Sports After Dark

The Wallabies have won the World Cup twice, in 1991 and again in 1999, and while this is not the best Australian team to take the field, they will still be a real threat in France.

Having failed to capture the Tri-Nations or Bledisloe this season, it would be easy to write off the Wallabies are a poor team going nowhere but this is also a team who has scored victories over the All Blacks and Springboks, and they should not be underestimated.

1. Inside backs. The pairing of George Gregan and Stephen Larkham are the most experienced inside pair ever, both men having played over 100 test matches, and while neither is as fast as they used to be, their guile and big match temperament will be pivotal for the Wallabies’ chances. Also an injury to either man could be devastating to the team as their understudies have seen little international action of late.

2. Loose forwards. On their day the Wallabies trio of George Smith, Wycliff Palu and Rocky Elsom are as good as any in the world, and they will need to play well if Australia are to claim an unprecedented third World Cup. In recent years Smith has lost a yard of pace, but is still able to claim turnover ball at the tackle regularly, while Palu has proven to be something of a revelation with his powerful running and Elsom is an ideal grafter in the blindside role, blending power, speed and lineout ability.

3. The bench. Australia have one of the deepest squads going to this year’s World Cup and, unlike teams such as the Springboks, every single player on the bench could easily slot into the starting line up seamlessly. Two of the Wallabies memorable victories this season came about thanks to replacements, firstly Stephen Hoiles last gasp try against Wales and then Scott Staniforth’s late try against the All Blacks.

4. Forward pack. The Australian forwards are a mobile and athletic group, but they do not match up well against packs who keep the game in close and tight. An obvious example of this was in the Tri-Nations finale in Auckland where the All Blacks’ pack hung onto the ball for long period of time and the Wallabies had no real answer. The Australian forwards cannot be afraid to roll up their sleeve and dive into the trenches to compete with big, old school forwards packs. Of course, against teams with less confrontational forward packs such as England or Wales they match up very well, but Australia’s draw means that the road to World Cup glory goes through both the Springboks and the All Blacks so tenacity will be just as important as finesse.

All of the pre World Cup talk has been about the All Blacks and Springboks, but this Australian team has a very real chance at glory. Coach John Connelly knows his team’s strengths and plays to them well, but more importantly he understands their weaknesses and how to minimise them.

If the Australian forwards play to the potential, they have the fire power in their back line, especially in mid-field where Matt Giteau and Stirling Mortlock are two of the best in the world, to win this World Cup but it will require them to recapture the form that helped them beat the All Blacks and the Springboks earlier this year.

Next: The All Blacks, what the World Cup favourites need to do to fulfil their promise.

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• All Blacks look to exploit Springbok weaknesses
• The contenders’ keys to victory: Ireland
• The contenders’ keys to victory: South Africa
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The The contenders’ keys to victory: Australia by Hamish McBrearty, unless otherwise expressly stated, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.