parents moved to Australia from Lebanon before he was born. His parents were both born in Lebanon.
Should Lebanon advance to the last eight, there is the possibility of a scheduling conundrum: their quarterfinal would be played on either 4 or 5 November, while Argentina is scheduled to play England in the first of their fall internationals at Twickenham on 6 November.
On the other hand, Cheika is not looking too far forward beyond Sunday’s opening group game, which Lebanon will play against New Zealand in Warrington. New Zealand is now rated top in the world.
“At this stage, you just prioritise by day,” said Cheika,”Whichever game is first goes first, and then we’ll work the rest out from there. “I’ll be honest, I haven’t looked to see the dates.
“One thing I’ve learned about World Cups is that you should not look forward, you should only look right in front of you. If you start thinking about what’s going to happen down the road, you’ll get caught out.””