RWC FINAL: Wallabies V The Poms

[Joel]

Shaping up to be a big match after last weekend's games. Looking forward to it, should be good. Any thoughts on the game?

[Joel]

Wallabies won't wipe out now
By Wayne Smith
November 18, 2003

http://foxsports.news.com.au/story/0,86 ... 60,00.html

WALLABY coach Eddie Jones yesterday put England on notice, saying his much-maligned team hadn't overcome so much criticism and so many obstacles in this World Cup campaign to be denied in Saturday's final.

Already sections of the English media have hinted the Australian team played their cup final on Saturday when stunning the All Blacks 22-10.

They are pointing to the fact the Wallabies did a victory lap after that match, something the England team refrained from doing after their 24-7 win over France in the second semi-final.

However, Jones has seen no evidence of his side viewing their achievement of making the final as "mission accomplished". Indeed, just the opposite, though he, his coaching staff and senior players will monitor the mood of the side carefully in the coming days.

"The thing that gives me some confidence is the resolve this group has shown over this year," Jones said.

"We've been through some reasonably dark times. At no stage have we shown any signs of cracking. Having worked hard to get to where we are, we're not going to let it go now.

"I think George (Gregan) said it last week - we won't die wondering. Well, we won't die wondering this week either."

Certainly one of the darkest times the Wallabies went through this year was the 25-14 defeat by England in the one-off Test at Melbourne's Telstra Dome.

Jones yesterday had no hesitation in describing the first half performance by Martin Johnson's team in that match as the best 40 minutes of football the Wallabies had confronted this year, no mean statement considering the standard of rugby played by the All Blacks in Bledisloe I.

Yet, while the England side have remained virtually unchanged since then, save for the inclusion of inside centre Mike Catt to "nanny" Jonny Wilkinson, to use commentator Chris Handy's phrase, the Wallabies have been virtually rebuilt since then, introducing nine players to the starting XV.

The only surviving members of the starting backline are Wendell Sailor and Gregan, and there is little doubt that when coach Clive Woodward pores over the tape of that game, he will draw no comfort whatever from the sizzling performances Lote Tuqiri and Mat Rogers turned in off the bench for Australia late in the match.

That match, too, was controlled by a northern hemisphere referee, Ireland's David McHugh, and while the Australians had no complaints with his handling of the match, there is little doubt they will feel far more comfortable with Saturday's referee, South African Andre Watson.

Aside from the felicitous omen of already having won a World Cup final under him - when they beat France in the last tournament in 1999 - the Wallabies have played numerous Tri-Nations matches under Watson and also would be heartened by the magnificent way he allowed the New Zealand-Wales match to flow a fortnight ago.

Watson was next to invisible in that match and the Wallabies surely will hope he is as inconspicuous at Telstra Stadium on Saturday night. The Australians conceded 11 penalties against the All Blacks - four more than England gave away against France - but New Zealand goalkicker Leon MacDonald punished only one of them.

By contrast, Jonny Wilkinson lined up at goal eight times from the 13 penalties France gave away and, despite the horrendous conditions, landed five of them.

"Discipline is going to be a very big factor," Jones said. "You can't afford to give away a penalty 55m from your goal-line because Wilkinson's capable of drilling them."

Saturday's semi-final win over the All Blacks might have been the high point to date of the rugby careers of league converts Sailor, Rogers and Tuqiri, but Jones said that, having answered their critics for the moment, the trio still had a whole lot more to contribute.

The Wallabies coach claimed the three had been placed under an unfair burden on switching to union because "they have been expected to play better than any other players".

"I think they've carried that load very well, with a fair bit of pride and dignity," Jones said. "I think last Saturday was a game where their credentials were being questioned quite seriously and the three of them handled the situation very well. This week represents another challenge to them."

Jones expressed his fears that Tuqiri - who shapes long-term, in the coach's opinion, as a "very, very good player for Australia" - might be lured back to league. "If I was the Broncos CEO or in charge of the Queensland Rugby League, I'd probably want him back, so we've got to make sure he sticks to rugby, which I think he will," Jones said.

