Cheika hails hero Barnes
Waratahs coach Michael Cheika paid tribute to the impact of Berrick Barnes in his team's victory over the Brumbies.
In a pulsating local derby, Barnes inspired a second-half fight back, as the home side scored three tries after the break to run down the conference-leading Brumbies.
Significantly, the win also marked the first time since 2011 that the province has recorded three wins in a row.
Cheika was pleased with his side’s resolve under pressure, coming back from a testing first half to notch up an impressive win.
“In the first half we couldn’t get to where we wanted to be on the field. We just had to believe that if we got to where we wanted to attack then we could get something out of it. And once we could change our shape in that second half we were able to find gaps out wide,” he said.
Cheika attributed his side’s dramatic reversal in the second half to the injection of playmaker Barnes.
“Berrick changed the shape of the game for us, and he gave [Bernard] Foley a bit more room to move as well… and obviously he kicked well too which was important for us,” he said.
