Tired of being quizzed over his selection of two specialist hookers, Wallabies coach Michael Cheika hit back at his critics on Thursday.
Cheika declared his decision to use prop Scott Sio as a third-choice rake wasn’t made lightly.
His judgement has been continually questioned since the Wallabies’ 31-man Rugby World Cup squad was named last week.
Most of the controversy was around having just two hookers – Tatafu Polota-Nau and Stephen Moore – in the squad.
It’s been a referred to as a risk and a gamble, but Cheika said plenty of work had gone into the call between him and scrum coach Mario Ledesma.
“We know that Scott Sio will be the back-up – he’s played hooker before. He’s got a good lineout throw and he’s a very strong scrummager in that position,” Cheika said.
“We’ve been practising for a while now and I wouldn’t be making those types of decisions without knowing that the person could do the job.”
Sio has played hooker at schoolboy and under-20s level, and – at 115kg and 187cm – is well equipped to handle the middle of the scrum.
James Hanson remains on standby for the Wallabies and would come into the squad if Polota-Nau or Moore suffered a tournament-ending injury.
“If we get something short term, then Sio’s got experience and he’s more than capable of covering that void,” Cheika said.
Sio has been working under the guidance of Wallabies scrum coach and four-time World Cup hooker Ledesma and Moore has been impressed by his Brumbies teammate.
“He’s been doing a lot of practice at training. I told him not to get too good at it, but he’s been really good so far,” Moore said.
“I’m sure when the coaches were picking the squad, they factored everything into that (decision).”
Moore was delighted to see so many Wallabies fans cheering the side on at Thursday’s official farewell in Martin Place.
“We’ve been tucked away training hard over the last couple of weeks and it’s terrific to get out and see the public,” Moore said.
Cheika said the public farewell hit home to him the World Cup was just around the corner and what it meant to people.
“Today has been a bit of an eye opener for me because, when you’re in the training section of it all, you’re closed in and you’ve got your head down and working,” Cheika said.
“When you’ve got a chance to get out amongst the supporters and because it’s a World Cup, you cross over all the code’s supporters … there’s been so much genuine support for us and it feels really good.”
The Wallabies leave Sydney for Chicago on Saturday and play the United States on September 5 before tackling Fiji 18 days later in their World Cup opener in Cardiff.
Moore said training continued to ramp up as they prepared for northern hemisphere-style rugby.
“Set-piece wise, we’ve been doing a lot of scrummaging. We know that’s going to be so important … a lot of mauling – those two things are going to be so important,” he said.
“We’re not looking too far ahead; we are just looking at that first game against Fiji.
“The first game is so important. To win that … and play our best footy early, is going to give the team a lot of confidence.”
RobC
Roar Guru
Thanks for the news Russell. I sure hope they will be having the REAL third hooker training in France. Training Sio to throw against Eben Read Matfield, is like asking Kurtley to scrum against Joe Marler
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
And what happens soon as inevitable minor injuries mean players are sitting out of training?
Mike
Guest
Good one
Mike
Guest
I think that's more the issue. I don't think it's possible to say that any of this is categorically wrong, but there is so much of it that I am getting nervous. Apart from anything else, and it's only a small thing in itself, but time spent by Sio in training as hooker is not time spent training in the role of loose head. But if he has always kept his hand in with hooker skills, I don't think that matters so much. Some players are inherently versatile. AAC has never played hooker to my knowledge, but he has packed down at flanker in test scrums and looked quite good (probably because he didn't try anything smart and just concentrated on pushing - some flankers could learn from that).
taylorman
Roar Guru
Peterk...with a sense of humour...who'd have thought? Well done...maybe there's hope for you yet :-)
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
Haha I did pick that Peter
PeterK
Roar Guru
Taylorman - Caught hook line and sinker. My statement was in deliberately OTT and not meant to be taken seriously. But it did give you the lead in to get on your favourite soap box
taylorman
Roar Guru
But I do get what you're saying. I just don't happen to agree with it. Radical? Out of the box? Perhaps. But so far in his short international career Cheika has made three 'radical' decisions as far as I'm concerned. One is to take up the full coaching role of both the Tahs an Wallabies at short notice. Now that one the jury is probably still out but two things did happen. One was he got poor results on the NH tour. Understandable. The second was, one of his sides failed to meet last years standards, this years Tahs losing its edge from last year. But the win with the RC, and who knows with the World Cup, that could still result in a big plus. The second was to play the Pooper combination, something of a master stroke and if anything, it took the ABs completely by surprise and for a Sydney match just what is needed to tip the scales in a match that is normally very close. The third was to select the side in Auckland. Spin it any way you want, but not selecting one of only two potential world best players to start was simply a poor decision. There's one thing about trying out players but there's another not continuing to build on momentum gained. In sort Cheika stuffed up completely there, and the ABs ambushed his side in a more comprehensive manner that he was able to a week before. Even you were not picking a 28 point win to the ABs, one that was flattering at that margin. The ABs left many more points out there, and when you're getting three and four man overlap tries, that suggests big trouble. So when you say out of the box, radical...certainly. But the sum total of those radical moves are not quite paying off, consistency of performance still the holy grail. And in rugby, persistent use of radical ideas has never been known to gain any consistency in this game. The core positions and roles associated with them are there for a reason. Ignore the simplistic nature of the fundamentals and you will likely pay the price....or not.
taylorman
Roar Guru
Well if you think so Pete. Is that why they pick loosies that can jump cos locks can't, why wingers cover non tackling backs? Why oz have gone through about a dozen kickers and still haven't found one or five or six half backs, tens and twelves and are still without a clue who should play in any of them? If that's your idea of multi skilled then that's great. I didn't say I agreed with Sio playing hooker but it's consistent with Oz selection policy to pay lip service to the core roles of a position, 'and get others' to do the jobs cos those selected can't. Multi skilled? Or lack of skills?
MJB
Guest
Maybe not lightly but for what benefit? And before you say it, taking two full XVs for practice does not confer any benefits compared to having full depth in critical technical positions.
Zero Gain
Guest
What difference does it make that other teams know his explanation? The referees do too, I assume and that is probably good. I just didn't think it was good to have many hard core rugby supporters strongly criticising his decision. I wasn't one of them, I only criticised the situation that developed and felt it could have been better managed for everyone.
Jules
Guest
Then i stand corrected. In that regard his selections are justified.
PeterK
Roar Guru
Yes once the RWC official period starts. The backups will have to cool their heels in England and train elsewhere with different coaches.
Jules
Guest
15 v 15 and the extra player is a front rower. Fair enough i guess. Is the train-on squad restricted from training with the 31 man squad?
PeterK
Roar Guru
Jules - He has in other articles. He wants 2 complete teams for contested training. Kuridrani and AAC are the 13's so he needs 4 wingers.
Jules
Guest
If two front rowers - any front rowers, not just hookers - get injured within 48 hours of a game, australia forfeit. I agree that the hooker issue has been blown out of proportion, but having as many wingers as front rowers in the squad is ludicrous.
Jules
Guest
If he can he should probably be our starting hooker
Jules
Guest
Hasn't explained why he's taken so many bloody wingers.
PeterK
Roar Guru
TWAS - So? If they are injured during a game a replacement will be called. If both get injured then 2 replacements will be sent.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
Probability says they will both be injured during the tournament.