Cheika: If England have an advantage, they better win
>> FUKUROI: Australia coach Michael Cheika says that Eddie Jones’ rested and refreshed England will have no excuse if they lose the teams’ World Cup quarter-final, piling the pressure on the Wallabies’ old rivals.
Responding to a quip by Jones that the typhoon gods had smiled on England by giving them an extra week of rest after their final pool game against France was cancelled due to Typhoon Hagibis, Cheika fired back at his former Randwick teammate.
“I saw that he was saying that would be an advantage and the typhoon gods would be smiling on them. So I suppose they better win,” said Cheika after Australia ground out a 27-8 win over Georgia in terrible conditions at Shizuoka Stadium on Friday.
“They’ve had the best preparation, according to the coach, so they better go out there and win... We’ll see how we go.”
Chieka has lost six matches in a row to Jones and Australia have only won twice in their last 12 cracks at England, meaning they go into the game as rank underdogs.
“I don’t know what relevance it will have,” said Cheika of his losing record against former Japan coach Jones.
“I don’t know if it will have any. I don’t really care to be honest. The only relevance is Saturday. It does not matter all the things — who has had a week off, who has had a week on, who has been resting who hasn’t.”
“It will all come down to what happens on kick-off.”
Veteran Wallabies scrumhalf Will Genia was not buying into the coaches’ mind games.
“I don’t worry about that sort of stuff,” he said when asked about the coaches’ war of words. “You just worry about your preparation, that sort of stuff does not mean anything once you get out on the field.”