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'Don't you ****ing look at Henry Slade. Don't even shake his hand'

Nic White of Australia swaps shirts with Henry Slade of England following the Rugby World Cup 2019 Quarter Final match between England and Australia at Oita Stadium on October 19, 2019 in Oita, Japan. (Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images,)

Nic White has reflected on working with explosive former Wallabies head coach Michael Cheika, and the extra mile he’d go to charge up his troops pre-game.

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White worked under Cheika in Wallabies camps at various stages between 2014 and 2019 and gave the RugbyPass Offload panel an insight into how the now Argentina head coach’s unique rugby mind works.

Cheika enjoyed a bitter rivalry with England head coach Eddie Jones while in tenure, and there wasn’t much love lost between the fellow Randwick old boys when it came to facing off against each other in Test rugby.

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Nic White – Wallaby Legends, Cheika v Jones, and The Honey Badger let loose in Chicago | RugbyPass Offload | Episode 33

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Nic White – Wallaby Legends, Cheika v Jones, and The Honey Badger let loose in Chicago | RugbyPass Offload | Episode 33

“I caught the tale end of it in 2019. Missed all of it when it was juicy in 2016, through those years when it went a bit grim there for a bit.

“They’re both masterminds of playing the game. There’s none better than Cheik for sure and Eddie’s got his finger on the pulse. They’re both from Randwick, this small club in Sydney that has produced this phenomenal amount of Wallabies. They’re both Randwick old boys and they give each other stick.

“I guarantee you now that it’s done they’ve called each and gone out for a few wines.

“They’re very good at stirring each other up in the media. It’s great to watch.”

White, who played for Exeter Chiefs and was familiar with many of the England players from his time in the Gallagher Premiership, was told by Cheika to ghost Jones’ charges when they came up against each other before a Test match.

“It gets to the stage where Cheiks says ‘Don’t even look at them when you walk out. I don’t want you talking to any of them’.

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Michael Cheika
Eddie Jones and Michael Cheika (Photo by ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP via Getty Images)

“I’m like walking out the tunnel and I play with these blokes. He’s like ”Don’t you ****ing look at Henry Slade. Don’t even shake his hand’.

Cheika could be a hard man to please, even when the Wallabies were winning.

“I remember in 2015, I was on the outer. They knew I was going to France. We played the All Blacks in Sydney and pre-game he’s like ‘We’re going to beat these blokes and we’re going to just beat ’em.

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“I came on and scored a try and kicked a couple of goals and I come off. And he’s like ‘I ****ing told you not to beat them by that much’ and then walked off.

“I was like ‘We just beat the All Blacks, I’m stoked. I’d played the game of my life. Which I’m still living off. And here you are, angry that we didn’t just beat them by a couple of points. We beat them by ten.

“He was an absolute character. I think guys understood that he could be so passionate and intense but then he’d leave it there. He was someone very well-liked.”

A relatively young coach, Cheika was also known for getting involved in training sessions while head coach of Australia and Leinster, even contact ones. Ireland No.8 Jamie Heaslip famously leveled the Australian during one such contact session in Dublin when the now 55-year-old was in charge.

Michael Cheika
Australia coach Michael Cheika. Photo / Getty Images

“We were on the Spring tour in 2014. I’m with Matt Hodgeson [the former Western Force backrow] and we’re in Ireland. It’s game day and we’re doing our not 23, getting absolutely flogged. It’s miserable and we go into this boxing ring. Two guys have got to go back to back [in the middle of the ring] and eight guys surround you and you’re boxing. They’re just coming at you.

“You can just shell up or you can throw a couple back. I’m literally with my gloves up around my head, copping it from the lads.”

Cheika decided to get involved in the session.

“Cheik at the start of the tour had had his nose operated on, because he’s had sleep apnea and what not. And he jumped in and had a bit of fun.”

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It quickly turned sour.

“Matt Hodgson has just cracked him. Hit him.

“Cheika goes ‘Awwwh you ****ing ****. I’ve just had that operated on and you’ve ****ed it. Hodgo, your career is done, see ya mate.

“He retired at the end of the year anyway! Cheika loved jumping in. Doing all that mad stuff. Tape mouthes. Run up hills. I loved it.”

There was another time that Cheika end up on the receiving end in a session, care of a flying knee from Israel Folau.

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“One training session, Israel Folau was doing a specky catch like AFL players. Jumping on the back. Israel Folau can get up like 8 feet in the air and he’s launched a knee into Cheik’s back and he’s hit the deck and done his shoulder.