Incredibly, Tuqiri will find himself running on in a World Cup final after having played, by Jones's generous estimate, no more than 25 senior games of rugby - yet he shapes as a pivotal player, not just because of his extraordinary attacking skills but for how well he defends against another electrifying league convert, Jason Robinson.

[Sultan of spin]

It's been a long time sice the poms beat us in anything so hopefully that dosen't change now. I reckon if the wallabies are disciplined enough not to give away penalties in the english half they will win, Wilkinson scoring penalty goals is their main method of scoring & if the wallabies prevent it the poms are in trouble. I think the aussies have more attacking abilty in the backs and if they get their confidence up early they should be able to score a few tries and really put the poms under pressure.

My prediction for the final score: Wallabies 23 Poms 12 (well lets hope so anyway)

[MargOZ]

GO WALLABIES!

We just have to knock out Wilkinson in the first 5 minutes and the match is ours! LOL!

In all seriousness, I think we can do it. Aussies 26 - England 13

Marg

[Joel]

Show no fear: Jones
By Jim Tucker
November 20, 2003

http://foxsports.news.com.au/story/0,86 ... 60,00.html

WALLABY coach Eddie Jones is banking on the fearless, young bulls of his pack to not only match England's Dad's Army veterans in the World Cup final but to make a bold statement that a new global order is beginning.

The "no fear" attitude of the young Wallaby pack is clearly what he hopes will glue tight any cracks against better-credentialled forwards when the 80-minute scramble to rugby's highest peak kicks off on Saturday night in Sydney.

The eight-man engineroom announced yesterday for the ascent boasts just 166 caps compared with the experience of 375 Tests that is harnessed by Martin Johnson and his packmates.

Johnson (83) has earned almost as many caps as the Wallaby tight five put together (92). It's measure up or else and Jones knows it, especially with tighthead prop Alastair Baxter (six Tests) and new front-row reserve Matt Dunning (one Test) as English targets for the first time.

"We've got a young pack and they've got no fear at all," Jones said in Coffs Harbour yesterday. "There's nothing to be frightened about. All they've got to do is go out and play well. They'll do that and with a lot of aggression.

"Over this tournament, we've just developed this pack that's prepared to take on anyone."

It was drum-beating stuff before a battle of the packs that is an intriguing watershed moment.

This England pack can't get better. It's at its peak, with one massive effort to come, before it's dismantled. The quality parts will be retired to rugby's version of a museum for Rolls Royce engines. Jones is excited that he has a pack on the rise in strength, aggression and skill. Next year it will be better again but payday has arrived much more quickly. Saturday night is it.

It's mobile lock Nathan Sharpe and the high-energy backrow of George Smith, David Lyons and Phil Waugh who can hopefully run the England pack around.

Lock Justin Harrison sledged erratic All Blacks lineout thrower Keven Mealamu with a call of "struggling, struggling" during the semi-final but Jones didn't suggest a repeat.

"The English have pretty tough skins so I don't know if you can get under them," he quipped.

"The way England dominates games is through the forwards so we've got to get stuck in and Justin Harrison will be at the forefront of that."

Jones wouldn't buy into the Dad's Army tag for England when he stressed Saturday night was about pack fitness not age.

"Guys like Linford Christie win at the Olympics at 36. What's important is fitness, not so much age, and we'll back ourselves in fitness," Jones added.

Sharpe (knee) has come through training this week without a problem while young utility back Matt Giteau (ankle) ran yesterday afternoon to confirm his return to the reserves. The side which will challenge for Australia's third World Cup bears little resemblance to the side trounced 25-14 by England in June. There are only six survivors while the Wallabies have since installed a new centre pairing, re-commissioned a specialist flyhalf and added more grunt to the front-row.

As much as anything, strength and conditioning co-ordinator Jason Weber has worked overtime to pound in the stamina so the team runs out the 80 minutes because England had this as an edge when the sides last met.

