Wallabies coach Michael Cheika says coaching collaboration might just set a good example for national and state administrations in rugby.

While stopping short of endorsing a centralised model, Cheika said the burgeoning trust he’s built with coaches across the country might start some executive moves to work together, in a sport where tensions and politics can undermine the good of the game.

The tensions across the board are being brutally exposed as the moment as the ARU mulls over which of the Force or the Rebels to axe in 2018, with both clubs threatening legal action over the call.

Cheika has had his own tensions with national bodies before, with a dispute over a medical clearance for Israel Folau when Cheika was Waratahs coach, but those days seem long gone.

Forty-eight players were part of a Wallabies camp this week, some of whom were playing four days later and pointed to the goodwill of the state coaches in releasing players as a step forward.

“From a technical point of view and also from the strength and conditioning and physio point of view, a lot of good relationships been building there,” he said.

“Doesn’t mean it’s all perfect and we’re all holding hands or anything like that but there’s a lot more constructive work going on together .

“The Melbourne coach (Tony McGahan) called me and said you should be taking this other player you haven’t taken, because he’s been really good and he’s been strong in a difficult season and I took him in.

“You think about the pressure he’s under and how hard he’s doing, he’s been copping plenty of grief and yet he’s still thinking about us to say I suggest that player, he should be coming in and I really appreciate that.”

Cheika said administrations might want to take a leaf out of their book in that respect.

“That’s what we’re trying to build and it doesn’t happen in one night,” he said.

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“You’ve got to keep doing it and have respectful relationships with those coaches and we’re hoping that maybe at the next level up…that will start to follow about working together to get the right outcome instead of everyone smashing together.”

Asked to pinpoint the failings of Australia’s Super Rugby teams, Cheika said he’d been clear with coaches about areas where he can help but didn’t want to air that dirty laundry in public.

“I don’t want to judge publicly, because I’ve been in that situation,” he said.

“I also know how quickly it can change. The year we (Leinster) won the European cup there was a game we played in the south of France that we lost, we played pretty average, chaps were calling for my head.

“Sometimes it goes pear-shaped and then not even three months later we were European champions. You’ve got to believe  in people and believe in what they’re going to do.

“Everyone’s throwing grenades left, right and centre right now and that’s not going to help with rugby here at all.”

Force coach Dave Wessels believes Super Rugby will still have 18 teams next year, despite ‘unsettling’ reports over his club’s future this week.

While an official call over Super Rugby’s future is yet to be made, an in-principle agreement to cut the competition to 15 teams is believed to have come in last month’s SANZAAR executive meeting.

The Force was hit with another bombshell on Monday, with reports that the ARU had already decided to cut the Force should a 15-team competition be ratified.

South Africa has a general assembly on April 6 where it is expected to make an official decision on whether it is willing to cut the required two teams for the 15-team format, while Australia’s board may meet as early as Monday.

Wessels has been bullish about his side’s survival and was confident again when asked whether news had affected his view.

“(I’m) extremely confident of the future, for any number of reasons. I have connections back to South Africa and I feel like there’s a high chance that things (won’t) change in South Africa,” he told RUGBY.com.au.

Despite his own optimism, Wessels was open about the impact the week had on his team, even though the playing squad has been across the ditch for a fortnight.

“I’d be lying to say the boys haven’t heard the news and aren’t a little bit anxious about it because obviously many of us have kids and different things and this is how we support our families,” he said.

“The thing that I do think is that this is a pretty special group of people.

“They are unbelievably dedicated and wherever we go from the airline staff to the hotel staff to the bus drivers all comment on it and I feel like we are building something pretty significant here.”

Wessels said axing a team wouldn’t bridge the gulf between Australia and New Zealand that has yielded a 31-3 record in New Zealand’s favour in the past 34 trans-Tasman Super Rugby clashes.

“The biggest frustration for me in the whole argument is if we took our team – let’s say we took 15 guys and we divided them against four other teams  is that really going to make the difference between us and the Kiwi teams at the moment?,” he said.

“The answer is no.”

Wessels said national pathways and collaboration needed to improve before any decisions to cull teams.

