Australia
Cheika blasts Boudjellal for Greece jibes
ESPN Staff
July 29, 2015
Quade Cooper is at the centre of a contract Tug-O-War © Getty Images
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Wallabies coach Michael Cheika has taken exception to the trash-talking of Toulon owner Mourad Boudjellal as Quade Cooper's contract saga turns nasty.

With Cooper poised to renege on a two-year deal he signed with the French giants in April to instead remain in Australian rugby, Boudjellal is threatening legal action against the playmaker and the ARU. Boudjellal took aim at Cooper and "a moron of the Australian federation" in an explosive interview with a French newspaper which claimed the eccentric owner had delivered the Wallabies star an ultimatum to undergo a medical with his club or else.

"I don't think it's necessary to have that type of language," Cheika said on the Wallabies' arrival home from Argentina on Tuesday night. "(I'm told) he said they're going to be as broke as Greece. Well, I don't think that's an issue to be joking about, to be honest. There's a lot of people struggling over there.

"So I don't think it's very funny, saying any of that type of stuff. He's entitled to say what he likes about what he wants to do. That's fine, but I don't think those analogies are really necessary."

Cheika, though, said he understood perfectly well why Boudjellal was digging his heels in to try to nab Cooper.

"Because he's a really good player," Cheika said. "So he's doing his bit and I've got nothing against him fighting for his player. That's his right, just like we want to fight for our players."

© AAP

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