Michael Cheika knows he will not be taken seriously until he can transform an often-complacent Australia into a hard-nosed unit that consistently wins the big games. Not just now and again, but over and over again.

Cheika has faced numerous major hurdles in his first year as Wallabies coach, but none as confronting as this week when he has to devise the right plan to nullify Wales, one of the most pugnacious of international opponents.

The stakes are enormous. If he succeeds in keeping his team focused on the weekend, Australia should cruise to the World Cup final. If not, they could be soon heading home.

The Wallabies' triumph over England last Saturday was one of Australian Rugby's most rousing moments. The ramifications were overwhelming, sending the tournament hosts into a state of deep depression and days of excruciating internal bleeding. But Australia's achievement at Twickenham will mean nothing if their standards slip against Wales at the same ground this Saturday and they fail to top Pool A.

© Shaun Botterill/Getty Images

Ending up No.1 in the 'Pool of Death' is so crucial, as it provides a team with a relatively comfortable trek through the quarter- and semifinals. Losing to Wales and finishing second means stumbling into a minefield, and the threat of confronting South Africa and New Zealand before the final.

Cheika knows he has to be right on top of his game this week, and that includes ensuring no player loses sight of how crucial the Wales match is. His team talks will be fascinating. They are bound to be very direct. They will revolve heavily around responsibilities. He does have one important factor working in his favour. The players do listen to him. That hasn't always been the case with some recent Wallabies coaches. Cheika knows how to keep the players on edge, but also he understands the value of loyalty. If you commit to him, he will commit to you. He comprehends hard love.

Not surprisingly Kane Douglas and Matt Giteau are performing for him, especially after he was so heavily involved in getting them back into the Wallabies fold from overseas.

Cheika can be a very intimidating figure. He knows how to hold his ground, and beware those who either intrude or try to take advantage of him.

Cheika, who revels in the outsider role, understands the importance of the fear factor - which has had the desired effect of keeping a team renowned for inexplicable form slumps focused during the early stages of this World Cup.

Unlike some recent Australian campaigns being let down by player disciplinary issues that has led to division within the squad ranks, the current Wallabies know they cannot take any liberties with Cheika as his support for them will only come if you win his trust. As far as Cheika sees it, if you are too easily distracted or let your standards slip you have no right to be part of this Australian team. That led to some pre-World Cup casualties. The players who are here know that, and are behaving accordingly by trying to stay out of trouble.

Ireland No 10 Jonny Sexton, who knows Cheika from his Leinster days, was right on the mark when he said this week that a lot of the coach's success has come from everyone being "scared shitless of him" and that he was a "pretty scary guy when you get on the wrong side of him".

Players are not the only group spooked by Cheika. He has been very wise in restricting the team boundaries, and officials also tread warily around him. His relationship with the blazer brigade at both the NSW Waratahs and Australian Rugby Union level has often been prickly. If he does not rate you or is suspicious of you, he ignores you, and it means absolutely nothing if you have a lofty title. Numerous officials have soon discovered that the best way to deal with Cheika is to keep their distance, because as in his often rough-and-tumble playing days his tongue can turn caustic. The team comes first, and anyone who can be a distraction, including jersey-tugging officials, are usually kept at a distance.

Michael Cheika holds a team talk© Mike Hewitt/Getty Images

There is no doubt that Cheika is the most powerful figure at the Australian Rugby Union. He gets what he wants. He operates on his terms.

In a week where his coaching skills are really being tested, it is not surprising that the "Do Not Disturb" signs have been erected, as he has had to overcome disruptions. These include having to counter injury problems to several important players, including Israel Folau; disciplinary issues that have seen him lose his vice-captain Michael Hooper for a week; as well as trying to second-guess what one of the wiliest coaching opponents going around in Warren Gatland will come up with on Saturday.

This is the type of week that really defines a coach, and when the feeble often falter.

But Australian rugby should feel reassured that this is also the type of week when crafty and often threatening streetwise operators like Cheika invariably rise to the occasion. They thrive on such challenges. That's why they coach.