Worked a… charm.
Michael Cheika was under a lot of pressure heading into Australia’s Test Series against Ireland but he had his team primed for war.
The Wallabies tore into Ireland from the get-go and overcame some discipline and lineout issues to stretch away for an 18-9 victory in Brisbane. 1-0 up in the three-Test series, Cheika is expecting Ireland to call back some big names for next weekend in Melbourne.
The former Leinster head coach was good enough to chat to local broadcaster FOX Sports during the second half of the match, and many viewers spotted the lucky charm [a golden, waving cat] right behind him.
Credit: Rugby PassSpeaking to Channel 10 after the game, Cheika gave the mystery cat’s back-story:
“The coaches always go out during the week for a Chinese feed somewhere and there’s always one of these Maneki-neko in the background.
“We’ve got a little collection brewing. We’re not superstitious in any way!
“They’ve been travelling with us for a bit now … you just haven’t seen them. We’ll probably hide them again now you’ve seen them.”
The Maneki-neko is a Japanese figurine that is said to bring good luck to the owner.
Credit: eBayCheika and his coaching staff will definitely be packing the Maneki-neko into their luggage before the Second Test in Melbourne.
