Cheer for Michael Cheika as Australia end shocking run

There was relief all round for Michael Cheika and his Wallabies after they secured their first win in seven test matches with a sometimes nervous win over S Africa in Brisbane on Saturday.

The achievement of reaching last year’s World Cup final had been all but forgotten in a barrage of criticism over the last few weeks after a 3-0 June series loss to England was followed by back-to-back defeats by the All Blacks. A seventh straight defeat would have matched Australia’s worst run in the professional era and heaped even more pressure on Cheika and his players.

The 23-17 win is unlikely to help much in their already ill-fated defence of the Rugby Championship title but a first win of the year could do wonders for the confidence of the team as they head to Perth to play Argentina.