Cheika after crowd despite Force blue
MICHAEL Cheika hopes angry fans in Western Australia won’t boycott the Wallabies in Perth next month and said he likes the idea of people wearing blue jerseys to show their support for the Western Force.
The ARU’s decision to axe the Force last week has left many in the west fuming, and large numbers have indicated they’ll protest by not attending the Wallabies’ Rugby Championship clash with the Springboks at nib Stadium on September 9.
Rugby WA president Hans Sauer said there would be a “massive boycott” but said he’d urged angry Force fans to still attend but in their blue Force supporters’ kit.
Attending a junior gala day in Penrith yesterday, Western Force players in the Wallabies squad weren’t willing to talk about the issue given the Force are still looking into legal options.
But Cheika said he hoped angry fans wouldn’t turn their back on an Aussie team containing local heroes.
“I hope that type of backlash doesn’t come, because their own players will be out there as well, representing Australia,” Cheika said.
“As the national team, we have players from all states, all places and a strong contingent of players from the Western Force.
“I believe in our Australian sporting tradition of supporting our national teams, fans will come out. That’s what Aussies are good at.
“I would say wearing the blue jerseys, that could be a great thing. And hopefully some gold ones as well.
“I understand why they would want to do that.
“For us, what we want to show to those people, from a Wallabies point of view, is best done by going over there and playing a great game of footy and entertaining them and making them proud to be Australian.”
Cheika hinted as frustration with the ARU’s Super Rugby downsizing saga in June when a small crowd attended the Wallabies’ Test against Fiji in Melbourne.
The Rebels were under threat at the time and fans openly said they’d boycott.
Crowd support shapes as an issue this week, with forecasts of the smallest Bledisloe crowd in Sydney in years.
Cheika dismissed concerns about Kurtley Beale’s availability for the opening Bledisloe Cup, saying he’d overcome a hamstring injury first suffered in May in England. Samu Kerevi (chest) also fit to play, but there is some doubt about Dane Haylett-Petty (elbow).
I HOPE THAT TYPE OF BACKLASH DOESN’T COME, BECAUSE THEIR OWN PLAYERS WILL BE OUT THERE AS WELL, REPRESENTING AUSTRALIA MICHAEL CHEIKA