Michael Cheika and Eddie Jones go back a long way, right to their playing days when they used to pack down together in the suburbs of Sydney for Randwick. All these years later, they still act as if they have got each other’s backs.
Earlier in the week, Jones was sticking up for Cheika. On Thursday, Cheika returned the favour. “Call me thick [no one did] but I can’t understand why Eddie’s been getting grief. How many games has he won here with England?” Cheika said. “I’m not sure what people are looking for, perfection? That’s never happening. You win some games, you lose some games. He’s definitely won more games than he’s lost, so I’d be wrapping him up and signing him up for another four years.”
The two of them have not always got on. “We’re not swinging hands down the road or anything,” Cheika said, “but we’re friends, we’ve got a lot of respect for each other. Sometimes you’re friends and sometimes you’ve got to become enemies and we will be enemies on Saturday.”
If it all sounds a little too friendly, he did allow himself a little dig at the way England “consistently target” Australia’s half-backs with late tackles because “they think they can get us rattled”. But then in his next breath he added: “They have had a few wins the last couple of years, so it is probably working for them. We have got to make sure we get on top of that.”
I Folau; D Haylett-Petty, S Kerevi, B Foley, J Maddocks; M Toomua, W Genia; S Sio, T Latu, S Kepu, I Rodda, A Coleman, J Dempsey, M Hooper (capt), P Samu.
Replacements Tatafu Polota-Nau, Jermaine Ainsley, Allan Alaalatoa, Rob Simmons, Ned Hanigan, Marika Koroibete, Nick Phipps, Sefa Naivalu.
• David Pocock ruled out with neck injury
While he was defending Jones, Cheika might as well have been talking about his own situation. He has got a good track record with the Wallabies but this year they have won four Tests out of 12 and he and the team are under heavy pressure. “I know everyone thinks this is a lost cause,” Cheika said. “I’ve seen some of our own people from back home saying that we’re not up to it. So we want to make sure that every Australian who gets up and watches thinks: ‘Those guys put everything they’ve got into this game.’”
He is clearly hoping his team will play like they want to prove everyone wrong. “It doesn’t have to be perfect but I want plenty of heart and plenty of courage.”
David Pocock was not able to finish training on Thursday, but was named in the initial team at No 8. It was touch and go though and he has now been withdrawn from the line-up. “He is hurting, but desperate to play,” Cheika said on Thursday.
Pocock has had problems with his neck all season and they flared up again after the win in Italy last Saturday. “I know he has missed training, but he is the ultimate pro and he is good at getting himself ready,” Cheika said. “It is not ideal to have to play when you haven’t got a lot of training under your belt, but if there is one guy who can do it is him.”
Pocock is not the only one who has been struggling. A virus has been going through the team. England’s defence coach, John Mitchell, suggested the illness was a rumour designed to lure England into a false sense of security. Cheika invited the New Zealander to “come round to my bathroom” and find out for himself whether they were playing mind games or not.
The bug has not got to Kurtley Beale but Cheika has dropped him from the match squad anyway. It was an especially tough call because the Wallabies are playing in their indigenous jersey and Beale is the one player with Indigenous Australian heritage in the team.
It means Beale has been doing a lot of talking this week. “Kurtley has shared a couple of stories,” Cheika said. “Every time we wear that jersey we want to learn more about our indigenous history, which is probably not taught to us at school as much as it should be. He told those stories with passion this week.”
Odd as it sounds, Cheika wants his team to channel the energy of the very player he has dropped. “If we can carry a quarter of his spirit then we’ll be in good stead.”
If they could just harness his talent, they would be in even better shape yet.
• This article was updated following the decision to withdraw David Pocock from Australia’s starting XV for the game against England