The Daily Telegraph

[Sultan of spin]

Agreed Assasin rugby certainly is a very slow and technical game but when you have the world cup being played in your own country it's only natural to take a bit of interest. Personaly I would rank rugby as my least favored of the 4 football codes played in Australia but I still take a passing interest

[MagpieMad]

Ruggers is a bloody brilliant game! I rate it just behind Aussie rules as my favorite sports then Cricket.

CAR'N AUSSIE!!

[HAL]

Ruggers is a bloody brilliant game! I rate it just behind Aussie rules as my favorite sports then Cricket.

CAR'N AUSSIE!!

I think Ruggers is more than that.

[MagpieMad]

oh and Assasin m8, you don't have to watch it

[Joel]

Well it's nearly here. Good luck to the Wallabies.


GO THE WALLABIES

[commonwombat]

Ladies, Gentleman and others who many not fit either category,

Approx 2 hrs to kick-off and will acquaint those interested with the conditions. Essentially it has been raining in Sydney all day and although not heavy, these conditions will guarantee a greasy ball and wouldn't put anyone's money on seeing a great spectacle.

Whilst the ground surface should be reasonable, todays rain along with other falls during the week will take the sting out of the track.

Will not give a tip as I frankly don't give a flying xxxx who wins. My only interest will be if some Pom does world rugby a service and flattens George Gregan or better still the ref sends him for an early bath.

[molloymagic]

I just want to see the english score a try!!!!!.

[commonwombat]

Sorry Magic but wouldn't even put Donny's hard earned on that one!!

It's continuing to pxxx down and will probably continue up to and thru the match. Would expect ball handling may well be on par with Rhyce Shaw/Richie Cole GF standards.

[Donny]

By all accounts, a great WC final.

Wilkinson won it with a drop goal with seconds to go after a wonderful comeback from the Aussies forced extra time.

I must say I was impressed with Gregan's words straight after the match. He congratulated the Poms but stressed how proud he was of the Wallabies.

[Donny]

The final minute by minute - Fox Sports


1m: Jonny Wilkinson kicks off for England.

6m: Consecutive penalties get Australia in good attacking position. A towering bomb by Stephen Larkham is taken by Lote Tuqiri who out-jumps Jason Robinson to score. Elton Flatley misses conversion. Australia 5-0

11m: Wilkinson penalty goal from 47m after David Lyons infringes at breakdown. Australia 5-3

19m: Wilkinson penalty goal after Larkham tackles player without ball. England 6-5

25m: Ben Kay spills ball for England with line wide open after quick spread of the ball following a Wallaby handling error

28m: Phil Waugh penalised for Australia after failing to stay bound in a scrum. Wilkinson gets his third penalty goal. England 9-5

30m: Flatley misses penalty goal attempt

38m: Try for England after Mat Rogers initially fails to find touch for the Wallabies. After four phases England spins the ball out wide through Lawrence Dallaglio. Wilkinson throws the last pass as Robinson skirts the touchline to score. Wilkinson fails to convert. England 14-5.

47m: Flatley kicks penalty goal after Dallaglio ruled offside coming into a ruck. England 14-8.

53m: Flatley misses penalty goal

61m: Breakdown infringement against England's Phil Vickery. Elton Flatley penalty goal. England 14 -11.

72m: Wilkinson drop goal attempt goes wide

79m: Australia awarded penalty in quarter after England pulled up for illegal scrummaging.

Flatley converts 10 seconds before the fulltime whistle to send the match into extra time. England 14 Australia 14

81m: Justin Harrison penalised for Australia. Wilkinson kicks a penalty goal from almost 50 metres. England 17-14.

97m: Johnson penalised for hands in the ruck for England. Flatley kicks penalty goal from 25 metres out. England 17 Australia 17.

100m: England win a lineout throw from 25 metres out. Ball is eventually centred nicely for Wilkinson who kicks right-footed field goal from 30 metres with 25 seconds remaining in match.

After extra time England 20 Australia 17.