Tuesday’s rugby news has Cheika unconcerned about the form of Australian Super Rugby teams, Waratahs lacking confidence, George Smith praised and Israel Dagg returns to Super Rugby.
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Cheika Unconcerned
“That seems to be the consensus that our teams are well behind theirs (New Zealand’s),” said Cheika.
“I think for me, I’m not looking at how a team performs. It’s their coaches’ responsibility to do that.
“What I need to do is see who is going well within our teams, what combinations are going well, who needs to improve and trying to get the best at putting that together.
“One thing I know for sure is that, having been a coach of Super Rugby recently, I know how a team’s performance in that competition can ebb and flow and players can get in form and try to stay in form and go out of form.”
Cheika has brought in 50 players for a Wallabies camp in Sydney this week to prepare for the upcoming season which starts with three matches against England in June.
“I think the team has still got a lot of improvement in regards to not just how we play the game, but also how tough we are mentally,” Cheika said.
“Exploring some of that area is really important for me so that the team understands how to deal with difficult situations and get better at that.”
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Tahs Lacking Confidence
“Not everyone’s on that same page in terms of confidence, there’s probably half the guys that have that self-belief in themselves and that ability that they can play, and maybe other guys aren’t feeling that way,” Folau said.
“I don’t want to make excuses or anything but it’s a good learning experience for us and every individual knows what they have to [do] to make sure they’re on the same page as everyone else.
“It’s up every individual to make sure they know what they have to do to tick those boxes.
“It might be something outside the team environment. Every individual is different. All we can control is the stuff we do together on the training paddock as a team.
“Hopefully that’s enough. Everyone else, it’s their preparation and you’ve got to make sure you’re doing what you know is right for yourself.
“The onus is on the individual.”
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Smith Praised
“There’s not really any way we could stop George leaving. We’d love to keep him,” Young said.
“When he came we knew it would only be for one year … He’s been excellent for us and for the Premiership as well.
“He’s got to be up there for Premiership player of the season.
“It’s the unseen stuff that he’s given us around the club, not just what you see on the pitch … He’s so professional in the way he prepares. He’s approachable and tries to help everybody. He’s a role model for any player.”
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Dagg Returns
