Raiders coach Ricky Stuart working with England ahead of Wallabies showdown
Canberra Raiders coach Ricky Stuart will join Eddie Jones behind enemy lines for their sudden death clash against the Wallabies and Michael Cheika reckons it’s a little “weird”.
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Wallabies coach Michael Cheika thinks it’s “weird” that England are allowing Canberra Raiders coach Ricky Stuart into their inner sanctum ahead of Saturday’s World Cup quarter-final.
But Cheika insists he has no beef about Stuart joining former Wallabies coach Eddie Jones behind enemy lines for their sudden death clash in Oita.
“Obviously they would be mates, I imagine, so it’s all good,” Cheika said.
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“It must be weird for the players having an Aussie because Ricky is a legend. He’s a dual international and a tough man. Had a great season with the Raiders this year. Unreal.
“They played such good footy. It was a very tough grand final they played in. I’d say it might be a bit weird for them. He’s going there for learning stuff.”
Cheika also knows Stuart, who toured Argentina with the 1987 Wallabies before switching codes, after the dual international once asked him to help out in league.
“Yeah I know Ricky, have known him from way back. He got me to coach the Roosters once in the sevens when they used to have the World Sevens or one of those competitions,” Cheika said.
“I don’t think he wanted to have a bar of it. He thought it was not even football because they were playing sevens or a shorter version of the games.
“He’s a good guy, nice guy and very passionate about his footy and I love his passion for the game.”
The Wallaby coach also revealed he’s struck up a friendship with England football manager Gareth Southgate after they met in the United States a few years ago, though he was quick to add: “don’t know if I’d be wanting him in here the week that we’re playing England.
“We went to one of those conferences where there are eight or nine different coaches, there were a few of us from Australia, a few Brits, a few different guys around. It was in America actually, in Minnesota, before one of the Super Bowl weekends and we had a great old time. He was a lovely chap, I really like his style. He’s a good man.”
Originally published as Raiders coach Ricky Stuart working with England ahead of Wallabies showdown