Australia head coach Michael Cheika has turned to fly-half Quade Cooper ahead of Saturday’s Rugby Championship match against New Zealand, live on Sky Sports.
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“All I care about is my teammates and coaches and what we’re doing internally because they provide enough motivation for me to want to do well”.
“They’ve had a big week over there with their own disappointment plus the media and their own fans having a crack at them, so we’d be foolish to think that they’re not going to turn up and play really well”.
Opinion – At full time of last year’s World Cup final at Twickenham, the Wallabies could at least contemplate the one silver lining that came out of the 17-point loss – they’d never have to face Richie McCaw or Dan Carter again.
Australia hasn’t won in New Zealand since 2001 and are the biggest outsiders in Bledisloe Cup history but Hansen is bracing for the “kitchen sink” to be thrown at them. “Aussies don’t lie down. They’ve got too much firepower”.
Cooper has been thrown into the number 10 jersey for his first match at global level since last year’s World Cup, replacing Bernard Foley, who moves to inside centre to replace Matt Giteau (ankle).
Cheika has also recalled Scott Fardy to restore his first-choice back-row, a move All Blacks captain Kieran Read expects will boost the Australian lineout, which was comprehensively beaten in Sydney. To question each player as individuals and ask them what they could do better when they ran out on Saturday, he said.
“Of course. It’s no less important to us than them”, he said.
“It will allow Ben to come into the game a wee bit more if Australia are going to kick, which I think they probably will do a bit more”, Hansen said.
Cheika has admitted he bungled the Wallabies’ mental preparation for last weekend’s test by needling the All Blacks at the start of the week, hoping to deflect pressure from his players but instead building expectations of their performance. “That’s the type of stuff you bring in any weather”, Cheika said.
Utility back Reece Hodge is in line to make his debut after being named as one of three back replacements along with Kuridrani and Nick Phipps.
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Wallabies squad: Israel Folau, Adam Ashley-Cooper, Samu Kerevi, Bernard Foley, Dane Haylett-Petty, Quade Cooper, Will Genia, David Pocock, Michael Hooper, Scott Fardy, Adam Coleman, Kane Douglas, Sekope Kepu, Stephen Moore (capt), Scott Sio. Reserves: James Parsons, Wyatt Crockett, Charlie Faumuina, Liam Squire, Ardie Savea, T.J. Perenara, Aaron Cruden, Seta Tamanivalu.
