England vs Australia: Under the cosh Michael Cheika throws his weight behind friendly rival Eddie Jones
Australia have lost eight of their 12 Tests this year but Cheika, who cannot understand why England did not extend Eddie Jones’ contract for even longer, says he’s not feeling the heat
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Your support makes all the difference.Michael Cheika is an old pal of Eddie Jones’ from 1980s when they used to pack down for Randwick in Sydney club rugby and he has been sticking up for his mate this week ahead of England’s clash with the Wallabies on Saturday.
Normally the week ahead of an Anglo-Aussie Test match is like a game of tennis with the pair lobbing verbal grenades at each other but the last few days have been sweetness and light.
Cheika has even gone as far as to suggest that England missed a trick by not extending Jones’ contract by four years, instead of the extra two years that ties him to Twickenham until 2021.
Cheika knows what it is like to be under the cosh. The Wallabies have lost eight out of 12 Tests this year and prominent rugby figures down under such as Bob Dwyer have joined in the chorus of disapproval against the head coach.
Jones had his critics when his halo slipped during the Six Nations, where England lost to Scotland, France and Ireland, after two successive championships including a grand slam in 2016. But Cheika cannot understand why his old mucker attracted any flak at all and says England should have given a longer deal than the one he signed.
“Call me thick but I can’t understand why he’s been getting grief,” said the 51-year-old. “How many games has he won here with England? What about the job he did after the World Cup? Maybe they’re giving him grief because he’s an Aussie.
“The team’s ranked fourth in the world, playing lots of good footy, so 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.”
Cheika has lost five games out of five to Jones, since Fast Eddie took over in 2016, and the heat on him will be increased if it is six of the worst on Saturday, but he refuses to shelve their friendship until the game kicks off.
There is even one Jones in the Australian camp, the England head coach’s daughter, Chelsea, works in logistics for the Wallabies and is on the current tour.
And Cheika is convinced his old pal is riding the favourite in Saturday’s final round of the autumn internationals but is hoping to upset the odds whatever Jones has planned.
“We’re mates from playing footy together,” he added. “We’re not swinging hands down the road or anything but we’re friends, we’ve got a lot of respect for each other.
“Sometimes when you’re friends you’ve got to become enemies, and we will be on Saturday, but there’s no beef between us, but if anything when he does well, as long as it’s not against us, I’m very happy for him.
“I don’t know what he’s got up his sleeve and to be honest I’m not really that fussed about it.
“We’ve had an inconsistent year and we want to make sure we finish it off with our best performance, and our most courageous. I know everyone thinks it is a lost cause, I’ve seen some of our own people from back home saying that we’re not up to it.”
One player who is up for it is David Pocock who was declared fit on Thursday after recovering from another neck injury. The Wallabies were convinced he was being targeted for special treatment but Cheika insists the No.8 is ready to rumble at Twickenham.
“I wouldn’t he’s say fully fit,” said Cheika. “He is hurting but desperate to play. He has them at him all year and he puts his head in places that people go to. He has copped a fair few whacks in there this year so he is certainly not scared of people.
“World Rugby came out and said he was not being targeted illegally so they must be looking at it. We have had our day about it already.”
Cheika has made five changes from the side that beat Italy 26-7 in Padua with scrum-half Will Genia recalled to win his 100th cap, the 10th Australian to achieve the feat.
Another centurion Sekope Kepu is back at tight-head prop and Tolu Latu returns at hooker with Dany Haylett-Petty on the right wing and Jack Maddocks on the other wing. Israel Folau remains at full-back.
Australia squad v England (SAT) 3pm, Twickenham
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), D.Pocock
Replacements: T.Polota-Nau, J.Ainsley, A.Alaalatoa, R.Simmons, N.Hanigan, P.Samu, N.Phipps, S.Naivalu
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