The Wednesday to Sunday to Saturday turnaround for our first three matches definitely has to have impacted on Cheika's plans.
Thankfully the middle game is Uruguay but you'd figure that short turnaround is going to do interesting things with the training schedule.
If you treat them as two separate games involving two different XVs, the Uruguay XV will be preparing for their match prior to the Fiji game.
The day after the Fiji game we presumably have a recovery session although those that are healthy enough that are in the Uruguay game (probably bench players from the Fiji game) might have another session that day that is a contact session.
The way our first three matches are scheduled it makes it incredibly difficult to go down the path of having your 31 man squad structured as a best 23 with some replacements.
Thankfully the middle game is Uruguay but you'd figure that short turnaround is going to do interesting things with the training schedule.
If you treat them as two separate games involving two different XVs, the Uruguay XV will be preparing for their match prior to the Fiji game.
The day after the Fiji game we presumably have a recovery session although those that are healthy enough that are in the Uruguay game (probably bench players from the Fiji game) might have another session that day that is a contact session.
The way our first three matches are scheduled it makes it incredibly difficult to go down the path of having your 31 man squad structured as a best 23 with some replacements.