Andrew Mulligan: Cheika, you're a genius and madman

Wallabies coach Michael Cheika. Photo / Getty Images

Opinion

Coach pulling some very interesting moves.

It was 11.16am yesterday, with my deadline looming, and I had writer's block or at least this fledging "opinionist" self diagnosed it as such (I'll come clean - I was also listening to Macklemore and Ed Sheeran's new song because the Herald's Chris Schulz said we should and by the way, have you seen Sheeran's new tattoo? OMG).

I was checking Twitter, which is my go-to time-waster in life (quickly followed by Candy Crush - know me before you judge me - then Instagram) when I read the news.

The Sydney Morning Herald reported that "Quade Cooper is set to start for Wallabies against All Blacks". OMG. I muttered, again.

Cheika's playing right into their hands, I pondered. He's going to start the All Blacks' and their fans' biggest target and hand the most important test match they've had since the Rugby World Cup final of 2003 to Quade.

I was ecstatic but then I was confused when the full Wallabies team was released. Why would Cheika not hand the reigns to Matt Toomua? Sure Foley wasn't commanding but Cooper's been indifferent in 2015, struggled with injury and subsequently form. His worst games against the All Blacks have come at Eden Park. In fact, most of the Wallabies' games at Eden Park haven't been overly fantastic (understatement alert). Then the report said Nic White has been promoted off the bench to replace Nic Phipps and that Matt Giteau is the reserve halfback. A new halves pairing? At Eden Park? With the Bledisloe Cup on the line?

Bravo, Mr Cheika! Bravo! You won the game but made the most changes? Amazing.

You don't mess around and for once, after improving the Wallabies' scrum, culture and bench, you're aiming to do what more experienced Wallabies' coaches before you couldn't do; pull off two wins in as many weekends over the All Blacks and win the Bledisloe Cup. So what's he planning? Shifting Cooper around and have Toomua make more plays? He's gone back to a traditional loose forward combination with Pocock on the bench and Will Skelton getting the start. Is it simply that they won but it wasn't good enough? That there is still room for improvement and you can't rest on your laurels if you're in a Wallabies jersey? Has he finally done a manual reset of Cooper's mindset - unplugged it at the wall, waited 30 seconds and plugged it back in - and given him his finest opportunity to stick it to us All Blacks' fans?

It's the boldest move yet from the outside looking in. Did he see enough in Sydney and is keeping the All Blacks on their toes?

Michael Cheika, you're a genius/madman!

So while we fortify the defences of Radio Sport today in anticipation of "Worst Case Scenario" which is the New South Welshman and his players striding back to Sydney with the Bledisloe Cup, slightly wet with the residue of 59.5 cans of Tooheys, we can only hope of one thing, actually we can be sure of one thing - the All Blacks are angry.

Not demonstratively so. Not in public or on social media or at each other. Just annoyed that they let themselves down against a fine Wallabies team that in the space of 12 months has taken on a new lease of life with virtually the same group as 2014.

The All Blacks regard the Bledisloe Cup almost as much as the William Webb Ellis and tomorrow night their response could only define their year.