Will Skelton back down from the clouds at the Waratahs after making dream Wallabies debut

NEW-found fame following an eye-catching Test debut won’t give Will Skelton a big head, according to NSW coach Michael Cheika.

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - JUNE 23: Will Skelton of the Waratahs runs with the ball during a Waratahs training session at Kippax Lake on June 23, 2014 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)

NEW-found fame following an eye-catching Test debut won’t give Will Skelton a big head, according to NSW coach Michael Cheika.

And it’s just as well, Cheika contends, because now the 140kg lock’s name is known worldwide, rivals will be looking to take that head off.

“He is going to start coming up against a lot more challenges, starting Saturday night (against the Brumbies),” Cheika said.

“Guys who now know who he is are going to try and get at him, so he is going to have to learn to deal with that extra attention. I’m sure he will manage it. He has the demeanour for it.”

Having described Skelton as a humble guy with a team-first attitude, Cheika appeared to be proved right when the big unit on Tuesday embraced lock Jacques Potgieter at training, soon after the NSW team was named with Skelton on the bench behind the African import.

“He is a very good lad,” Cheika said. “He understands what it’s about, being a part of a team. I am really happy for him. He has done well, but he knows he’s still got a long way to go to maximise his potential.

“He is just still very new on the circuit. He knows that himself. That’s the best part. You don’t have to worry about him getting a big head because he knows that himself.”

Will Skelton is mobbed by his Wallabies teammates after setting up Israel Folau’s second-half try.

Cheika, who plucked Skelton from the ARU academy in late 2012 and debuted him for NSW five months later, said he still saw Skelton as raw and with plenty of untapped potential.

Headlines about Skelton after his debut had been a “bit over the top” but Cheika said the 22-year-old didn’t look out of place at Test level.

“The more experience he gets the better he is going to be at both levels, but he still has a long way to go. He certainly won’t be getting ahead of himself here, that’s for sure,” Cheika said.