Respectful Wallabies set sights on Scotland

“If they say behind every man is a good woman then behind a good attack you’re going to have to have a good defence,” he ventured, after watching his men secure top spot in the most competitive of the pools at this World Cup by registering five successful kicks at goal to Wales’ two.

There was, too, something rather old-fashioned about his reaction to being asked whether he preferred winning through such defensive resolve or thanks to the sort of lacerating performance which shredded English hopes on the same pitch a week earlier.

“Being a forward and not a very talented one, I liked tonight because there wasn’t much talent there, it was just getting stuck in and working hard for each other and trying to resist the opposition,” Cheika responsed.

It has felt for the past three weeks at Twickenham in this most ridiculously stacked of groups that the knockout stages have arrived early and yesterday’s was the most attritional of this series of key matches as, secure in having qualified, these teams vied to remain unbeaten.

We have become used, in the latter stages of this tournament to the bonus-point fuelled ambition of the pool stages bonus points, acceding to win-at-all-costs conservatism with leads hard earned and jealously clung to and that was what this match was about, striking quite a contrast to the ease with which tries were registered in Newcastle earlier in the day.

Most of the points had already been scored with Bernard Foley cancelling out Dan Biggar’s early penalty strike, then twice nudging his team ahead in the remainder of the opening half to help them turn 9-6 up, partly thanks to Biggar missing for the first time in this tournament with his 16th shot at goal.

Foley had doubled his side’s advantage early in the second half when sustained Welsh pressure produced that decisive period of play during which Will Genia and Dean Munn were yellow carded in quick succession.

Both Cheika and Stephen Moore, his captain, said it was simply down to the work ethic driven into this team, but they acknowledged that the way they held out opponents who crossed their line three times in that seven minute period and were held up each time, had been exceptional.

Where priorities lie at this stage of the competition was meanwhile reinforced by Sam Warburton, Wales’ captain, who was frustrated that he and his team-mates had been unable to take advantage of their opponents being two men down for what was fully seven minutes of play, but highly satisfied with their own defensive effort throughout the rest of the encounter.

“I’m pleased it was a try-less performance against one of the best attacking teams in the world, but when we spent that much time in their 22 with them two men down we obviously feel we should have scored,” he said, explaining that he had opted not to kick any of a number of penalties at that stage because he felt: “… any country would have backed themselves to go over in that situation.”

That period of play contributed to it feeling as if Wales pressed for longer but the Wallabies were still more incisive when they did have possession and fine thrusts by Israel Folau and Foley took them upfield one more time where they earned the penalty that let Folau wrap it up with his fifth penalty.

They now turn their attention to Scotland, then and it really is only now they do so if Cheika is to be believed, though the reason offered carried not a trace of disrespect.

“I haven’t really had a good look to be honest. I’m not even as presumptuous to think where we’re going to be nor who’s going to be there against us,” he said.

“I know people like to make comments based on rankings or whatever but there’s no favourable side of the draw. The only favour is that you’re in it.

“You only need to look at the way some of the games have gone in the tournament to learn not to think any opponent is easier or harder. Australia’s lost to Scotland the last couple of times and maybe that’s because they thought that, but we won’t be thinking it this week.”