The Australia coach, Michael Cheika, has admitted he “wanted to cry” after his side’s first Test defeat to England but has promised an extremely physical response from his reshuffled team in Saturday’s second Test. Cheika, who has made four changes to his starting pack, also says Australia must deal better with the “niggle” dished out by Eddie Jones’s side last weekend.
There is clearly a recognition within Wallaby ranks that they will have to toughen up collectively to avoid a second straight defeat in the three-Test series and counter England’s so-called “bodyline” strategy. Cheika has duly ditched both his starting props, Scott Sio and Greg Holmes, in favour of James Slipper and Sekope Kefu, with the dynamic Sean McMahon and Sam Carter taking over at No8 and lock respectively from the injured David Pocock and Rob Simmons.
The Wallaby head coach was keen, however, to emphasise he is looking for a more bristling attitude from his players to combat opponents expertly revved up by his former Randwick team-mate Jones. “We’ve got to play more physically because last week’s level was not enough,” Cheika said.
“We’ve probably got to deal a bit better with the niggle … there was a lot of niggle off the ball. Niggle’s the stuff you do off the ball when you’re protected. You can’t whack a bloke because you know you’re going to get caught.”
Slightly oddly, however, given the Wallabies’ precarious state in the series, Cheika also insisted he and his team were not “desperate” to win this weekend, openly questioning the longer-term benefit of Jones’s trademark mind games.
“I know a lot of people have said we’ve been quiet but for me I’ll sledge if I’m going to go on to the field and be able to back it up,” said Cheika, declining to get embroiled in this week’s war of words between the England camp and assorted former Wallabies.
“I don’t want to sledge then stay off the field and say: ‘Sweet. Right ho, boys, go to it.’ You’ve got to back it up. I think that’s only short-term motivation. There have been things said about us as well but we want to build some substance and a consistent team for the long haul, not just get by this week. We want to be bullet-proof to all that stuff and not have to hang shit on the wall. If that’s their strategy, good on ‘em, but I’m not doing niggle, that’s not our go.”
This may not be what Wallaby supporters want to hear at such a crucial moment but Cheika, without a number of senior players who featured in last year’s World Cup final, appears to be trying to ensure his younger squad members are not overawed by the size of Saturday’s challenge.
“Are we desperate because we lost the first game? No. Losing’s part of life sometimes, that’s the way it is. We can’t have a golden pathway all the way through when everything’s happy and rosy and everyone’s signing a song together. Sometimes it’s tough and you’ve got to be in a scrap. That’s when you get the most character built and that’s what we need.
“I was miserable after the game. I wanted to cry, it was hurting. We weren’t good enough last week, pure and simple. But the next day you work it out, talk to the team and you’re honest with each other. Then you say we’ve got a really good opportunity here, let’s enjoy it and get into it. I’m looking forward to Saturday immensely.”
The abrupt removal of Sio, however, is directly linked to the young prop’s yellow card which undermined Australia’s efforts to overhaul England in Brisbane. “There’s some type of perception about what he’s doing,” said Cheika. “I want to make sure there’s no perception there at all.” McMahon is nowhere near as big as Billy Vunipola but the Wallabies believe his pace and enthusiasm will make up for any shortfall.
Cheika, nonetheless, will challenge his players to go out and give their best, rather than be overwhelmed by the scale of the occasion. “Personally I love being in this situation. I know that sounds crazy but you’re one down and you’re in a scrap. I want my players to enjoy that too. That’s what Aussies are like: we’re in a battle, let’s go, let’s get into it. We never want to take a backward step. To improve our physicality is something I’d be looking to do even if we’d won last week.”
Australia I Folau (Waratahs); D Haylett-Petty (Force), T Kuridrani (Brumbies), S Kerevi (Reds), R Horne (Waratahs); B Foley (Waratahs), N Phipps (Waratahs); J Slipper (Reds), S Moore (Brumbies, capt), S Kepu (Waratahs), S Carter (Brumbies), R Arnold (Brumbies), S Fardy (Brumbies), M Hooper (Waratahs), S McMahon (Rebels).
Replacements from T Polota-Nau (Waratahs), T Smith (Rebels), G Holmes (Reds), J Horwill (Harlequins), D Mumm (Waratahs), W Palu (Waratahs), B McCalman (Western Force), L Gill (Reds), N Frisby (Reds), C Leali’ifano (Brumbies), L Morahan (Western Force).
