Bledisloe Cup: Wallabies coach Michael Cheika undeterred by heavy All Black defeat
WALLABIES coach Michael Cheika says he could will stick with the same controversial line-up he used in humiliating defeat to the All Blacks at the World Cup.
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WALLABIES coach Michael Cheika says he will not abandon the idea of starting the same controversial line-up he used in Saturday’s humiliating defeat to the All Blacks for the World Cup.
Cheika made several changes from the team that beat New Zealand last weekend, including starting Quade Cooper, Will Skelton and Wycliff Palu, while leaving David Pocock on the bench.
But Cheika said that the side looked best during the first half when the new combination was on the field, and he does not plan to shield that team from potentially starting in the key World Cup matches against England and Wales.
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“I thought that was where we were at our best, at the start of the game,” Cheika said.
“We were right in it there, we gave away a try where we had a driving maul, it got collapsed down near their line and we got ourselves isolated, turned over, that was the only try in that period (to Kiwi hooker Dane Coles).
“I didn’t mind that combination. Cliff probably needs another run, but I thought Will Skelton improved his performance from last week.
“They came at us very hard at the start of the game and I thought we dealt with that.
“We were still in the game at half-time at 13-6, and it was that little period after half-time I felt we made some poor decisions, and then that led into [Cooper’s] sin-binning and boom.”
When Pocock did enter the field he was able to ruffle the breakdown, as he did successfully last week, but overall the Wallabies pack was beaten from pillar to post.
All Blacks coach Steve Hansen said while his side clearly has a mental edge over Australia, he doesn’t expect the lowly result to debilitate their World Cup plans.
“If you think back to 2011 we lost two Tests in a row, so I don’t think what happens at this time of year counts,” Hansen said.
“Do we have the edge on them mentally from a win-loss point of view? Obviously we do because we have won more than they have.
“But they’re trying to build something within their own group and you don’t just go from one end of the string to the other overnight, it takes time.
“But I think they’re on the right path. And they’ve got some pretty talented players and they showed last week that if you don’t turn up with the right attitude yourselves you’re in trouble.
“They’re a really good rugby side. They’re in a tough pool with Wales and England and Fiji, all of those games are going to be tough for them.
“If they get through that they’ll be battle-hardened, and they’ll be a hard side to beat.”
Originally published as Bledisloe Cup: Wallabies coach Michael Cheika undeterred by heavy All Black defeat