“Had it operated on the next year. He’s just out in amongst it. You wouldn’t know it. He kept going!”

Cheika certainly won the respect of White at any rate.

“It’s great when yoou’re getting absolutely flogged doing mindless hills and having to cop a spray and he’s like ‘run faster’.  He’s there with you in the hurt locker.

“At the end you’re like ‘Don’t have a heart attack on us. We’re in the hurt locker. Look after yourself’. It was good. I enjoyed that when he joined in.”

 

 

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Oh no, not him again? 2 hours ago
England internationals disagree on final play execution vs All Blacks

Okay, so we blew it big time on Saturday. So rather than repeating what most people have all ready said, what do I want to see from Borthwick going forward?


Let's keep Marcus Smith on the pitch if he's fit and playing well. I was really pleased with his goal kicking. It used to be his weakness. I feel sympathy for George Ford who hadn't kicked all match and then had a kick to win the game. You hear pundits and commentators commend kickers who have come off the bench and pulled that off. Its not easy. If Steve B continues to substitute players with no clear reason then he is going to get criticised.


On paper I thought England would beat NZ if they played to their potential and didn't show NZ too much respect. Okay, the off the ball tackles certainly stopped England scoring tries, but I would have liked to see more smashing over gainlines and less kicking for position. Yes, I also know it's the Springbok endorsed world cup double winning formula but the Kiwi defence isn't the Bok defence, is it. If you have the power to put Smith on the front foot then why muzzle him? I guess what I'm saying is back, yourself. Why give the momentum to a team like NZ? Why feed the beast? Don't give the ball to NZ. Well d'uh.


Our scrum is a long term weakness. If you are going to play Itoje then he needs an ogre next door and a decent front row. Where is our third world class lock? Where are are realible front row bench replacements? The England scrum has been flakey for a while now. It blows hot and cold. Our front five bench is not world class.


On the positive side I love our starting backrow right now. I'd like to see them stick together through to the next world cup.


Anyway, there is always another Saturday.

7 Go to comments
C
CO 2 hours ago
Scott Robertson responds to criticism over All Blacks' handling errors

Robertson is more a manager of coaches than a coach so it comes down to intent of outcomes at a high level. I like his intent, I like the fact his Allblacks are really driving the outcomes however as he's pointed out the high error rates are not test level and their control of the game is driving both wins and losses. England didn't have to play a lot of rugby, they made far fewer mistakes and were extremely unlucky not to win.


In fact the English team were very early in their season and should've been comfortably beaten by an Allblacks team that had played multiple tests together.


Razor has himself recognised that to be the best they'll have to sort out the crisis levels of mistakes that have really increased since the first two tests against England.


Early tackles were a classic example of hyper enthusiasm to not give an inch, that passion that Razor has achieved is going to be formidable once the unforced errors are eliminated.


That's his secret, he's already rebuilt the passion and that's the most important aspect, its inevitable that he'll now eradicate the unforced errors. When that happens a fellow tier one nation is going to get thrashed. I don't think it will be until 2025 though.


The Allblacks will lose both tests against Ireland and France if they play high error rates rugby like they did against England.


To get the unforced errors under control he's going to be needing to handover the number eight role to Sititi and reset expectations of what loose forwards do. Establish a clear distinction with a large, swarthy lineout jumper at six that is a feared runner and dominant tackler and a turnover specialist at seven that is abrasive in contact. He'll then need to build depth behind the three starters and ruthlessly select for that group to be peaking in 2027 in hit Australian conditions on firm, dry grounds.


It's going to help him that Savea is shifting to the worst super rugby franchise where he's going to struggle behind a beaten pack every week.


The under performing loose forward trio is the key driver of the high error rates and unacceptable turn overs due to awol link work. Sititi is looking like he's superman compared to his openside and eight.


At this late stage in the season they shouldn't be operating with just the one outstanding loose forward out of four selected for the English test. That's an abject failure but I think Robertson's sacrificing link quality on purpose to build passion amongst the junior Allblacks as they see the reverential treatment the old warhorses are receiving for their long term hard graft.


It's unfortunately losing test matches and making what should be comfortable wins into nail biters but it's early in the world cup cycle so perhaps it's a sacrifice worth making.


However if this was F1 then Sam Cane would be Riccardo and Ardie would be heading into Perez territory so the loose forwards desperately need revitalisation through a rebuild over the next season to complement the formidable tight five.

28 Go to comments
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