“I don’t know anything in the game that’s clear and obvious.”
Michael Cheika is known for blowing his top and frequent outbursts against opposition players, coaches, tactics, referees and even his own players. It was fascinating, then, to watch him try and bite his tongue after Ireland defeated his Wallabies side to clinch a thrilling Test series.
The former Leinster coach was on camera several times during Ireland’s 26-21 win as FOX Sports cameras flicked to the coaches’ boxes for his reaction to on-field events.
Cheika was not at all happy with several decisions that went against his side but was particularly upset at the 30th minute decision to sin-bin Israel Folau for an aerial collision with Ireland captain Peter O’Mahony.
Reminder: this is a bloody tough game 🤕 #AUSvIRL pic.twitter.com/Y20SN8ACvS
— 10 Sport (@10SportAU) June 23, 2018
Folau looked to have his eyes on the ball but briefly made contact with O’Mahony’s shoulder on the way back to terra firma. Slow motion replays made the contact look worse and O’Mahony landing in an awful heap perhaps coloured the decision that led to Folau seeing yellow.
O’Mahony was taken off on a medical cart and Ireland used their 10-man advantage to go from 6-6 to 12-9 ahead by half-time.
Cheika kept a lid on his emotions in his FOX interview after the game but reporters drew out some interesting comments in the post-match briefing. “I saying something and [often] get portrayed as the moaner or the whinger,” he remarked, “so I’ll just get on with it.”
When asked about the Folau decision, the Wallabies coach confirmed he had spoken to match officials about Irish players taking his men out off the ball in the Second Test. He commented:
“There were four or five tackles on our guts without the ball in game two, one which broke Will Genia’s arm… shoulder to shoulder charge off the back of the [lineout].”
Cheika bemoaned that every time his side sought to keep the ball moving and ‘get a game of football going’, they found themselves penalised. Asked if he would seek clarity on the Folau incident, the Aussie responded:
“A key word now [by World Rugby] is clear and obvious, isn’t it? I don’t know anything in the game that’s clear and obvious.”
He went on to note how World Rugby did not support the red card decision, against France’s Benjamin Fall, by Australian referee Angus Gardner in last weekend’s All Blacks victory. One suspects that, now that the series is over, Cheika will not be too keen on sitting down for another chat with the match officials.
