Jones praises Cheika ahead of BaaBaas clash

Cheika has rested 13 of the starting side that beat the All Blacks in Brisbane and will field a team consisting of his bench men and wider squad players. Duncan Paia’aua will be the only newcomer at no.10, and Israel Folau and Jack Dempsey the only regulars who’ll also start – the latter at no.7.

Jones and Cheika have played along with a faux-rivalry and will joust at another press conference on Thursday afternoon.

But the BaaBaas coach said he thought the Wallabies will still have a very strong team, and that Cheika’s call to rest stars ahead of the Spring Tour was the smart option.

“He has done the right thing I think. He is trying to find out what sort of depth he’s got,” Jones said.

“I have said it a thousand times. This Wallabies side is infinitely better than they’re given credit for. Cheika has done an infinitely better job than he’s given credit for.

OLD HAND: Jones inspires Barbarians

“We have athletes in that side as good as in the Melbourne Storm or in Richmond Tigers but they don’t seem to get the credit that they’re due.

“But I think what we will see from the Wallabies on Saturday is depth and he is trying to test that depth. I hope he has a look at a couple of our guys as well.”

Cheika has promised to do that and will only finalise his Spring Tour squad after the game.

Wallabies currently on the fringes, like Quade Cooper and Sam Carter, have a chance to impress but so too will players aiming for a “bolter” spot on the four-match tour.

Brumbies fullback Tom Banks did plenty to enhance his claims with a classy two-try performance in Lismore.

With Chance Peni now suspended, Banks and Andrew Kellaway can both put up a claim in front of Cheika.

After playing against him in Lismore, former Wallabies star Drew Mitchell said Banks was a good prospect.

“He has all the skills,” Mitchell said.

“He is a big boy, he has good feet. I stupidly showed him the outside and he sat me down on my heels and I couldn’t go with him. It’s good. It’s great for these kind of things for those guys to get an opportunity on a different stage and with different eyes watching. Having the international Barbarians team down here, like we said even to our young (Classic Wallabies) guys, this is a chance to further your reputation and I think he did really well.”

Banks spent time with the Wallabies in September in camp in Canberra.

BaaBaas hooker Anaru Rangi will also be watched keenly by Cheika.

CLIFFY THE BARBARIAN: PALU REPLACES POTGIETER

FORMER Wallabies backrower Wycliff Palu has been drafted into the Barbarians team after former NSW teammate Jacques Potgieter was forced to withdraw with a knee injury.

Potgieter, the cult-figure who helped the Tahs win their first ever Super Rugby title in 2014, was billed as one of the drawcards for the BaaBaas clash with the Wallabies on Saturday but suffered a serious knee blowout in Japan at the weekend.

Palu was called up from his Japan, where he also now plays, and joined the Barbarians in Lismore on Tuesday night.

The 35-year-old will be arguably an even more popular “rival” at Allianz Stadium on Saturday afternoon than Potgieter, given Palu played 11 seasons with the Waratahs and was a hard-nosed 58-Test Wallaby.

The Barbarians were scrambling for players in other positions on Wednesday, however, after suffering injuries to prop Sef Fagaase (ankle) and halfback Michael Ruru (hamstring) in the win over the Classic Wallabies on Tuesday night.

Both players have been ruled out of the game against the Wallabies. It’s unknown whether they’ll be available for NRC finals action the following week. In a game already heavily affected by the BaaBaas game, Ruru’s Perth Rising have to beat Fagaase’s table-topping Queensland Country in Ipswich to be a chance of making the NRC playoffs.

The absence of Ruru may see 18-year-old Sydney Uni halfback Theo Strang get a spot on the bench for the Barbarians against the Wallabies, with Kiwi no. 9 Augustine Pulu set to start.