Skelton was cited alongside hooker Tolu Latu for a lifting tackle on Crusaders forward Sam Whitelock during the 32-22 victory in Sydney. He also flattened Richie McCaw as he attempted to charge down a Dan Carter kick and drove what seemed to be an apparent shoulder into Whitelock while he was on the ground.

While Skelton's ball running has caught the eye on numerous occasions this season his defensive load against the New Zealanders was noted by statisticians because his 15 tackles was the most by a player from either side and there were repeat efforts included among his impressive performance.

His aggression was not missed by a few critics, including Crusaders coach Todd Blackadder who said he'd be "interested" to see how the citing commissioner viewed other incidents involving Skelton, but Cheika described the 23-year-old's wholehearted performance as what's expected from a rugby forward.

"He's just playing footy and he's playing footy hard and like we should," said Cheika on Monday. "We're betwixt and between, we're either too soft or too hard - I'm not sure what people want us to do.

"The whole thing is a moot point. Will is a big guy and that's how he played on that day, it was the nature of things. I think the Crusaders played the game pretty hard as well, they were physical in the way they played the game and that's a normal reaction for players to have. "Usually - having had experience playing rugby - when one team plays hard the other team goes hard and it ends up being a very physical contest. It was just a game that was played very hard.

"We just want a game played with physicality, nothing outside of the rules - just play hard. That's what our goal is, as it is for every rugby team. People either want us to be softies or hard - I'm not sure what the issue is."

With Latu before the judiciary for his role in the lifting tackle, 22-year-old Hugh Roach was preparing to take the brunt of the work on the two-match tour of South Africa should he be required while Manly's Dave Porecki was on a list of club rugby hookers being considered to join the squad if Latu was suspended.

"If something happens there we're OK, we have Hugh Roach and he'd fit in easily" said Cheika. "He's been there the whole way through and just as Tolu has taken his opportunity since Tatafu Polota-Nau [was rested for the finals after suffering concussion] this could be Hugh's chance if Tolu isn't available. He would've been going away with the squad. Dave Porecki is a player we've had for parts of the season; he's someone we've looked at as part of the transition format and we have a few other options we might take depending what happens."