Michael Cheika couldn’t fault the courage of his players after a 20-point loss in the first match of the 2017 Bledisloe Cup, but conceded that the Wallabies need to improve if they are to challenge the All Blacks.
Cheika said in his post-game comments that the Wallabies need to improve their defensive ability and their tackling after conceding 54 points against New Zealand, the highest score ever seen in a Bledisloe Test.
Cheika said the Wallabies “got punished” for their lack of defensive prowess, but also noted that the Cup is not yet lost with two matches left in the series.