Australia’s surge to the 2015 World Cup final after turbulence the previous year has convinced re-signed Wallabies five-eighth Bernard Foley the team can do something similar and potentially go one better in next year’s tournament.
Foley on Wednesday announced a one-year contact extension after rebuffing overseas offers, but said a long-term deal was “not out of the picture.”
A stunning come-from-behind win against Argentina earlier this month kept Australia off the bottom of the Rugby Championship ladder, but they finished with a mediocre 2-4 record and are 3-6 for the year.
Australia also went through a rocky patch at the corresponding stage of their last World Cup cycle
Coach Ewen McKenzie stepped down in mid-October 2014 and the Wallabies won just one of four spring tour matches under his replacement Michael Cheika.
Despite that turbulence, Australia improved sufficiently within 12 months to make the World Cup final, where they lost to New Zealand.
‘I think having that experience is very comforting,” Foley said on Wednesday.
“Knowing 12 months out from the World Cup last time that I didn’t have that belief at all, now I’ve got that belief and I think we’ve definitely got the players to go out there and do that.
“I’m more than confident that we can go one better than we did last time.
‘I think the challenge for us is to do everything we can now to be No.1 in the world and to win that and lift that trophy.
“There’s definitely a lot of hard work to be done. There’s lot of potential that has to be fulfilled and that’s the exciting thing.”
Cheika expressed confidence that 64-Test veteran Foley won’t be lost to a rich overseas club contract after next year.
“I’m very happy that Bernard has signed on but I don’t believe this will be his final year in Australian rugby,” Cheika said.
Foley is the fourth-highest points scorer (593) in Wallabies history and only sits behind Matt Giteau (698 points), Matt Burke (878) and Michael Lynagh (911).
He was dropped for three Rugby Championship Tests, but was restored to the run-on side for the match against Argentina.
Australia’s next Test is the last Bledisloe Cup match of the year against world champions New Zealand in Tokyo on October 27.
Hoy
Roar Guru
Agree completely...
piru
Roar Rookie
I get it Hoy, and I agree 110%. Working hard should be a given at that level, but you can hardly blame the bloke for being selected. That's my point - should he refuse the gig? I don't think it's really fair the amount of crap he cops (and I'm sure I've sent my fair share his way). It's Cheika who should be copping the flak, he (unwittingly I'm sure) sets his mates up to be castigated over and over - ask Ned Hannigan!
Hoy
Roar Guru
Doing one's best isn't really a reason to keep a jersey.. I did my best, but I never got Wallaby jerseys handed to me. Cooper's biggest crime is being Cooper, but forget Cooper... I am resigned to never seeing him in gold again... hopefully he can delight us fans a little in Super rugby next year? Hopefully. Foley isn't a superstar, and I don't think his best is good enough. That is my issue... you started with Cooper, so I will say... Foley's play is as bad as Cooper's supposedly is... conversely, Cooper's play is as good as Foley's is. Yet Foley has not been contested in his role for 2 years now... and I knew the dropping this year was very temporary because that is what Cheika does... if he ever drops a favourite, he says they can work on their game, and then picks them again, so quickly after, without any evidence whatsoever they have done anything to their game at all...
Hoy
Roar Guru
This is what I don't understand... Hodge takes one HUGE punt for touch each game, then isn't allowed to do it again... On exits, all our kickers need a kicking coach... they are all too slow to load up... what happened to the old two step torpy? Can't they practice it anymore? They have to have a 15 metre run up to do a drop punt? I can't remember how many of our exits are charged down, but the ratio is too high.
piru
Roar Rookie
I feel a bit for Foley, he has not done anything to deserve the crap that gets slung at him. He may not be a superstar, but he does his best. Pretty much his biggest crime is not being Cooper
Realist
Guest
Fair call Bb. We mustn’t forget it is Chieka who keeps selecting his favourites to the detriment of the national team and a Wallaby brand. Foley shouldn’t be ashamed to be wearing the jersey being gifted to him as he has served it a handful of times. It’s the the opportunistic lemons like Nic Phipps and Dean Mumm who should be ashamed for opportunistically seizing the jersey when they offered nothing but an ugly brown stain. Ned Hanigan is also in this category, by next season he won’t be able to use ‘youth’ as an excuse
Oblonsky‘s Other Pun
Roar Guru
Does he know his limitations? If that's the case why does he always do the touchfinding off penalties as well as exits? Perhaps Cheika instructs him too, but surely if he pointed out DHP, Hodge, Genia and Beale have better boots they would do so instead?
Joseph
Guest
Dream on Foley.. one better than WRC 2015 you say? Our lads will be lucky to get past the quarters..
Bluffboy
Roar Rookie
Mate I don't agree or disagree, but IMO the fault does lie with Chieka as he hasn't blooded or given similar opportunities to anyone else for that position. But when you say others were playing better, I can't think of one and because of your coach there certainly isn't one at test level to judge. So on the basis he is the only one and good on him. You surely can't bag the man for being there, he's not selecting himself.
Scott
Guest
You`re dreaming if you think they will pay a 30 year old average flyhalf big coin, the guy was rubbish when he was 24.
The General
Guest
"Good and faithful servant of Aussie rugby. Brave player. Knows his limitations. Takes a lot of sledging." 1. No one wants him, that`s why he is here only Cheika wants him. 2. Brave? why is he brave? are not other players brave when they play? 3. Knows his limitations .We know mate, we`ve seen it for 5 years and the Wallabies have gone from 2nd in the world to 7th whilst he has been number 10. He is a one dimensional limited 10 who cannot kick for field position tackle pass or kick goals from any further out than 35 meters. 4. Takes a lot of sledging .Well blame Cheika for him picking over and over and over when he has been out of form and other 10`s were playing better.
ForwardsWinMatches
Guest
Smart move by Foley. Good luck to him, should be able to secure a good o/s contract for after the RWC. Once again highlights, to me anyway, the insanity of Hooper’s long term deal.
Lano
Roar Guru
"Bernard Foley declares he is more confident of winning next year’s World Cup than he was in 2015 when the Wallabies made the final''. https://www.theaustralian.com.au/sport/rugby-union/bernard-foley-says-wallabies-can-go-one-better-in-2019-world-cup/news-story/9d7d3a3197212e8fe1dffe023587c1b0
Just Nuisance
Roar Rookie
Agree Harry , but here's the buzz. He will absolutely be more appreciated in Europe than in Australia. He will earn more...much more money . So why doesn't he go right now ? ........This world cup will approximate that of 1995 in terms of changing the face of rugby globally . 1995 gave us finnaly open prof fesionalim . Players got appreciated not with words and back handed gifts but with contracts and salaries. The reason guys like Foley are hanging tough are yes they would love a dip at a medal ......but more importantly it is a great stage to showcase themselves and try elevate their net worth . SA players , Aus players and yes NZ players must be thinking the same thing.
Harry Jones
Expert
Good and faithful servant of Aussie rugby. Brave player. Knows his limitations. Takes a lot of sledging.