Time for England and Wales to be afraid of Wallabies
England and Wales should be running scared at the prospect of Matt Giteau, Europe’s best player no less, lining up for the Wallabies in the Rugby World Cup’s so-called group of death (Pool A) in September.
Courtesy of a seismic policy shift this week by the Australian Rugby Union to select overseas-based players, the Wallabies have now acquired that special spark at inside centre to finally unleash the full potential of its backline attacking weapons. Incumbent second-five eighth Christian Lealiifano, one of the nicest people you’d ever hope to meet, simply hasn’t done enough for himself and the players around him to be considered a genuine Test inside back.
Wallabies coach Michael Cheika pushed hard for the policy change. While he would have been motivated by finding a mid-to-long term solution to stave off player raids from Europe and Japan, his immediate goal was always to get Giteau in time for the World Cup. But now that he’s got his man, Cheika faces the tricky problem of what to with his other special one, Kurtley Beale. What does Cheika do with Beale if he picks the most obvious backline of Nick Phipps, Bernard Foley, Matt Giteau, Tevita Kuridrani, Henry Speight and Rob Horne on the wings, and Israel Folau at full-back? He could put Beale on the wing and shift Horne to the bench, although that would be harsh on Horne who hasn’t put a foot wrong for the Wallabies in the last 12 months. He’s been one of their best actually.
These are all good selection problems for the Wallabies, especially considering their limp performances last year. How things have changed. Less than a year ago, this column wrote off the Wallabies as a flaky outfit with no chance of getting past England and Wales seven days apart to make the Cup quarter-finals. And, as Cheika well knows, the rewards for topping Pool A are substantial. Top the pool, and they go on the other side of the draw to the All Blacks. Then, barring massive upsets, the Wallabies would face either Samoa or Scotland in the quarter-finals; France, Ireland, Argentina or Tonga in the semis; and, on current form, the All Blacks in the final.
Finish second in Pool A, however, and the Wallabies will in all likelihood face South Africa in the quarter-finals for a likely semi-final against the All Blacks. In many respects, the 2015 World Cup will be a new experience for the Wallabies. In previous campaigns, the pool matches were an opportunity to tweak combinations and rest frontline players for the knock-out stages. Not this time. The Wallabies campaign is all about Pool A. It’s a World Cup within a World Cup - sudden death rugby from the get go or bust. With Giteau available, Stephen Moore back from injury and that man David Pocock back with a vengeance, it’s time to revise assessments. The Wallabies are back in the hunt - big time.
Super Rugby round 11 preview
To this week’s Super Rugby with all five Australian teams in action. The Waratahs looked for all money potential back-to-back champs when they knocked off the unbeaten Hurricanes last week. However, consistency has been a problem for the NSW side. And this week they play a very dangerous Melbourne Rebels side who have already beaten the Crusaders and Brumbies away. On paper, it looks a win for the Tahs. But the Rebels have been the surprise package in the Australian conference this year so it ought to be an intriguing contest.
The Brumbies are looking suddenly vulnerable with back-to-back losses, but they should steady the ship against the Highlanders, whose coach Jamie Joseph has made the tactical decision to rest up his three All Blacks Ben Smith, Aaron Smith and Malakai Fekitoa for the team’s South African campaign. The Reds, meanwhile, host the Hurricanes at Suncorp on Sunday. The Hurricanes, no doubt smarting over their first loss of the season, could put on a cricket score against the Reds who were extremely lucky to win against the Cheetahs in South Africa last week. And, finally, keep an eye on the Crusaders v Blues match in New Zealand. The Blues are done for the season. The question is whether the seven-time Super champions Crusaders are also. It should be the match of the round.
Super Rugby Round 11
Friday
Chiefs v Force 5.35pm AEST
Brumbies v Highlanders 7.55pm AEST
Saturday
Crusaders v Blues 5.35pm AEST
Waratahs v Rebels 7.55pm AEST
Sunday
Lions v Cheetahs 01.05am AEST
Stormers v Bulls 03.10am AEST
Reds v Hurricanes 4.05pm AEST
