With his own hands around his neck, Cheika uttered the words the New Zealand press had been dying to hear.

Reports across the ditch emerged this week alleging the Wallabies were avoiding calling their World Cup final opponents the "All Blacks" as a mental tactic.

In a wide-ranging press-conference, Cheika smashed the ideology that Australians "camp by a billabong with a cork hat" and said the Wallabies weren't scared of New Zealand.

But the best part was when Cheika was put under the pump to say the words "All Blacks" in front of a packed press conference and the Kiwis got their man.

"Can I say All Blacks now for you? Right, OK," Cheika said before making strangled noises and putting his hand around his throat.

"Poltergeist! No mate … maybe everybody's got a little bit too much time on their hands because that's like making something out of nothing.

"They've had a bit of a crack at me thinking that I don't say that for certain reasons. But it's pretty funny because if you notice, I never call Australia the Wallabies either. I'm a bit old fashioned that way.

"Australia is Australia, New Zealand is New Zealand and France is France. So there's no secret squirrel."

The New Zealand press took aim at the Wallabies during the week for the perceived tactic, citing a Facebook post that mysteriously disappeared after referencing the All Blacks and then returned with the words "New Zealand".

The tactic has been used before, famously by British and Irish Lions coach Sir Clive Woodward on their tour of New Zealand in 2005.

It backfired, the All Blacks were pumped up and they smashed the Lions 3-0 in the series.

With the elephant in the room addressed, Cheika could get down to business and focus on his team's preparation for the blockbuster trans-Tasman final.

The Wallabies have been bolstered by the return of injured prop Scott Sio, who will be in the starting front-row for the match at Twickenham on Saturday (Sunday morning AEDT).

Sio dislocated his elbow in the quarter-final against Scotland, but has made a remarkable recovery to be fit in time to play against the All Blacks.

Sio's elbow popped out when a scrum collapsed and Wallabies doctor Mike Cadogan had to put in back in place on the field.

It's an injury that had threatened to ruin his tournament.

"[Sio] has played really well in this tournament. He was eager to get back last week but he couldn't get back in time," Cheika said.

"He's feeling very good, done everything in training and he's looking forward to it.

"No, it's not a risk [picking him]. You can't hide where he's playing, you've got to get into it. He's fine."

Cheika is sticking by under-fire fullback Israel Folau, who has been below his best in his first World Cup campaign.

"For us it has sort of been business as usual. I don't think we are trying smoke and mirrors, I just think the way we have bene going about our business has led us to having that habit," Cheika said.

Cheika also tried to smash some Australian stereotypes.

"We're not all guys who are camped out by the billabong with a cork hat," Cheika said.

"We're different people that come together to make our lives better. That's what Australia is about.

"In this team all we want to do is just have some of that in us as well as our own piece to the puzzle, about that identity. Add our own flavour as well, try to add something to it.

"It's about putting our bodies on the line for each other in the games and working hard for each other … the stuff people won't see."

Asked if the Wallabies were intimidated by the defending world champion All Blacks, Cheika said: "It depends how you define intimidation.

"Are you saying, are we scared of them? You have to tell me what intimidation is because it's different to different people.

"I don't think any footballer in any game goes out feeling that about their opponent.

"I think [intimidation is] a term we like to use but it's not often the case … I've never felt worried about it. It's just go out there and do your best."