Munari travelled to Australia in the early 1980s and got sucked into the Randwick rugby 'mafia'. He befriended the Ella brothers, Bob Dwyer, Campese, David Knox, as well as a young Cheika, and revelled in the Australian club rugby culture. Munari was infatuated by the Randwick style of rugby. But the Galloping Greens' attacking flair was something he never dreamed of taking back to his club, Petrarca, because that simply wasn’t the Italian way of playing. “David Campese and Mark Ella pulled my leg about playing expansive rugby,” Munari told Fairfax Media. “I said, ‘Well, someone from Randwick must come over here’.” Enter Cheika, the young back-rower, who Munari insists “was better than Eddie Jones”. Petrarca needed someone who was respected, hard-working and spoke fluent Italian. Cheika had played a few seasons at Livorno in the early 1990s. “I was looking for a coach and it was difficult, so I tried to do something completely new,” Munari said. “My system of play was very basic; winning ball, going forward. Michael was very curious about different cultures. He did it for a year and it was his first experience coaching.

Starting out: Michael Cheika began his coaching career at Petrarca in 1999. “He brought a lot of the Randwick style here. He was someone who was able to read the game.” Cheika says he boarded a plane from Sydney to Padova for nothing more than a holiday. Yes, there would be some rugby coaching, but this was the dream. “He fell in love with his rugby,” Munari said. “It taught him how to manage people. I have a very high opinion of his passion and his love for the game. I know he isn’t in the best of his moments at the moment but I am proud to have given him a chance and it was a very easy choice. His knowledge was more than the other people.” Cheika only coached Petrarca for a season. But more than half a decade after he left, Munari received a phone call from the chairman of a prominent European club.

“We have three candidates. Michael Cheika is one of them. Who should we pick?” Munari replied: “Definitely Michael. He is brilliant.” Favourite son: Michael Cheika at the reception given by his old club Petrarca in Padova. Credit:Luciano Fardiopanti While Petrarca did not win a game from six European Cup matches in the 1999-2000 season, the year Cheika coached them, he was fondly remembered by those who played under him. Simone Varrato was one of Cheika's charges and remembers one night in particular after a few beers. It was November 1999 and Cheika was parked up at the Osteria XV del Colonna, a famous rugby bar in Padua, enjoying a few cold ones.

The World Cup final was playing on the television above and Cheika was mortified. “In the final all the Italians were supporting France and he couldn’t believe they wanted to do that,” said Varrato. “It was probably just to piss him off, it was a bit of a joke. We were hoping Australia won deep down because Italy has a rivalry with France. He yelled out 'how do you support France?'" Song and dance: Cheika, Nick Phipps and the Wallabies contingent join in a rendition of Advance Australia Fair. Credit:Luciano Fardopanti On Wednesday evening, Cheika returned to Padova and was reunited with some of the men who sat with him drinking beers some 19 years ago. Along with Wallabies assistant coach Mick Byrne and halfback Nick Phipps, Cheika was treated to a rousing rendition of the Australian national anthem by local members of the Petrarca club. No one could recall being afforded such a heartfelt tribute from their days playing and coaching rugby all over the world.

Cheika says the club at Petrarca hasn’t changed a bit since he was there. On the wall is a picture of Australian men’s sevens coach Tim Walsh, who played here in 2011, and there are many artefacts of Cheika and his time there. Outside there are half a dozen rugby fields, with boys going about their business under the floodlights, perhaps remembering that two decades ago Cheika, one of world rugby’s most polarising figures, was based there. Loading Replay Replay video Play video Play video “His knowledge was by far in front of the skills of the people he was coaching," Munari said. "He taught a lot. I have a good relationship with him, we catch up sometimes with him. He is a very demanding person on himself. I have huge respect for the way he tried to get results with the team. “He was like an older brother, he picked up all the weight on his shoulders. Even when they make mistakes, he put the weight on him. That is the way he does things. He took full responsibility for everything. I consider him a very professional approach.”