Michael Cheika's post-match comments drew plenty of attention toward to Wallabies coach. Photo / Getty
Far from being a "maniac" who lost his cool, one observer believes there was plenty of calculation behind Michael Cheika's post-game rant.
The Wallabies coach stole most the headlines after the All Blacks' Bledisloe Cup victory at Eden Park and Saturday night, disappointed with the referee and particularly aggrieved with
a Weekend Herald caricature that portrayed him as a clown.
Cheika accused the All Blacks of working in co-operation with the Herald in publishing the cartoon, comments which led Steve Hansen to tell his counterpart to "stop whining".
But Daily Telegraph rugby expert Iain Payten, who regularly covers Cheika for the Sydney-based newspaper, told NZ Herald Focus the coach was a complicated figure.
"He's a hard chap to fully put your finger on," Payten said. "He's red-blooded and he mostly tells it how he sees it. And he's the first to admit that he can fly off the handle every now and then.
