Only an Irish whitewash can save Cheika’s support staff

Michael Cheika and his team have the perfect opportunity make a statement against the Six Nations champions.

It seems like everyone is already talking about the Wallabies starting XV as coach Michael Cheika gets set to announce his squad next Wednesday to face Ireland. ­I am sincerely happy he has the confidence to make such an important decision with two Super Rugby rounds yet to be played.

Cheika clearly has his favourites and he could have picked his squad after the first two rounds of Super Rugby but I would expect he has done his homework and we just might see some emerging talent included. I hope this is the case but don’t expect too many exciting gambles.

The Irish have selected a strong squad to face the Wallabies in next month’s three-Test series here. Cheika and his team have the perfect opportunity to make a statement against the Six Nations champions.

Hopefully he may have learnt something from his former Randwick teammate Eddie Jones, who in 2016 made a mockery of Australian rugby, when England convincingly defeated the Wallabies in Australia.

Ireland will be a tough ­opponent because they believe in each other, and while they may not have the flair and skill of the All Blacks, they know how to grind their opponents into the ground by controlling possession and playing for the entire 80 minutes, unlike most of our Super Rugby teams and unfortunately the Wallabies themselves.

No doubt Cheika will initially select a few exciting young prospects but he will always rely on his Waratahs heroes such as Michael Hooper, Sekope Kepu, Nick Phipps, Bernard Foley, Kurtley Beale and of course, Israel Folau.

The Waratahs are, after all, on a winning streak of one game, having finally broken the Kiwi dominance over Aussie teams but I would have more confidence in the Wallabies’ chances of success over Ireland if the Tahs can defeat the Chiefs tonight in Hamilton and the Reds in Brisbane next Saturday night.

The Reds and Rebels have been dreadfully inconsistent this year, promising much but delivering very little. Sadly, the same can be said of the Brumbies, who warmed as Australia’s conference favourite but who have gradually lost their way. They face the Bulls at Loftus Versfeld late tonight and then the unpredictable Sunwolves at home next weekend.

The return of Wallabies Dane Haylett-Petty and Jordan Uelese from injury will strengthen the Rebels but it will be more interesting watching utility Reece Hodge play at No 10, which may give Cheika another option if he is open minded, because Foley’s ­inconsistency is becoming more predominant as oppositions target him.

I distinctly remember Cheika saying over the past couple of years that he hasn’t been concerned about the disappointing performances of the Australian Super Rugby franchises because he has the confidence of the players and that once they pull on the green and gold jersey that they will lift.

Thankfully, Cheika has been a little more discreet in his words so far this year. He has remained quiet, bar going public to calm everyone down over the Folau tweets and the remote prospect of more nasty interventions from ­fellow Wallabies veteran David ­Pocock.

I think it is fair to say everyone is over Folau’s incessant tweets, which are in the same vein as ­Donald Trump’s, which are utter nonsense and do more to enrage the public than intended.

Cheika needs special assistance and I am not too sure if he has the right personnel around him to ensure success, which you have heard from me over the past couple of years, but I guess June will tell us the true story and only a convincing victory over Ireland will and should guarantee his ­offsiders’ connection with the Wallabies.

We all know there is a Rugby World Cup just around the corner but if we don’t have the unbridled success against Ireland that we all expect and then again throughout the Rugby Championship, Cheika may have to borrow a few derelict coaches from Rod Kafer’s little coaches quorum, who have more experience and rugby knowledge than his current assistant coaches can ever imagine.

One win against the Highlanders doesn’t mean everything has changed because there is still an enormous amount of work to be done over the next two weekends before facing Ireland to build the confidence of our players and importantly, our fans.