“New Zealand rugby is better than us at the moment because their entire ecosystem is better and I think the old adage of, ‘you only fix the leak in the roof when it starts raining,’

“It’s been raining in Australian rugby for the last little while and there are certainly people who are now working very hard to fix the hole in the roof.

“We’re not seeing the benefit of that just yet but I think some of the systems that particularly (ARU high performance manager) Ben Whitaker is putting in place are going to really pay dividends over the next couple of years and I think there’s a really good future for Australian rugby.”

The Force return to Perth on Sunday ahead of a home match with another under-fire team, South Africa’s Kings. 

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Former Reds defender Sami Hyypia believes Jurgen Klopp has pieced together a squad that is capable of competing for domestic and European honours

Liverpool are capable of competing for “the two biggest trophies” this season, says Sami Hyypia, with there no reason why “great additions” cannot challenge for the Premier League title and Champions League crown.

The Reds came agonisingly close to conquering the continent for a sixth time in 2018, with Jurgen Klopp’s side falling at the final hurdle against Real Madrid.

They are back in the hunt for European glory 12 months on, having reached the last 16 stage, and are pushing for a first taste of domestic supremacy in 29 years.

Hyypia believes Liverpool should be looking to land both prizes, with Klopp now boasting the depth in his ranks that means there should be no prioritising of major honours.

The former Reds defender told the Liverpool Echo: “We were in the final of the Champions League last year and the mindset will be to go one step further.

“We made some great additions to the squad last summer and the team is looking even stronger. There’s no reason why we can’t go all the way this time around.

“Just because Liverpool are doing so well in the Premier League that doesn’t mean that the Champions League becomes less important.

“It’s going to be tough but it’s possible. You want to keep challenging for both trophies for as long as possible.

“It makes it more interesting for the supporters. This is what they want – seeing their team competing for the two biggest trophies.”

Next up for Liverpool is the first leg of a Champions League clash with Bayern Munich.

The German giants are due at Anfield on Tuesday and Hyypia believes a notable scalp is there for the taking, even with talismanic defender Virgil van Dijk set to sit out an initial meeting through suspension.

“Bayern haven’t done that well in their domestic league this season but they are still dangerous,” added a man who spent 10 years on Merseyside in his playing days.

“We cannot afford to under-estimate them. We have to go full on in both these games.

“Virgil will be missed but I’m not too worried. That creates an opportunity for someone else to step up and take more responsibility. There are other players who can take his place.

“We need to be very sharp from the off in the first game. Ideally, you want a lead to take over to Munich.

“I know Bayern quite well and I think their weakness is in defending counter-attacks. We aren’t that bad at counter-attacks and I can see us scoring a few goals against Bayern in that manner over the two legs.”

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Tottenham have one foot in the Champions League quarter-finals after beating German opposition 3-0 in the first leg of their last-16 encounter

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Borussia Dortmund attacker Christian Pulisic is not giving up hope of progressing in the Champions League, despite the German side losing 3-0 in the first leg of their last-16 tie with Tottenham.

Dortmund travelled to Wembley on Wednesday for their first meeting and looked set to guarantee a tight tie on the evidence of the opening 45 minutes.

Jadon Sancho was a particular threat for the Bundesliga leaders, impressing with his close dribbling and dazzling the Spurs defence.

But after half-time Dortmund were blown away – Son Heung-min making the breakthrough with a volley from Jan Vertonghen’s cross, before the Belgian and Fernando Llorente added further goals towards the end.

It leaves Dortmund up against it ahead of the return match in Germany on March 5, but Pulisic – who had little impact on proceedings at Wembley – is confident Lucien Favre’s men are not out of the tie.

When asked if he still had belief, Pulisic told reporters: “Of course. This team’s going to believe until the end.

“We’re going home now, there’s no reason why we can’t score three goals at home. We’ve done it before.

“We’ve just got to go and we’ve got to be positive and go in with a good mindset into that game.”

But for Spurs, their second-half performance and result against a side such as Dortmund is a timely boost going into a crucial period of the campaign, according to Hugo Lloris.

“At this time of the season, this kind of performance gives you a lot of confidence for the rest of the season,” he said.

“Especially as we’re entering a really important period for the club, where everything is played, and playing like that against Dortmund, it’s very good for confidence.”

