Rugby: Wallabies embrace 'enemy' tag

Australia coach Michael Cheika. Photo / Getty Images.

The return of Quade Cooper along with a team who feel they are on the brink of winning back the Bledisloe Cup after an absence of 12 years - the Wallabies will be the enemy tomorrow as far as most of the Eden Park crowd are concerned and they know it.

Australia coach Michael Cheika has gone as far as to embrace the tag. He has become a master of motivating his teams and creating a siege mentality is one of his favourite tricks.

Radio Sport's Martin Devlin with All Blacks fullback Ben Smith.

Radio Sport's Martin Devlin talks to former All Blacks skipper Todd Blackadder.

After training in heavy rain at Eden Park today, Cheika spoke of the reality his team will face in trying to overturn a losing trend at the All Blacks' fortress - the Wallabies haven't won there since 1986 - and added for good measure that he doesn't fear failure.

He has also given a clear message to the recalled Cooper, a No10 who has endured some painful nights at Eden Park, to play his normal game without worrying about making the World Cup squad. That is already a given, he said.

"When he was selected I said to him 'there's nothing to prove here. This is not some type of test for you, this is about you doing your job for the team'," Cheika said.

"I don't think this is the appropriate match to say, 'play good here and you'll get to the World Cup'. That's not worthwhile."

Cheika added: "We're the enemy here, that's for sure, and that's a great feeling sometimes in rugby - to be away from home and being the enemy and being bound together and that's the great thing about this game, we get to do that."

Cooper will almost certainly receive a loud and at times unpleasant reaction from the crowd after his history of targeting All Blacks skipper Richie McCaw in a series of cheap shots.

Cheika will be well aware of that but was playing the innocent card when he said of the Tokoroa-born player and the coverage his selection has already received in the media, including the Herald: "Maybe it's a little bit advantageous for me because I wasn't around when that stuff happened with Quade so I don't really know too much about it.

"I'm not saying this disrespectfully but I'm not here to read the newspaper. I'm just doing my best. I know we're inexperienced as Australian coaching staff and they've got a much better record than we have... but I'll back my guys and I don't fear failure."

Wallabies captain Stephen Moore said of the noise around Cooper's selection: "That's all peripheral stuff, isn't it? He's had a good week of training. We've got full faith in him and we're looking forward to having him out there tomorrow night. Cheik has made it clear that everyone in the squad plays a huge role and to show some faith in someone like Quade in a game like this is terrific."

In maintaining his respectful attitude towards the All Blacks, Cheika refused to take credit for last week's 27-19 victory in Sydney.

Asked if he had out-thought the All Blacks, Cheika replied: "Everyone has a line to throw away - Steve Hansen has won I don't know how many tests. He's never been beaten at home, he's been the leading coach in test rugby for many, many years and still is. His team is No1. One win don't maketh the man. We need to be consistent and playing well."
There were few shots fired by either Cheika or Moore, just as there haven't been by Hansen this week. Both teams appear to be saving that for tomorrow night.