Former Wallabies coach Michael Cheika famously lured Drew Mitchell out of the international wilderness to star at the 2015 Rugby World Cup.
But after watching the 37-year-old take on a Tongan Invitational XV at Suncorp Stadium on Saturday night, Cheika says enough is enough.
“To be honest I’m disappointed with the viewers because that’s garbage,” Cheika said in response to a Stan Sport poll asking whether Mitchell should come out of retirement.
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“Like it should be 100 (per cent) zero, coming out of retirement.”
Mitchell lined up at outside centre for a vintage Reds XV that included fellow greats Nathan Sharpe, Chris Latham, Brad Thorn, James Horwill and Stephen Moore.
But the mic’d-up Mitchell appeared to be a target for some tough-tackling Tongans, taking one particularly brutal hit from Pila Fifita.
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“I got absolutely rinsed,” Mitchell admitted.
“I donated a hamstring and a rib to the Tongan relief fund. It’s obviously for a great cause but there is no chance I’m coming out of retirement. I’m well and truly stuck on the couch watching Yellowstone on Stan.”
The Queensland Rugby Union organised the star-studded charity match with proceeds going to the UNICEF Australia Tongan Recovery Appeal.
More than $70,000 had been raised for the tsunami relief effort before the match even kicked off at Suncorp Stadium.
“It’s obviously a great initiative and when someone like Toutai Kefu calls up and says get involved in that game, that charity match for a great cause, there’s only one answer and that’s ‘yes’,” Mitchell said.
As for a more permanent comeback?
“That is an emphatic ‘no’. It won’t be happening,” Mitchell said.
Radike Samo, Trevor Leota, George Smith, Hosea Gear, Digby Ioane and Lote Tuqiri were among the big names on the Tongan side.
All Blacks great Andrew Mehrtens – who recently injured himself in a charity cricket match – was most amused by Mitchell’s outing, which will be available as a full match replay on Stan Sport.
“It’s a great initiative, isn’t it? Stan Comedy,” Mehrtens said.
“If you haven’t had enough of a laugh at Taniela Tupou and his antics then get on and have a look at Drew.”
The charity game was a curtain raiser to the Reds vs Rebels Super Rugby Pacific match, won 23-5 by Australian champions Queensland.
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