Cheika: We know no one rates us

Wallabies coach Michael Cheika isn’t surprised almost everyone has written his side off.

Rank outsiders with the bookies to beat the All Blacks in Dunedin tonight, slagged off by their own fans and practically biffed in the scrap heap by many Kiwis - tell him something he doesn’t know.

‘‘I think no one does [give us a chance], to be honest,’’ Cheika told media at his team’s captain’s run yester.

‘‘It’s up to us to write our own chapters if we want to change that attitude around. People would be justified to think that.’’

A miserable year for Australian Super Rugby teams - they went 0-26 against Kiwi franchises - started the 2017 rot, before the All Blacks twisted the knife with a 54-34 flogging in Sydney last weekend.

Given what happened at ANZ Stadium, chances are even the most passionate Wallabies fan would laugh in your face if you asked whether or not they felt their team could win in Dunedin and deny the All Blacks from locking up the Bledisloe Cup for a 15th consecutive year.

‘‘We’ve got to let our game do the talking [tonight],’’ Cheika said. ‘‘We do lots of good stuff away from the field, but what counts is on the field for everybody.’’

The Wallabies have been dealt a blow on the eve of Bledisloe II, with rugged lock Adam Coleman ruled out of the match with a shoulder injury. He’s been replaced by Rory Arnold in the starting side.

Wallabies skipper Michael Hooper labelled the scratching of Coleman a ‘‘huge blow’’, but maintained the team’s preparation was on point.

‘‘I was happy to see the guys really disappointed. I was really disappointed and that trickled through the whole team from last week’s game,’’ he said.