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Talking over, Cheika now ready for action

Michael Cheika might be doing more to improve the Wallabies than we think. (AAP Image/SNPA, Ross Setford)
3rd December, 2016
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Wallabies coach Michael Cheika has called on his team to put the mind games of him and Eddie Jones out of their own heads and focus on ending England’s hopes of remaining unbeaten in 2016.

England are undefeated in 12 matches under Jones with their last defeat coming against Cheika’s side in the Rugby World Cup at Twickenham last year in the penultimate game of the ill-fated Stuart Lancaster reign.

Should the tables be turned on Saturday (Sunday 0130 AEDT) it would be a 13th successive win for the hosts and a perfect calendar year for the first time in their history.

But Cheika, who has been exchanging barbs with Jones all week, is aiming to avoid history himself in London with a defeat meaning he would be the first Australian coach to preside over nine losses in a season.

“The fun is over now. Kick-off is 24 hours away and the players take over now,” Cheika said.

“The players are in charge and the team that plays best on the day will win.

“All the other stuff is just a sideline. It’s a bit of fun and a laugh, but the time for that is over and it’s about concentrating on the match now.

“We’ve had a bit of fun with it all, but the fun business really starts on Saturday when the players get stuck into each other.”

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That last meeting at Twickenham was arguably the high point of the Cheika reign with the team using the victory as a platform to reach the World Cup final.

That match saw Bernard Foley score 26 of the team’s 33 points and Cheika said the challenge of playing at one of rugby’s most iconic and atmospheric venues is one he and his players cannot wait for, despite their grand slam hopes being extinguished last weekend in Dublin.

“I’m not sure we gave them a hiding then because that was genuinely a tough game,” he said of that 33-13 win.

“It was a good night, but we’ve had some tough games with them since.

“Twickenham is a great place to play rugby with a passionate crowd and when you see the little pockets of gold shirts, you gravitate towards them because you need all the help you can get when you’re in the lion’s den.”

The match will also be the last to be played by star back-rower David Pocock, who’ll take a six-month sabbatical ahead of a six-month spell with Japanese side Panasonic Wild Knights.

Skipper Stephen Moore said the team were desperate to send the outstanding Brumbies flanker out on a high note.

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“David Pocock will want to go out in the right fashion and the team wants to send him out in the right fashion,” Moore said.

“He’s been a big contributor to the team this year and has made the decision to take some time off, so we want to make it a good finish for him.”

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