The Reds need to stick with their Brazilian forward as a central striker and keep a prolific Egyptian operating from a wider role, says Hutchison

Liverpool need to resist the urge to tinker with their attacking unit, says Don Hutchison, with the Reds at their best when using Roberto Firmino as a central striker and Mohamed Salah in a wide support role.

Jurgen Klopp has moved his prolific Egyptian forward down the middle at times this season, with experiments made with a system which uses two up top.

Liverpool have, however, enjoyed greater success when operating with Salah and the in-form Sadio Mane providing deep-lying assistance to Brazilian frontman Firmino.

Hutchison believes that should be the go-to approach in an ongoing Premier League title bid, with that formation playing to the strengths of the Reds’ most creative and potent attacking threats.

The former Liverpool midfielder told Premier League Productions while reflecting on the Reds’ most recent outing – a 3-0 win over Bournemouth: “It was comfortable and Liverpool could have scored three or four more. Liverpool were sensational.

“They were better that Mo Salah was playing off that side, he wasn’t playing as a No. 9, he was off the right-hand side up against [Diego] Rico the full-back. Firmino playing through the middle. 

“He’s got to play that 4-3-3, Klopp, until the end of the season. He’s got to get Mo Salah one-v-one.”

Victory over the Cherries briefly lifted Liverpool back to the top of the table, prior to defending champions Manchester City crushing Chelsea 6-0.

The Reds do still boast a game in hand on Pep Guardiola’s side, with 12 fixtures to come, and Hutchison believes chasing could favour a team which have spent much of the season leading.

The ex-Scotland international added: “There was no nervousness inside the stadium, different to when they were seven points clear, especially against Leicester when they went 1-0 up a couple of minutes in and they didn’t really know what to do. 

“I think it suits them, chasing. When they were five clear and seven clear, everyone was saying, ‘If they’re going to blow this, it’ll be a bit of a bottle job.’ 

“They scored after a couple of minutes against Leicester and then for 88 minutes you were watching a side not knowing what to do. They comfortably see it through 1-0 or go for four or five but they didn’t, they were in no man’s land.

“It might just suit them, the way Liverpool are with all the emotion of going for the holy grail trying to get it over the line, to chase it for a little bit.”

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Waratahs flyhalf Bernard Foley has been ruled out of the side’s opening round clash with the Force.

Foley is still feeling the effects of  a head knock suffered in the Waratahs’ trial loss to the Highlanders.

“He’s still suffering some dizziness and so forth,” coach Daryl Gibson said.

“Then obviously his cognitive tests that they do on the computers, he wasn’t passing that as well.”

Foley’s replacement comes in the form of Bryce Hegarty, the former Rebels flyhalf-fullback, who has earned the moniker ‘Fettuccine’ since coming to Sydney.

“The reason he’s so popular is he doesn’t look like he should be playing 10 or rugby, in a really nice way,” Gibson said.

Hegarty missed most of 2016 after rupturing his ACL, but ran in the playmaker spot for most of the preseason with Wallabies 10, Foley, still on his off-season break.

“The reason we recruited Bryce in the first instance was because of his experience and the number of years he’s played at the Rebels and we get an excellent replacement and someone who can really step in and run the show,” he said.

“He’s got wonderful game sense, good skill set, excellent rugby brain and I think that’s the thing that attracts me to him, is he gets the game, he’s a rugby player.

“While he doesn’t have all the talents in the world, he utilises every ounce of it.”

Waratahs fullback Andrew Kellaway admitted Foley’s would be a big loss, but believes Hegarty will step into the position with ease.

“I think Bernard’s a world-class player so losing him is disappointing but Bryce is a great footballer and he’s actually been here all preseason, he’s pretty much led the boys all preseason so it’s a pretty seamless transition for us,” he said.

“He’s a very hungry competitive guy, so to see him get his crack’s awesome and it’s going to be great to be out there with him.

Lock Ned Hanigan has also been ruled out with a knee issue, an injury that Gibson said would keep him out for two weeks.

The shifts mean that former Reds and Sharks second rower Dave McDuling will come onto the bench for the clash, with David Horwitz replacing Hegarty.

The Waratahs take on the Force on Saturday night, kicking off at 7:40pm AEDT.

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The Waratahs still have two 2017 matches left, but the seeds of change are already being sown ahead of 2018.

