The last time Michael Cheika was in Cardiff he left the Welsh capital some £8,500 worse off after being fined for verbally abusing match officials after Stade Français’s defeat to Harlequins in the 2011 European Challenge Cup final, but he intends to make Wales pay on Saturday when Australia play their first Test since he took over as the head coach.
Cheika replaced Ewen McKenzie three days before the Wallabies left for their European tour and after overseeing a victory over the Barbarians at Twickenham last weekend, he has made two enforced changes from the side that last lost in the final minute to New Zealand in Brisbane last month: the uncapped Sean McMahon and Ben McCalman take over from the injured back-rowers Scott Fardy and Scott Higginbotham.
“I said we would use the last Test match against New Zealand as the barometer and go from there,” said Cheika. “Sean got an opportunity against the Barbarians and he took it. He was not scared to carry the ball, get involved and be aggressive. I am eager to reward that mentality, not as a gift but as a chance.
“There were some tough selection choices and we know we have players who can come in and add, which is important. We want to create an environment where everyone is pushing each other. We have some highly talented players and the guys are hungry. What we have to do is to deliver high levels of consistency. A winning attitude comes from being consistently high in training.”
Australia have won their last nine matches against Wales, a winning sequence that goes back to 2008, which is their longest against a tier-one rival. The two countries are in the same World Cup group but Cheika said Saturday’s result would have no bearing on next year’s match at Twickenham.
“I am not too worried about that record,” said Cheika. “I am just looking at one in a row. I have been interested in people taking about streaks these days and history, but all that is irrelevant.
“There is no marker ahead of the World Cup; I have never seen a game of rugby that has had an influence on another match in 12 months. Everything can change. There is probably a bit of a consensus that it is not a matter of if Wales will beat us, but when. A lot of people are not giving us much of a show in these matches if you read the UK press. It is up to us dig our heels and push hard to be successful.
“Wales have an established coaching team who know their way around the international scene and we are new kids on the block in comparison. It is up to us to deliver a clear picture of what we are about on Saturday. The guys have been hit with the stick for a while and self-belief has to be rebuilt a little.”
The Wales head coach, Warren Gatland, expects Cheika to make an immediate difference. “I have got a massive amount of respect for what he has achieved,” he said. “He is the only coach who has won a European Cup and a Super Rugby title: he turned around Leinster and the Waratahs in a pretty short time.
“By his own admission it is going to take a little bit of time, but having watched him and seen him operate, it won’t be that long. He plays a really positive brand of rugby, he gets his point across succinctly and he is honest with the players, which they appreciate. When they turn up for the World Cup, they will be a real outfit to contend with.”
