Michael Cheika goes with ‘gut’ and promotes Jacques Potgieter to Tahs’ starting XV

HE is an aggressive old Bull and Will Genia and Quade Cooper will be wearing red. Jacques Potgieter is made for an interstate clash.

HE is an aggressive old Bull and Will Genia and Quade Cooper will be wearing red.

It makes all the sense in the world but it was still understandable why Michael Cheika couldn’t precisely explain why he’d promoted Jacques Potgieter into NSW’s starting side to meet Queensland on Saturday.

“It’s just a gut feeling,” Cheika said.

Jacques Potgieter on the charge for the Waratahs.

Former Bulls enforcer Potgieter was on Tuesday named in the Tahs second row to meet the Reds at ANZ Stadium, replacing Will Skelton in the only change to the NSW side who thumped the Force.

Potgieter’s 27-minute cameo off the bench was a whirlwind of aggressive carries, clean-outs and near dust-ups and though Skelton was also strong, the African’s effort convinced Cheika he’d was suited to battle with the old northern enemy.

“Jacques came on and had a really good impact on the weekend and I’d like Willie to learn how to do the same,” Cheika said.

“The thing with (Potgieter) is that he doesn’t want to lose any of those confrontations. When he played on the weekend, a couple of times the Force guys smashed him, but he refused not to win the battle, so he kept going to win the battle, even if it was half a metre. Those inches count at the end of the game. That’s an attitude I like.”

Cheika is not alone. Potgieter has fast become a popular figure at the Waratahs since joining from Pretoria via Japan last month, with a capacity to bend people in half with a missile-like tackle at training or a bone-dry African quip in the changerooms.

“He’s physical, he’s a big unit, he’s got shoulders the size of a bloody door and he whacks blokes with them,” Waratahs prop Paddy Ryan summarised.

“He’s brought physicality to training and he’s brought it to the game, and he enjoys the combative style of rugby and he’s really enjoyed being around the group. He’s enthusiastic, he’s great to have in the locker room.”

Asked if he ever had to advise Potgieter to rein in his raw enthusiasm to guard against the discipline consequence of oversupply, Cheika shook his head.

“No, I’m saying: ‘give some of it to the others’”, Cheika said.

“That’s what he is, the way we want to have our squad is around characters. The joker and the fighter and the quiet guy, the hard man and the clown, that’s what makes a team. Then once they all pull on the jersey they’re doing the one thing”

Potgieter will partner an in-form Kane Douglas at lock against the Wallaby second-row pairing of James Horwill and Rob Simmons, and their tight work will be vital for both sides’ plans.

Skelton is scheduled to play a big role off the bench given Potgieter needs more match fitness, said Cheika, although an injury cloud over Dave Dennis (knee) could potentially change things.

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After review of Sunday’s victory, Cheika said the Waratahs had identified the need to fix up sloppy handling and mental laziness in defence near the ruck.

“They took two or three holes on the edge of the ruck which is really not acceptable,” Cheika said.

“If they’re going to break us they’ve got to break us out wide they’re not going to break us down the middle of the ruck.

“And with a guy like Genia and also footwork of Quade Cooper, on the inside section of the field any laziness will get punished and that’s a concentration issue nothing else. Had good running in the legs on Sunday, it’s purely concentration.”

Waratahs: Israel Folau, Alofa Alofa, Adam Ashley-Cooper, Kurtley Beale, Peter Betham, Bernard Foley, Nick Phipps, Wycliff Palu, Michael Hooper, Dave Dennis, Kane Douglas, Jacques Potgieter, Paddy Ryan, Tatafu Polota-Nau, Benn Robinson. Reserves: Tola Latu, Jeremy Tilse, Sekope Kepu, Will Skelton, Stephen Hoiles, Brendan McKibbin, Rob Horne, Matt Carraro, Pat McCutcheon, Jonno Lance