Cheika in blast at Kiwi media Keep the rage going
RUGBY UNION WALLABIES coach Michael Cheika believes the All Blacks have influenced newspaper the New Zealand Herald to mock him and put undue pressure on his team, while rival Steve Hansen conceded the pair may need to sort out their differences over a beer as trans-Tasman relations sink to an alltime low.
After his extraordinary outburst about being disrespected in the press conference following the Wallabies’ 37-10 loss to New Zealand at Eden Park, Cheika reiterated his stance yesterday and went further by suggesting that the Kiwi newspaper was Hansen’s “go-to” publication to run material designed to destabilise the Australians.
The Herald published a cartoon of Cheika as a clown wearing the Wallabies jersey on the day of the game, while they also revealed on the day of the Sydney Bledisloe Cup match that a listening device had been found in the All Blacks team room at the Intercontinental Hotel in Double Bay.
“Why would you let the opposition team call you clowns and mock your jersey?” Cheika said.
“That’s how I feel about it. I never had an Australian jersey so I think it’s something that should be treasured.
“They’re connected to it obviously because they’re talking about it.
“That’s their go-to paper. The whole bug thing came out from there, we had policemen in our offices asking our management questions about it – that’s serious stuff to be accusing THE bitter feud between Michael Cheika and the All Blacks is one of the best things to happen to union in years.
Rugby might not see it that way but the wider world, many of whom were losing interest in the sport, are suddenly engaged and caring again.
Hopefully the hot-blooded rivalry between Cheika, taunting All Blacks coach “Smug Steve’’ Hansen and all things New Zealand will be a longrunning saga and new themes injected wherever the teams meet. The game needs it.
— ROBERT CRADDOCK
people of and it’s not true.
“That’s their go-to. Nothing happens without that connection. That’s my point of view, I’m not asking them to agree with it.”
Hansen offered a more conciliatory tone yesterday.
“I don’t have a hatchet (to bury),” Hansen said.
“The one team we’ve got a fierce rivalry with outside of Australia is South Africa, and we work hard with them to have a relationship.
“For a long time the relationship with Australia has been a little frosty. Maybe we need to sit down and have a beer together and sort it out.”
Hansen dismissed any suggestion the All Blacks were pressuring the Herald to run an agenda for them.
“Our media didn’t help with the clown thing, but that’s the media, that’s not us,” he said.