Defence back on top at World Cup, says Elsom

Wallabies flanker Rocky Elsom suspects the Rugby World Cup playoffs will be as physical, dour and defence-oriented as the highly-criticised 2007 edition.

In what could be a worrying trend for Australia, and despite the IRB’s intentions of opening up the game, miserly defence has overtaken entertaining attack as the tournament enters its knockout stage.

The last World Cup in France was deemed the least attractive from a running-rugby perspective with South Africa and England advancing to a tryless final on the back of conservative, field position games.

Elsom, one of just six Wallabies who remain from Australia’s failed 2007 campaign, expects the grinding arm wrestles to be repeated this weekend when the quarter-finals kick off.

The forthright former skipper indicated there was little chance of Sunday’s Australia-Springboks clash resembling a traditional Tri Nations encounter.

With the breakdown battle regressing into a bigger contest under current officiating, Elsom felt defence would have more influence on the results than attack in the extra intensity of sudden-death rugby.

Such a return makes it a tougher assignment for the attack-hungry Wallabies to continue their recent superiority against the defending champions, having won five of their past six Tests.

“If you watch the games, it’s obvious the (World Cup and Tri Nations) games are different,” Elsom said on Tuesday.

“There’s a whole lot more advantage in the defence; they (South Africa) get off the line very hard and it has been good for them so far.

“In the Tri Nations, it was a different setting and the game was played a different way.

“It doesn’t mean we can’t adapt and doesn’t mean they won’t adapt, but I imagine it will be different.”

The Wallabies were not able to adapt in Marseilles four years ago when England smashed their forward pack through vigorous counter-rucking, on top of a scrummaging demolition.

But Springboks hardman Bakkies Botha doesn’t believe Australia’s pack will be as easy to monster this time, even in the likely event of wet conditions in Wellington.

“Australia are a much more physical side than they were three, four years ago,” Botha said. “You can’t play good Test rugby if you haven’t got a pack that dominates physically.”

The Wallabies had been aided by the IRB tweaking law interpretations at the breakdown in 2010 which made for far more expansive rugby as backs fed well off clean, recycled ball.

But through the World Cup’s pool stage 73-Test stalwart Elsom was reminded more of the play and refereeing from the last tournament.

“I’d say there are surprisingly few changes,” he said. “Obviously the game flows in the pool stages when you have lesser sides versus more-fancied sides but in the big games it tends to tighten up and every inch of ascendancy you can gain there at the breakdown is crucial.”

Discipline at the collision zone will also be key for Australia as the Springboks boast the form goalkicker in the competition in Morne Steyn.

Steyn rated windy Wellington the most difficult place in world rugby to kick, further highlighting the huge task whiz-kid James O’Connor faces in the pressure-filled role.