Former Leinster and Stade Francais coach MIchael Cheika is calling the shots at the Waratahs now © Getty Images

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Waratahs coach Michael Cheika has ruled out any repeat of the violent scenes which tarnished the match between New South Wales and the British & Irish Lions in 2001 when the two teams come face-to-face again on Saturday.

The game came to a head a couple of minutes into the second-half when Duncan McRae landed 11 punches on Ronan O'Gara who lay prone on the floor. McRae was dismissed while O'Gara required eight stitches. The Western Force talked up their physicality ahead of their match against the Lions on June 5, but Cheika has ruled out any repeat of McRae's actions come Saturday.

"I think those days have gone," Cheika said. "Even back then, it was over the top. But physicality can occur in lots of ways - rucks, scrums and the contacts have got to be big from our lads.

"We have to be big. We can't hope just to contain them, and we can't hold anything back. If we have that mentality over 80 minutes, we might put a bit of a dent in their tank. Anything in red that moves we'll have a go at it."

Much has been made of the ease at which the Lions have dispatched three of the four teams they have faced in warm-up matches so far and the Waratahs will be without 16 players for Saturday's game. Six are on the sidelines while 10 are with the Wallabies as they prepare for the first Test on June 22.

But Cheika is adamant his team will front up come Saturday."We certainly won't be going out there to look for a glorious defeat," he added. "If there is a one per cent chance we can win the game we'll take that one per cent and do what we can with it."

And despite concerns the Lions will be undercooked for their first Test, Cheika is adamant the tourists will be in fine fettle. "They will be fine," Cheika added. "They are the team that is playing games. Australia is the team that isn't playing games. I don't think there is any chance of the Lions being underdone.

"They've just had a full season, lads are being rested and he (Warren Gatland) has got good competition for places. All I can say is that what we need to do is try and put some doubt in the Lions minds before the following Saturday and help Australia's cause.

"I am not really sure how we'll do that, because on paper we are no match, but we have to try. You will never soften them up because they are hard guys. They are well conditioned. They are hard mentally, too. They've won Grand Slams, they've been in World Cup quarter-finals and semi-finals.

"I was involved with the development of some of these (Lions) players, and that makes me feel proud. That experience with Leinster is really helping me with what we are doing here. I learnt a lot about putting back into play some of the values of old school rugby. I am proud to have worked with those guys, but I will take the opportunity to cut a few of them down."