Cheika’s Bledisloe warm- up
WALLABIES squad members will play a trial match against a combined Australian Super Rugby team on Friday week at Leichhardt Oval in preparation for the Bledisloe Cup.
It’s the first trial of its kind, with squad members fighting each other for places in the Wallabies squad for the Bledisloe showdown against the All Blacks on August 18 at ANZ Stadium.
Because it is not an official match, Rugby Australia will refrain from calling the top team the Wallabies. Rather, they’ll be referred to as coach Michael Cheika’s selection team.
The trial on August 3, kicking off at 6.45pm, has been organised by Cheika to combat the problems of the past two years where the Wallabies have been hammered in the first halves of the opening Bledisloe encounter.
Australian Super teams have failed to reach the finals and players have spent a month training, and have then run into a Kiwi side boasting plenty of players involved in the grand final with recent game- time in their legs.
“We were keen to have more Super Rugby teams playing for longer, obviously. If we look at the last two years we just want to keep the intensity of footy up,” Cheika said.
“Spending five weeks on the sideline before a Bledisloe Test match is not what we want ideally.”
The “Australian Super Rugby Selection” team will be coached by women’s sevens coach John Manenti.