FWIW, as a Reds fan I thought the Tahs showed great promise in this game, got very, very close at the end to a win (which in itself is a highly encouraging attribute of team skill and culture), and to me remain right at the top of the race to a good 2014 Finals position.
Cheika is in the second year only of a massive team transformation in front of a historically very disillusioned and reduced fan base and with a State RU that is very tight on liquid funds for investment in team development and extended coaching resources of a type that ideally a new head coach needs (e.g., the Tahs clearly need a full-time kicking and catching coach, but can only afford a part-timer who also has full-time business duties in Sydney). Tough, tough gig and he's very clearly dong a fine job so far. The Brums new head coaches were for two years tutored further by a true master and are in Year 3 change and improvement mode, there's a big difference to that of Cheika's 2014 situation.
IMO, he's achieved a Year 2 team improvement rate akin to that so crucially attained by Link by about this S15 round in 2011. Many forget that Link and the Reds had one huge contextual advantage that year: an Aus conference that was generally in a state of chaotic dysfunctionality; the Brums culture and team dynamic was imploding, the Tahs remained locked in a deadening, predictable game style attached to a poor team culture, the Force were their typical experts in relentless inconsistent mediocrity, and the Rebels were totally new, unformed and unproven. Without detracting one bit from Link's and the Reds' excellence in 2011, that 2011 context with local competition gave a certain opening to the one team that generally had its business and playing act very well together that year. In contrast, in 2014, the Tahs must deal with an excellent, united Brums team and culture, a more competent Rebels and Force, and a still-competitive Reds with many proven talents and real championship experience.
For the good of Aus rugby, I really wish the Tahs well this year. I greatly enjoy watching them play in 2014.