Michael Cheika is refusing to be gagged, not backing down on Sunday after All Blacks coach Steve Hansen accused his Wallabies counterpart of “hijacking” New Zealand’s Test world record celebrations.
In a sensational aftermath to Saturday night’s Bledisloe Cup series finale in Auckland, Cheika took aim at New Zealand media over being depicted as a clown and then claimed the All Blacks did not respect the Wallabies, suggesting they were involved in the media caricature.
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Seething after being portrayed as an angry clown complete with red nose in a mock up picture in the country’s biggest paper, the New Zealand Herald, alongside the headline “send in the clowns” on the match morning, Cheika let rip in an extraordinary rant after Australia’s 37-10 loss at Eden Park.
Hansen later said Cheika needed to be bigger than to take a newspaper’s barb to heart and said it was wrong to suggest the All Blacks could dictate what the media did.
But Cheika was still stewing upon his arrival back at Sydney airport 12 hours later.
“Why would you let the opposition call your team clowns and mock the jersey? That’s how I feel about it,” he said.
“Maybe others don’t. Maybe that’s not the way. But I’ve never had an Australian jersey so I think it’s something that should be treasured.
“We’re going there for a good contest and I think they (All Blacks) are connected to it (the photo mock up) obviously because they are talking about it.
“That’s my opinion and I’m entitled to voice my opinion, right or wrong.”
Cheika was also upset at not receiving an invitation into the triumphant dressing room after the All Blacks chalked up their unprecedented 18th consecutive tier-one Test match win.
He admitted the Sydney bugging saga had been the spark that set him off, saying he was deeply offended by any inference the Wallabies camp had been in any way involved in the spying scandal.
Cheika remains furious the bugging report came out on the day of the first Bledisloe Test match in Sydney, after All Blacks management had alerted police about finding an electronic listening device in a team room early in the week.
“I don’t want to keep going over the same points, but that (NZ Herald) is obviously their go-to paper,” Cheika added on Sunday.
“The whole bug thing came out from there.
“We had policemen in our offices asking us questions, asking our management questions. That’s serious stuff to be accusing people of and it’s not true.
That’s their go-to. Nothing happens without that connection.
“That’s my point of view. They don’t have to agree with it. I’m not asking them to agree with it.”
Squirrel
Guest
Great coaches can be nuts and sore losers as well. Keep it up it covers our floggings. I think Scotland Wales and England will beat us.
Morsie
Guest
This place gets swamped with kiwi posters, was that part of the review of new zealand rugby after their world cup chokes, to turn their national intelligence service into a world rugby chat site hacking service.
P2R2
Roar Rookie
I would also suggest he is full of TRUMPERY - have a look in the Oxford Dict. for the explanation....suits whinging Choker Cheika perfectly...
Oblonsky‘s Other Pun
Roar Guru
Yeah, goodness me, I wish that once, just once Cheika and Moore could come out and simply congratulate the All Blacks on the win. Simply say 'we played well tonight, but they were simply too good. Congratulations to them', and then, if he really is so offended by the picture bring it up a few days later and express his displeasure with it. No need to connect it with the All Blacks, no need to tarnish their win and leave a bad taste in the fans' mouths regarding the match. That being said, I didn't think it was in great taste, but if we think it is okay to do the Richetty Grub cartoon (which I actually found very funny in a somewhat offensive way) we can't then complain when they do it back to us.
Darwin Stubbie
Guest
there has to be and end strategy to this dumb and dumber routine ... the only one that seems to fit is he's setting himself up for a foxsports gig should he step earlier than expected
CUW
Guest
the SH will go after him , like crazy. this is the kind of thing u may see... Revealed: What really went on during rugby stars' debauched riverboat trip as crew say players performed sex acts on each other and England's James Haskell held a 'kangaroo court' http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3863020/England-rugby-star-James-Haskell-held-court-sexually-degrading-boat-trip-party.html
ABasquefan
Roar Rookie
you skipped your pills, didn't you?
ABasquefan
Roar Rookie
Kiwi
Guest
Man, watching this guy in the coaches box and in the press conference - he's such a sore loser it's ridiculous. Combination of immaturity, unprofessionalism, and no self-control.
Eeben Barlow
Guest
Love the avatar, atlas.
kdigit
Guest
Yep, just as the team started to earn back some respect on the field, Cheika snatches away their dignity with these delusional ravings
CUW
Guest
not just losing , Cheika does not accept any other view than his. he is KANYE WEST of rugger. maybe he will call himself JESUS also LOL (Kanye does DUH)
The Neutral View From Sweden
Roar Guru
I know it is silly, but if Chieka really wanted to take the wind out the clown thing, he should have done the presser yesterday with a red clown nose and a straight face. He would be the one walking away as the moral winner and a rep as a guy with great self-irony and humor . Now he did anything but, and this is only gonna escalate during the EOTY tour. He better win all five games, or all hell gonna break loose. Journos and editors LOVES this kind of stories (because they get to play an active part in it).
nigel brown
Roar Rookie
Cheika forgot his medication
Atlas
Roar Rookie
Saw one suggestion that Welsh fans wear red clown wigs to the Wakes Wallabies match, the same as Valentino Rossi's fans wear yellow ones at MotoGP. Great scheme, he really is inviting (and getting) ridicule. Even USA, CNN are running the story.
Bazza Allblack Supporter
Roar Rookie
Goodness me, does he not realize he is making himself a laughing stock - he is not letting it go Time for his boss to have a quiet word. And I see that idiot Stephen Jones is supporting him so that should be earning enough. The oz team played well and the try was hard done but this childish ranting is spoiling all that. I imagine Eddie Jones will have some new material now
rebel
Guest
I actually liked his attitude before the match and he's all smiles after a win. He just does not do losing particularly well, at all.
Snobby Deans
Guest
That's a great way to think about it, rebel. The only reason Cheika is able to walk straight is that he has a chip on both shoulders. He is a loose cannon who has a massive victim mentality, and that "poor us" mentality has become pervasive within the Wallabies as well. Remember Lakrham's "we wus robber" whinge after the Brumbies loss in the SR playoffs? So the Daily Telegraph does the Richety Grub and that's all good, but the NZ Herald (?) does the Clown thing and that's suddenly the fault of the All Blacks? What sort of mentality can even put those two things together and end up with that conclusion? Didn't see him too upset with the Fox Sports adverts for the English tour earlier this year either, as offensive as they were. As an earlier poster said, the English papers are going to have a field day with him now. Cheika is a world class sook who threatens to run to World Rugby every time something doesn't go his way. * 2014 Super Rugby final where McCaw was incorrectly penalised at the end (Joubert later admitting his error) allowing Foley to kick the winning penalty? Imagine if that had been reversed and the Waratahs lost? * RWC 2015 Q/final win over Scotland. Got the rub of the green with the final call. Imagine if that had gone the other way? There's also his visit to the ref's room at half-time in a Super Rugby game, where the penalties suddenly start all going for his team in the second half. He would have had a meltdown if that had played out the other way. The funny thing is, some of the stuff he says about owning mistakes. etc, are right on the money, but he lets his emotions take hold and he comes across as a, well, clown really. I mean, he even makes Kearns and the increasingly one-eye Kafer seem reasonable. I can't think of any other Aussie coach, or even international coach, who acts like this. All it does is make him look like a fool, embarrass real Aussie rugby fans who don't think that a petulant coach is a good look for a national coach, and make him an easy target for those who want to get him worked up.
Muz
Guest
Sandbox. I think you've lost the pickle.
rebel
Guest
Cheika is going full Trump on this.