Gushing coach leads mind games
Coaches love to play mind games with their opposition and Waratahs boss Michael Cheika is no different.
All the pressure will be on Cheika and his Wallaby-laden side when they face Western Force in their opening Super Rugby clash at Allianz Stadium on Sunday.
The Force have been given little chance by the bookies against a side with an embarrassment of riches - seven Wallabies in the forwards and six in the backs.
Cheika has a particularly potent back line with players like Israel Folau, Adam Ashley-Cooper, Bernard Foley and Kurtley Beale and a pack with an all- international front row and a massive second-row pairing.
But he has been quick to use the reverse psychology trick, turning the focus on the Force and talking up their back line.
He said he was wary of Force X-factor players and singled out scrum-half Alby Mathewson, centres Kyle Godwin and Solomoni Rasolea and winger Nick Cummins.
"The Force have a certain potency about them. They've got a couple of guys that have got the X-factor," Cheika said.
"The scrum-half Mathewson, I really like Kyle Godwin he's a special player, Rasolea has got a bit of X-factor and there is Cummins.
"They've got some real sparks. They've got line-breakers.
"Their forwards are hard workers and (Force coach) Michael Foley will have them very well drilled.
"You need to nullify line breakers but I'm always wary of teams that have the combination of hard workers and X-factor.
"The Force can hurt you. They have shown on several occasions that they can beat the best sides.
"We have to ensure that, first game at home, we are at our 100 per cent best.
"There is a potent threat coming over."
Cheika has signalled an all-out assault on the Force with Foley at fly-half and Beale at inside centre.
Force coach Michael Foley and his players will take little notice of being talked up by Cheika.
The Force side will be named today.
"The Force can hurt you. They have shown on several occasions … they can beat the best sides.""Waratahs coach *Michael Cheika *
