Cheika looks for passion in Wallabies
FOR coach Michael Cheika, the pass mark for Australia’s Rugby Championship opener against South Africa will be judged primarily on how much passion his Wallabies bring to the contest.
For skipper Stephen Moore, success in their first test of World Cup year will depend on how the Wallabies can impose their brand of rugby on Saturday’s game.
Cheika’s selections – with Will Genia, Quade Cooper and Matt Giteau forming the 9-10-12 fulcrum for the first time since 2010 – indicate the Wallabies want to attack at every opportunity.
South Africa coach Heyneke Meyer picked a lineup strong on the ball at the breakdown, and is determined to keep Australia’s forwards from supplying quality possession to a backline brimming with experience – albeit some not entirely recent.
“There’s no gambling here,” Cheika said.
“Any player that steps into the fold to play in that jersey, I’ll be believing in 100 percent.”
The Australians have lost six of their last seven tests – all away in late 2014 – and Cheika has since focused on building a tight bond in his squad.
“I just want to see them play with passion,” Cheika said.
Moore, returning as captain for the first time since a season-ending injury in Australia’s first test last year, said the Wallabies need to match South Africa physically in the forward exchanges in order to give the backs space and time to cut loose.
“We need to do our job up front, which is always a big challenge against South Africa, if we want our backs to be able to get that quality ball,” the veteran hooker said.
“We’ve got an identity this Wallaby group want to stand for and .... we’ll go out there and give it a crack.” QUADE Cooper can shut out Bernard Foley as Australia’s top-choice playmaker all the way to the World Cup if he conquers tonight’s first perform-or-perish mission.
Wallabies coach Michael Cheika yesterday said there was no cunning rotation plan for his players or even the time for one with just a fiveTest sprint to the Rugby World Cup.
The message from Cheika was this – five-star performers against South Africa at Suncorp Stadium tonight will keep their Test spots.
Tonight’s golden chance in The Rugby Championship for Cooper is immense considering he has started at No.10 in 13 of the 44 Tests played by the Wallabies since his fraught role at the 2011 World Cup in New Zealand.
Foley started nearly as many (12) as an improving chief playmaker at flyhalf last year.
“In rugby, opportunities come and then it’s about a player taking them,” Cheika said. ‘‘Sometimes that then sticks if he keeps taking them.”
Cheika said Cooper’s inclusion instead of Foley and Matt Toomua was unanimous from the team’s four selection voices but did give special weight to backs coach Steve Larkham.
“We felt they (Cooper and halfback Will Genia) were the guys to do the job in this Test against South Africa with the variations they bring,” Cheika said.
“It was a very, very difficult call (on flyhalf) so ob- viously Bernard is there or thereabouts.
“Like any player, Bernard wasn’t happy at missing out but all our five-eighths compete and then work well together in their match preparations.”
Wallabies captain Stephen Moore is back in the gold jersey he cherishes after last year’s extended injury lay-off.
Moore was delighted that former Wallabies captains John Eales and Michael Lynagh rang to wish him well and the team for the direction it is taking.
The coalition of one-time enemy coaching minds from the NSW Waratahs and ACT Brumbies was “like Liberal and Labor joining forces,” Cheika said playfully of linking with Larkham.
Cheika was upbeat about No.8 Scott Higginbotham and lock Rob Simmons performing to the pack’s new standards tonight.
Both are the sort of talented forwards that the Wallabies need more from because their best moments are world-class but they have too few world class 80-minute games in their repertoire.
Simmons is a key figure as lineout leader to match South Africa’s 38-year-old master Victor Matfield in the tournament’s second game.