As pressure mounts on the Australian Rugby Union after their decision to axe the Force from Super Rugby, it is also rising on Cheika and his players to improve their lethargic performances in June.
Cheika has been able to work with the majority of his squad for a number of weeks because the Brumbies were the only Australian side who qualified for the Super Rugby finals before they were dispatched in the quarters.
They've been on a crash-course of fitness and drills skills designed to lift their standards under pressure and chip off some of the brittle edges which have plagued them. New captain Michael Hooper has old heads Will Genia and Kurtley Beale to bring more experience but the inspection will be on the activity of the forwards.
That should be tested by an All Black side who were not at their best in the final stages of the shared Lions test series in June and have worked to sharpen their skills and focus for next week's start to the Rugby Championship. That initial response next Saturday in Sydney will be the foundation for a series which ends against the Springboks in Cape Town on October 7.
The All Blacks have questions about managing their group through the series, with a focus on tighthead prop Owen Franks, who is troubled by an Achilles problem. They also have to decide whether Sonny Bill Williams is the best fit for the midfield after his suspension, who plays on the wing and, with the injury to Jordie Barrett, who slots into fullback once Ben Smith takes up his sabbatical.