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NSW announced changes to its coaching staff last week, with Nathan Grey going full-time with the Wallabies, scrum coach Cam Blades finishing up and Australia U20s coach Simon Cron joining the staff to assist with the contact area.

The Waratahs will have one fewer coaches in 2018, even with the impending addition of Australia U20s coach Simon Cron, partly hamstrung by finances, head coach Daryl Gibson said.

Gibson will take on Grey’s defence responsibilities and though he wants to embrace the challenge, he admitted resources were limited when it came to filling the department.

“Certainly with our financial restrictions we’re looking at three coaches,” he said.

“That will mean for me, extra responsibility, take on the portfolio of defence, something that I’m really looking forward to.

“As an attack coach, you look strongly at defences and I’m really looking forward to that challenge, coaching a different area, one I see as a real opportunity in the evolution of the game at the moment.”

Wallabies scrum coach Mario Ledesma was pitching in at Monday’s training and is expected to be involved in the contact area of the game for the final fortnight, before Cron comes on board for 2018.

The Waratahs’ session had a different look to it, with some intense running to kick things off on Monday, a clear flow-on from the fitness concerns the Wallabies voiced during the June Series.

“I know we’ve talked a lot in Australia at the moment around making sure those standards are adhered to and certainly here we’re really keen to make sure we really increase our standard,” Gibson said.

“We’re determined to have a really strong final two weeks, both on the training field and off it.

“We’re going to train hard and get the rewards off that.”

Gibson could be set to blood some new talent against the Jaguares on Saturday, with U20s lock Ryan McCauley well and truly in the frame for a debut.

A broken arm means Will Skelton’s NSW farewell has been cut short, opening up a spot in the second row.

Ned Hanigan is in the frame for a return to lock with Skelton’s injury and the return of Jack Dempsey, who was the incumbent six before his injury put Hanigan at blindside.

“Ryan comes into the equation now…we’re a bit down in the locking positions so he’ll come into the selection frame this week,” Gibson said.

“That’s an opportunity for us potentially look at Ned playing second row, with Jack Dempsey back in the equation we’d really like to get both those guys on the field at the same time.”

Winger Reece Robinson is also out for the rest of the season with a severed finger tendon, while Nick Phipps will return to full training next week, after ankle syndesmosis ruled him out of the Wallabies’ June Series.

The Waratahs take on the Jaguares on Saturday, kicking off at 7:45pm AEST LIVE on FOX SPORTS and via RUGBY.com.au RADIO.

With the Brumbies’ survival beyond 2017 no longer in doubt, Aidan Toua is on the hunt for a new contract.

The ARU’s announcement yesterday that the Australian team to be cut would either be the Rebels or the Force ended the whispers that the Brumbies were in the firing line.

Coach Stephen Larkham has said for weeks that he felt comfortable his team would survive and given that they are Australia’s most successful on-field franchise – both historically and in season 2017 – it would have been an extraordinary decision if the ARU were to move to the contrary.

But Australian rugby is in a state of uncertainty and until the words came out of Cameron Clyne’s mouth yesterday, there was no guarantee the Brumbies would survive.“There’s definitely a bit of relief that the Brumbies have survived the axe – everyone around here is pretty happy,” Toua said.

“There’s been lots of stuff said about it and maybe it has been handled a bit poorly but that’s not really for us to comment on.

“I just hope all my mates get sorted out.

“It’s not only the players but the admin of the team that is going to go.”

Toua, who is off contract at the end of 2017, was one of several players barred from negotiating a contract for 2018 and beyond due to the previous uncertainty.Fresh off a dazzling man of the match performance against the Reds, the fullback hopes to get a deal done quickly.

“The quicker, the better,” he said.

“You always want that security of having a job, so you never know what is going to happen and with a team going, there are going to be some more guys on the market.

“It’s nothing that I’ve been thinking about too much – I’ve just been working on my game with the team.

“I’ve been concentrating on that and if you play good footy the rest will take care of itself.”

Toua was simply sublime against the Reds.For years he has promised to deliver the type of performance that he did on Saturday but a string of injuries has kept him from an extended crack at Super Rugby level.

His slippery runs in counterattack were kryptonite to the Reds’ shoddy defensive line speed.

