Waratahs coach Michael Cheika has rubbished suggestions he will treat Saturday’s Super Rugby clash against Queensland lightly, even though NSW can’t be ousted from the top of the ladder.
The Waratahs confirmed their first-place finish with a bonus-point victory over the Highlanders last week, leading to speculation Cheika would rest stars like Israel Folau in the final match of the regular season.
But yesterday Cheika said he would field a full-strength team at Suncorp Stadium. “You could (injure a player) at any time, in training or regular games,” he told Fairfax Media. “This is a contact sport. You don’t go into it worrying about things like that. It’s a bad mindset if you do, something is almost bound to happen. Just go in there, play with the guys you have and see what cards you’re dealt.”
While the Waratahs will begin preparing for the play-off after Saturday’s match, the Reds will watch from the sideline after a disappointing season that has only yielded five victories to date.
Queensland rugby legend Stan Pilecki accused the Reds of playing without pride following their loss to the Force last week – a claim that has riled the current playing group. Reds second-rower Rob Simmons said he and his teammates did their best every time they ran on the field.
“The effort’s not the question,” he said. “You can question everything else, but it’s a bit disappointing, really (to question the effort). We’re not sugar-coating anything. We know it’s not the ideal season. We’re not happy with it. We’re pretty disappointed with it and are looking to finish on a high.”
