Although hitting hard shots and making stops on set-pieces helped Cracknell cope with the day, he tends to find quieter comforts in faraway places.
With his binoculars in hand, he escaped to the Isle of Skye, off the northwest coast of Scotland, to watch birds of prey.
“I went to Scotland for a couple of family holidays and we saw eagles there on one of those holidays, I thought they were really interesting and I wanted to see one in the wild,” Cracknell said.
“A year ago, when we had a random week off in January or February, I got a van and went with my dog to the Isle of Skye and saw a golden eagle and a white-tailed eagle in the wild there.
“I really like the tranquility of it and it's a beautiful part of the UK.
“We have a group of players, we call it the Eagle Group, and we did a social last year and it was a lot of fun. I'll try to team up with them this year as well.”
Speaking about Cracknell ahead of Leicester City's Champions Cup match against Ulster on Saturday, Cheika spoke of a “stoic” personality on the pitch and a “different cat” off it.
Cracknell says stoicism is a trait he inherited from his parents, while the idea of a “different cat” – Australian slang for a curious personality – is not surprising.
“The fact that I like raptors to begin with is a sign,” Cracknell laughed.
“Why am I weird? It's hard to answer. I don't know. The Eagles and I studied history and maybe have a little different interests than the other boys.”
Bird watching and rugged Scottish holidays may not be what is expected from the former Irish Ospreys and London back rower who reached his career best at the age of 30.
He has impressed so badly at No. 8 for Cheika's Tigers this season that the player known as a reliable back-rower has been tipped for an international call-up for the upcoming Six Nations tournament.
The Leeds-born player featured for the Wales Under-20s and was called up to their first team in 2017, but has still not played internationally at that level, making him eligible to play for England.
Cracknell said there had been no contact about a potential Wales call-up to the Six Nations, but said he was working hard to earn it.
“Every player who comes out to the Premier League aspires to play international rugby,” he said.
“I want to test myself at the highest level possible, but I have to be patient and play the best I can.
“I just have to keep pushing to improve my game and really level up.”