As was his pinpoint kicking game.

“After the Highlanders game, during the bye, we saw defensively that we were going really well and our composure in clearing our end has been quite good as well,” he said.

“The next step was evolving our attack and it was something we really worked on in those two weeks off.

“Having guys looking to identify the space as well as myself, only creates more space on the field.

“We’ve finally turned the page in the way we want to attack and transferring what we did on the training paddock onto the field was really good – it was really good to see.”

The Brumbies now turn their attention to the Rebels, who they face at AAMI Park on Saturday.

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ARU CEO Bill Pulver says the national body remains unmoved from its plan to remove a Super Rugby team this season, with legal proceedings looming.

The ARU heads into arbitration with RugbyWA on Monday, with that process likely to be decisive in the Force’s fate.

It is believed the sticking point in the arguments is whether a modified 2018 format would create a new broadcast agreement or simply modify the original, under which the Force believes it is guaranteed a Super Rugby place until 2020.

Starting on Monday, it is hoped the arbitration will only stretch the timeline out by weeks, rather than months, depending on the reaction to the final decision.

Both parties had agreed to go into arbitration and it seemed initially that both had committed to adhering to the arbitrator’s call, but Force general manager Mark Sinderberry has hinted that they could appeal if the decision goes against them.

Meanwhile, in Melbourne, there has been reports Andrew Cox has moved to sell his license to the VRU, though any sale would have to be rubber-stamped by the ARU, a development all but impossible until the arbitration is complete.

Pulver said on Thursday at the Uni 7s launch that the ARU would not stray off their path of looking for four teams in 2018.

“My position is unchanged in terms of the fact that we need to go to four teams,” he said.

“Frankly, Australia doesn’t have either the financial capability or the player depth to justify staying at five teams.

“That position has not changed.”

ARU chairman Cameron Clyne suggested he may fall on his sword should the four-team plan fail but Pulver described that comment as ‘academic’, given their unwavering stance on four teams.

This saga, that has now dragged on close to 11 months since 2018 change was flagged by SANZAAR, is likely to give rise to new ARU leadership, with Pulver already hinting on a number of occasions that he wouldn’t be seeking re-appointment when is contract comes up in February.

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Two high-profile executives, former chief operating officer Rob Clarke and chief financial officer Todd Day, have departed in recent months, though their departures are not believed to be solely linked to the Super Rugby developments.

Waratahs captain Michael Hooper admits he needs to make better decisions, after being sin-binned in the side’s 50-29 win over the Sunwolves.

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Hooper, who is the most yellow-carded Test player in history, lamented being sent off late in the game, with the Sunwolves able to score a try while the captain was watching on.

“I obviously had 10 minutes on the sideline there and I was disappointed in that decision that I made there,” he said.

“I put the team under pressure, allowed the Sunwolves to get some good attacking ball and score a try inevitably around the scrum, where I would have been on the field

“ I’ve got to work with my relationship there with the referee and get those decisions right.”

The Waratahs were on the wrong end of a 15-3 penalty count in the match, despite dominating on the scoreboard, and Hooper said it cost them at times.

With the wind at their back in the first half, Hooper said penalties were more frustrating, knowing the weather advantage their opponents would have in the second half.

“Particularly in that first half a lot of penalties put us under pressure and probably allowed the Sunwolves to really play their game and get in our field against the wind,” he said.

“So, we knew coming into the second half, when they would have the wind, it would be tricky.”

The Waratahs fielded two sevens in the clash, with Will Miller starting at six and showing some electric attack, but coach Daryl Gibson said the pairing didn’t quite have the desired effect on the ball.

“We wanted to try and slow the Sunwolves down,” he said.

“We know that they play a fast game and that was evidenced tonight by a few of their tries, which were excellent.

“Unfortunately, the referee saw things differently at the breakdown. Penalty count of 15-3.

“We did try and get on the ball, I was pleased with that.”

The Waratahs’ bonus-point puts them just one point behind conference leaders the Rebels, with another Australian derby coming their way in round nine, against the Reds.

The Waratahs host the Reds at the SCG on Saturday April 14, kicking off at 7:45pm AEST, LIVE on FOX SPORTS and via RUGBY.com.au RADIO. Buy tickets here