'Don't you ****ing look at Henry Slade. Don't even shake his hand'
Nic White has reflected on working with explosive former Wallabies head coach Michael Cheika, and the extra mile he’d go to charge up his troops pre-game.
White worked under Cheika in Wallabies camps at various stages between 2014 and 2019 and gave the RugbyPass Offload panel an insight into how the now Argentina head coach’s unique rugby mind works.
Cheika enjoyed a bitter rivalry with England head coach Eddie Jones while in tenure, and there wasn’t much love lost between the fellow Randwick old boys when it came to facing off against each other in Test rugby.
“I caught the tale end of it in 2019. Missed all of it when it was juicy in 2016, through those years when it went a bit grim there for a bit.
“They’re both masterminds of playing the game. There’s none better than Cheik for sure and Eddie’s got his finger on the pulse. They’re both from Randwick, this small club in Sydney that has produced this phenomenal amount of Wallabies. They’re both Randwick old boys and they give each other stick.
“I guarantee you now that it’s done they’ve called each and gone out for a few wines.
“They’re very good at stirring each other up in the media. It’s great to watch.”
White, who played for Exeter Chiefs and was familiar with many of the England players from his time in the Gallagher Premiership, was told by Cheika to ghost Jones’ charges when they came up against each other before a Test match.
“It gets to the stage where Cheiks says ‘Don’t even look at them when you walk out. I don’t want you talking to any of them’.
“I’m like walking out the tunnel and I play with these blokes. He’s like ”Don’t you ****ing look at Henry Slade. Don’t even shake his hand’.
Cheika could be a hard man to please, even when the Wallabies were winning.
“I remember in 2015, I was on the outer. They knew I was going to France. We played the All Blacks in Sydney and pre-game he’s like ‘We’re going to beat these blokes and we’re going to just beat ’em.
“I came on and scored a try and kicked a couple of goals and I come off. And he’s like ‘I ****ing told you not to beat them by that much’ and then walked off.
“I was like ‘We just beat the All Blacks, I’m stoked. I’d played the game of my life. Which I’m still living off. And here you are, angry that we didn’t just beat them by a couple of points. We beat them by ten.
“He was an absolute character. I think guys understood that he could be so passionate and intense but then he’d leave it there. He was someone very well-liked.”
A relatively young coach, Cheika was also known for getting involved in training sessions while head coach of Australia and Leinster, even contact ones. Ireland No.8 Jamie Heaslip famously leveled the Australian during one such contact session in Dublin when the now 55-year-old was in charge.
“We were on the Spring tour in 2014. I’m with Matt Hodgeson [the former Western Force backrow] and we’re in Ireland. It’s game day and we’re doing our not 23, getting absolutely flogged. It’s miserable and we go into this boxing ring. Two guys have got to go back to back [in the middle of the ring] and eight guys surround you and you’re boxing. They’re just coming at you.
“You can just shell up or you can throw a couple back. I’m literally with my gloves up around my head, copping it from the lads.”
Cheika decided to get involved in the session.
“Cheik at the start of the tour had had his nose operated on, because he’s had sleep apnea and what not. And he jumped in and had a bit of fun.”
It quickly turned sour.
“Matt Hodgson has just cracked him. Hit him.
“Cheika goes ‘Awwwh you ****ing ****. I’ve just had that operated on and you’ve ****ed it. Hodgo, your career is done, see ya mate.
“He retired at the end of the year anyway! Cheika loved jumping in. Doing all that mad stuff. Tape mouthes. Run up hills. I loved it.”
There was another time that Cheika end up on the receiving end in a session, care of a flying knee from Israel Folau.
“One training session, Israel Folau was doing a specky catch like AFL players. Jumping on the back. Israel Folau can get up like 8 feet in the air and he’s launched a knee into Cheik’s back and he’s hit the deck and done his shoulder.
“Had it operated on the next year. He’s just out in amongst it. You wouldn’t know it. He kept going!”
Cheika certainly won the respect of White at any rate.
“It’s great when yoou’re getting absolutely flogged doing mindless hills and having to cop a spray and he’s like ‘run faster’. He’s there with you in the hurt locker.
