Michael Cheika ramps the pressure up on Force — and wants Waratahs to exert a little of their own
WARATAHS coach Michael Cheika has wasted little time in ratcheting up pressure on the Force, saying they be “favourites” to beat NSW.
WARATAHS coach Michael Cheika has wasted little time in ratcheting up pressure on the high-flying Force, saying they will enter Saturday night’s showdown as “favourites” to beat NSW.
Cheika’s side thumped the Force 43-21 in round one and are returning from South Africa with a spring in their step after winning their first game in Cape Town in eight years.
But after winning their last four consecutive games — a club record — the Force have moved to the lofty heights of fifth on the Super Rugby ladder, and are set to welcome the fourth-placed Waratahs to a packed nib Stadium, full of fans dreaming of finals.
It’s the sort of expectation the Waratahs are accustomed to, and though bookies might have different ideas, Cheika said his visiting team will be the underdogs.
“They will definitely going into the game favourites,” Cheika said.
“That’s what we have got to do, hang in early and compete with them because there’ll be lots of hype and a big crowd behind them. They’ll be looking to take us apart early, so we have to hang in there.
“In the last four games, what they have done as well is have very good starts. They have been out in front early, against most of those sides. Sob we just have to stay competitive and just build the pressure up on them.”
Asked if the Waratahs could take advantage of increased expectations on the home team, Cheika said: “The only way we can do that is if we apply pressure.”
“We can always talk about taking advantage but if we don’t apply pressure, forget it,” he continued.
“The only way you can get anything out of stuff like that is by putting pressure on the opposition and trying to force a mistake. Watching the footy they’ve been playing, they’re not making a lot of mistakes. That’s not going to be easy to do.”
The Waratahs set-piece functioned strongly against the Force in their first clash but went dangerously wobbly over the next month, before returning to stability against the Stormers at the weekend.
Cheika said it had been the result of a renewed focus at training that would — by necessity — continue in Perth.
“We are obviously a day shorter but we will try and put the same sort of effort in because obviously any team that is coached by Michael Foley is going to have an excellent set-piece, both scrum and lineout. So we will have to be up for the challenge there,” Cheika said.