Waratahs coach Michael Cheika has received the tick of approval from a number of former Australian players who say the 2014 premiership-winning coach has all the attributes to take over Ewen McKenzie's newly vacated position.

Following a rift between players and management, a string of poor performances and the suspension of Kurtley Beale, McKenzie's national coaching tenure ended on Saturday evening following the 29-28 defeat to the All Blacks.

Former Wallabies centre Rod Kafer has joined a choir of ex-Australian players backing Cheika, 47, to take on the top gig. "No doubt [Cheika is the man for the job]," Kafer said. "You don't have to be Einstein to work out Michael Cheika's at the top of the list, given he's got a very successful track record with international teams and the Waratahs. Cheika's an obvious candidate, there are other good candidates in Australia but he's the standout one."

Kafer believes there is no need to rush the decision of a new full-time coach, citing current set-piece coach Andrew Blades as a man who could fill an interim role for the Wallabies' spring tour in Europe in the coming weeks.

As for Al Baxter, he would be more than happy for Cheika to take the reins straight away in preparation for a World Cup in 11 months time. "I'm a bit biased being an old Waratahs player myself, but I think he's been superb," the 69-Test stalwart said. "The ideal thing for me would be if he could do the Wallabies and Waratahs job at the same time. He's the best coach in Australia from a provincial point of view. He's probably the best person, but Stephen Larkham is one of the best rugby minds in the world too. There's options, but Cheika [at] is the top of those." 

Former Wallabies fullback Matt Burke urged the ARU to refrain from jumping the gun just for the sake of it. Burke compared his experience in 1997 when the Wallabies lost to Argentina 18-16 in Buenos Aires to what the Wallabies are going through now, but he believes the bottom line is McKenzie did not win enough games in charge.

"We pride ourselves on beating New Zealand," Burke said. "It's all well and good saying we got seven wins in a row, but realistically we should have beaten those teams, they're all below us on the world rankings. But until they [the ARU] get it right, don't make a rushed or rash decision, because they have to get it right."

Bob Dwyer, who coached Australia to World Cup glory in 1991, told Fairfax Media last week before McKenzie's resignation that Michael Cheika and Stephen Larkham were glowing candidates for the top job. "I would get them involved in the team absolutely immediately," Dwyer said. "I would say 'You can coach the Waratahs ... you can coach the Brumbies but we want you involved in the Wallabies immediately'. It's their [the ARU's] policy not to do that – change the policy."

Meanwhile, John Eales, who was informed of McKenzie's decision on Saturday morning, said the former Queensland Reds coach did not deserve to leave his position in the way he did. "That image when he was walking down the corridor was one of the saddest sights in sport," Eales said on Fox Sports after Saturday's match.