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How the Wallabies can win the Rugby World Cup

15th September, 2015
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Israel Folau needs to fire should the Wallabies even hope to get within iota of the Webb Ellis Trophy. (Image. Tim Anger)
Expert
15th September, 2015
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There are so many reasons why the Wallabies might not win the 2015 Rugby World Cup.

We’ve all thought about them: the scrum might not really be better, the halves are too flaky, the lineout is going to be a shambles, we don’t have world-class players in enough positions, and so on.

But I’m a Wallabies fan, and this is an Australian website – despite the regular patronage of readers from other countries, who are still a valued bunch – so I’m going to think about how the Wallabies could win.

More in our ‘Get behind the Wallabies’ series:
>> PART 1: Enough fighting already
>> PART 2: Believe in the Wallabies’ selections at the Rugby World Cup

What do you think the Wallabies path to victory is? Here’s mine. Tell me if I’m crazy.

The vice
The one section on the field where the Wallabies have a real chance to shine is the backrow. We and the rest of the world aren’t quite sure how good it can be yet in its current form, with Michael Hooper the tearaway, David Pocock the ruck terror and Scott Fardy strong in between, with a nose for contact. Behind them are three bodies that will be rotated in depending on the game, ground and situation.

The early signs of the David Pocock experiment were that the three flankers could perhaps combine to become a vice-like threat to the opposition – strangling their ruck, securing the Wallabies ball and buzzing around the opposition inside backs when they’d prefer an inch of space.

Time and space are two things that allow professional rugby players to execute their skill. The more of both the better. Hooper, Pocock and Fardy could squeeze those factors out of the game and cause composed players to waver and punish inaccuracy around the ruck.

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The experiment has a long way to play out yet, and there is limited evidence, but what we have is mostly encouraging. The energy, speed and accuracy on offer in the backrow for the Wallabies could have halfbacks looking for the exit, runners called for holding the ball and clearing kickers hooking quickly into touch.

To make this work David Pocock needs to become a more secure eight-man in scrum situations, which is still a real skill.

The rock
Which brings us to… the rock of any Test rugby side.

It feels a little perilous to rely on such a green prop leading into a world cup tournament, but Scott Sio’s inclusion in the Test team seems to have brought a level of stability to the Wallabies scrum not seen for a while.

Sekope Kepu is a combative prop, both in the scrum and around the park. He compliments Sio’s rock-like qualities. Between them is either captain Stephen Moore or Tatafu Polota Nau. Suddenly the Wallabies front row isn’t worth laughing about anymore.

James Slipper has been playing valiantly in the role of loosehead prop for some time, but his slighter build and running and passing ability seems well suited to impact performances off the bench.

Greg Holmes brings some flexibility and Toby Smith will get into the rotation in situations to help his development.

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Yes the Wallabies scrum has had many false dawns. But if things go in the right direction here – no injuries are suffered and no crises of confidence take hold – the Wallabies scrum is finally in a position to cease being a hindrance.

In close games winning the set piece scrum is like pulling on an oxygen mask – it’s vital and refreshing.

The star
In 1995 it was Jonah Lomu. In 1991 it was David Campese. In 1999 it was Tim Horan. In 2007 it was Juan Martin Hernandez. In 2011 it was Richie McCaw and his broken foot.

You can round off the list if you’d like, because at every world cup there is a player that stands out for their ability to continually drag and push their team to greatness. The team they are on doesn’t always win the cup, but it certainly helps.

The player that could fit this role for Australia is Israel Folau. Now in his third year of rugby, he’s about the play the tournament we’ve all been waiting for, if we’re honest. Australia isn’t getting its best return from him, a world-class/elite/one-in-a-generation/whatever word you chose player needs to step up in the biggest games and they’re about to come rolling in.

Starting in the pool stage Israel Folau can stamp his authority on the tournament by playing a counter-attacking game that northern hemisphere teams such as England and Wales rarely see and might struggle to cope with.

In the knock-out stages, and against southern hemisphere teams more familiar with him, Folau will have to concentrate on the basics and hunt around the fringes where the likes of Bernard Foley, Matt Giteau and Will Genia snipe. With balance unrivalled in rugby, Folau should be capitalising on the half-sniffs that rear their head in knock-out rugby games.

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So far I’d comfortably say Folau is behind Ben Smith as the premier fullback in world rugby. And he probably doesn’t have the game to ever be as rounded as Smith is. But you get the feeling he has been holding himself back just a smidgen this year. If that is the case and he seizes this moment he may well be so efficiently devastating on attack in this tournament to make the case that whatever else he lacks doesn’t matter.

The heavens
Of course every world cup winning side needs a dose of luck to get the job done.

The Wallabies will probably have to hope for the odd favourable call, kick bouncing off the post or flustered winger dropping a pass. But if they employ a backrow vice, a rocky not crumbly scrum and have their star takeover they’ll be in a position to make that luck count.

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