Wallabies great Joe Roff has likened Australia’s current plight to that of the woes he and his teammates experienced in 1997 before they turned it around in time to win the World Cup.

Roff, who played 86 Tests from 1996 to 2004, said the Wallabies’ shock loss to Scotland last weekend reminded him of the difficult period Australia endured in 1997.

But he was confident the Wallabies still had the time and the personnel to turn things around before the 2011 World Cup.

“Two years out from the (1999) World Cup we lost to Argentina and we were flogged by New Zealand,” Roff told AAP on Thursday.

“This team is two years out from the World Cup and they’ve lost to Scotland and they’re in a very similar position.

“But the quality of the players are there and some of the younger guys have been given Test experience on this tour and they will benefit from that hugely.

“Two years in rugby is a lifetime in terms of maturing as a player, so I don’t read too much into it at the moment.

“I think it’s a really strong team.”

Roff expected Australia to bounce back and beat Wales on Saturday, but said regaining their confidence was their biggest challenge.

“There’s great skill there and they can throw the ball around and when they have, they’ve shown they can create opportunities against all sides they play against,” he said.

“But having the confidence is just part of the key to building momentum and that’s just not what’s happening at the moment.

“… it’s hard if you’re out in the water and you see a shark, you start to think the sharks are out there.

“It’s a really difficult thing to get over, that losing mindset, and it’s the difference between losing the one-point games and winning the one-point games.”

© AAP 2012

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