“At the end you’re like ‘Don’t have a heart attack on us. We’re in the hurt locker. Look after yourself’. It was good. I enjoyed that when he joined in.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Crazy he’s only 28, feel like he’s been around forever - don’t mind the move, safe pair of hands and creates depth in a thin position for ABs. Hopefully aides Kemara’s growth also without thrusting too much responsibility on him
1 Go to commentsMen should show strength and be mean, but they should be able to show emotion to those close yo them in certain times, birth of your child, death of family, proud moment. This article is stupid
4 Go to commentsWhat a weak article…absolute drivel and clickbait, well done. Will stick to rugby365 thanks
4 Go to commentsHonest, discipline, humility… Priceless.
2 Go to commentsSo many excuses. No mention of the SA number 2 being taken out illegally in the 2nd minute. That act of foul play had a massive impact on the SA game. Face it, NZ play pretty dirty very regularly, and it’s only since 2016 they’ve been held to higher officiating standards via stricter officiating and TMO reviews. They deserved to have a man down. Sorry. Fix the yellow and red cards and NZ will win more RWCs. Plus, there WAS a knock on invalidating the one try, so it was NOT a try. Period. Here’s a Kleenex…
212 Go to commentsOverheard conversation between NZ and SA rugby fans everywhere: We’re the greatest! No! we’re the greatest! We’re the greatest! No we’re the greatest! Ireland are arrogant! True but they beat you! We’re the greatest! No! we’re the greatest! Etc. etc, etc.
23 Go to commentsTypical crap Aussie weather
11 Go to comments“If they’d have beaten England, I still feel we would have been talking ‘is this the best team ever,’ ‘is this the best team that’s ever played in the Six Nations'” he said. “I still think they’re not quite that good. I actually don’t think they’re that good.” So Trimble is saying he doesn’t think this is the best 6N team of all time. He is silent on if it is the best Irish team of all time. Can’t disagree with him. Just another misrepresentative clickbait headline from the guys at RP.
23 Go to commentsWow, do we really still have to listen to all the excuses and “unfairness” of it all. Even blaming the bounce of an egg shaped ball for the loss. But the article is about context, so what about the Springboks having to play the other 5 teams in the top 6 and still beating a comparatively rested AB team on a very empty tank.
212 Go to comments“Teams would generally have three coaches below their head honcho; attack coach, defence coach, forwards coach” do they? I’m not sure what the NZ set up is tbh, but the other 4 sides top 5 sides all have very different structures to the one outlined in the article! As well as attack, defence, and forwards coaches, SA, Ireland, and France also have specialist scrum coaches. England have a specialist scrum coach too, but arguably don’t have a forwards coach, with that role taken on by Borthwick. SA also have a backs coach in addition to defence and attack, and Ireland and England have fitness coaches, with England also having two skills coaches.
2 Go to commentsWorst article I've read in a while. Trying to disguise a backhand slap as a compliment. The whole article is a bit weird and negative. I think South African men are emotional in general… think Clad le Clos’s father 2012 London Olympics.
4 Go to commentsIreland are going to win the world cup.
23 Go to commentsIt was the strangest result ever. Etzebeth should've been yellow card for his cynical retiring move and a penalty try. Birth second half tries by the Allblacks were fantastic and the TMO operating outside the law to rule out the first try was egregious. Yes, the boks got the win but it was through some bizarre officiating that allowed them to sneak home against 14 men that dominated them. The quieter Bok supporters know and acknowledge the Allblacks were the better and dominant side. Justifying the win because they beat a pre world cup Allblacks selection is silly.
212 Go to commentsA very English thing to do hey Courtney, blerrie kant
4 Go to commentsIt sounds like Andrew is trying to convince himself or has just lost all perspective. The team did look jaded for the last couple of games of the six nations but a few things were wrong there. Italy tackled their hearts out and made Ireland work hard for every try. Outsmarted by Scotland? Huh? Ireland got held up over the line about 4 times. Scotland did nothing on attack the whole game other than one breakaway near the end. A recharge and reset is needed which they hopefully will have had before the SA your.
23 Go to commentsIncluding SA and Argie teams was great for the quality of rugby, but middle of the night games and player travel/ jet lag make that unworkable. I think that SA in Europe and Argie building an American league with USA, Canada etc would be better long term. If Oz can't sustain Rebels then next cab off the rank should be a Japanese team. Keep regional comps to time zones, both club and test rugby. Then existing test windows for test tours plus RWC.
8 Go to commentsMisogynists have feelings too!
4 Go to commentsCrowd sizes of the URC v the Premiership must be a big factor.
1 Go to commentsWell you’ve made a proper tit of yourself, haven’t you! 😂
173 Go to commentsBen it's beyond their comprehension-
212 Go to comments