AUSTRALIA HEAD COACH Michael Cheika and captain Stephen Moore hit out at the New Zealand media following their latest defeat to the All Blacks at Eden Park.
The Wallabies were beaten 37-10 as the All Blacks racked up a record 18th consecutive Test victory on Saturday, with a controversial disallowed try at 15-10 proving a particular – and perhaps justifiable - bone of contention for Cheika.
But it was New Zealand’s perceived lack of respect that drew most criticism from Cheika at his post-match news conference.
In particular, Cheika voiced his displeasure at the front page of a New Zealand Herald sports supplement that depicted him as a clown.
Asked for his comment on the All Blacks’ record winning run, Cheika said: ”I don’t think they really want my comment.
“They dressed us up as clowns today so they don’t respect our comment so we won’t make one anyway.
“It was on the front page of the paper, bro. They put our crest on it.”
Skipper Stephen Moore added: ”I don’t want to talk too much about it, but when I think about the way the jersey is portrayed in that picture, for everyone that’s pulled that on in the history of the Wallabies, I think that’s pretty disrespectful.
“But they won the game so they’re the ones laughing, so what do you do?”
Cheika also referred to the ongoing investigation into an alleged bugging incident ahead of the opening Bledisloe Cup fixture of the year, but bit his tongue somewhat in his assessment of the disallowed Henry Speight try.
Referee Nigel Owens awarded the try before TMO Shaun Veldsman urged a review of the footage, with Dane Haylett-Petty eventually deemed to have changed his line to impede the back-tracking Julian Savea.
“Obviously I can’t say anything because they’ve got you by the throat,” Cheika said. “I’ve just never seen shepherding from behind before.
“Before any of that we need to own our mistakes. We turned the ball over far too much. We know New Zealand are very good on turnover and counter attack and we made a lot of good play and then turned the ball over and allowed them to score.
“We’ll see if World Rugby come out with an announcement or anything like that.”
Making his own comment on the clown incident, All Blacks coach Steve Hansen said: ”I’ve been dressed up as a clown myself. You don’t want to take it to heart.”
