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How do the Wallabies take down the world’s new No.1 team at the World Cup?

29th August, 2019
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29th August, 2019
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According to official rankings, Wales are the best international rugby team in the world and Ben Stokes isn’t the best all-rounder in world cricket.

Rankings can be ridiculous.

Yes, Stokes missed a fair bit of cricket recently due to suspension but for a long time before that, Bangladesh’s Shakib Al-Hasan and India’s Ravindra Jadeja were ahead of the English all-rounder on the ICC’s rankings. Jason Holder, the West Indies captain, currently sits at No.1 above Stokes.

You don’t have to be a cricket tragic to know that Stokes is the best all-rounder in the world, even before his outrageous innings to sink Australia in the third Ashes Test in Headingley on Sunday.

You don’t have to be a rugby tragic to know that New Zealand are the best rugby team in the world, even before they hammered Australia at Eden Park 36-0 almost a fortnight ago.

Wales moved to the top of World Rugby’s rankings after they defeated England 13-6 in Cardiff on the same day as the All Blacks’ victory. They’ve been a standout team for a while, winning a record 14 straight Tests and a Six Nations Grand Slam title earlier this year, but Wales haven’t defeated the All Blacks since 1953.

World Rugby vice-president Agustin Pichot was one of many who criticised the rankings system.

“It’s ridiculous! I’m going to change it, I assure you,” Pichot told Argentine website aplenorugby.com.ar.

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All Blacks coach Steve Hansen was similarly confused.

“We won the Bledisloe Cup and lost the rankings. Ask yourself how that works,” he said.

Wales host Ireland at Principality Stadium in Cardiff this weekend, with a loss enough to send them back to second place. And there’s a good chance that they’ll get knocked over given 14 changes have been made to the side that beat England in Cardiff.

Nonetheless, the Wallabies will be interested observers as Wales are their main rivals in Pool D at the World Cup starting in just three weeks in Japan.

Australia's Sean McMahon

The Wallabies also met Wales in the 2015 tournament. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

That pool clash, in Tokyo on September 29, is a defining clash for the fortunes of the two teams heading into the knockout phase of the tournament. The winner of the pool will face the runner-up from Pool C – which includes England, France, Argentina, the United States and Tonga – in the quarter-finals. Runner-up in Pool D takes on the winner of Group C.

Naturally, the Wallabies and Wales will want to avoid England, who are strong favourites to take top spot in their pool and looked menacing in thumping Ireland 57-15 at Twickenham last weekend.

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It’s why so much rides on the Wallabies’ clash with Wales as the pool victor not only lines up probably Argentina or France in the quarters, but the winner of that would likely face Ireland or South Africa – and not the All Blacks – in a semi-final.

Remember the 2011 World Cup? The Wallabies were dire in losing to Ireland in their pool encounter, meaning they took on a more arduous path in the knockout games by having to meet the Springboks and All Blacks first.

The last World Cup in 2015? Australia were brilliant in beating England and fought off Wales in pool play, which booked them a quarter-final against Scotland and a semi-final against Argentina.

The Welsh side for the World Cup will likely be close to the one that faced England in the two recent Tests and also the Six Nations clash in February.

Wales line up during the NatWest Six Nations match between Wales and Italy at the Principality Stadium on March 11, 2018 in Cardiff, Wales.

(Photo: David Rogers/Getty Images)

Gareth Anscombe is out of the tournament due to a knee injury, meaning Dan Biggar will wear the No.10 jersey.

Legendary Welsh winger JJ Williams claimed Wales would not win the World Cup with Biggar at five-eighth, and he responded perfectly against the Poms. He will be paired with Gareth Davies in the halves, with both possessing accurate and varied kicking games in general play. Davies is also a speedy ball-runner who can hurt defences around the edges of the ruck.

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Hadleigh Parkes will be at No.12 and Jonathan Davies at outside centre. They are excellent defenders and have great footwork in attack.

George North and Josh Adams will be their wingers, who like the centre pairing are robust and physical.

Fullback is a bit contentious, with Liam Williams the favourite after an impressive Six Nations but Leigh Halfpenny snapping at his heels following a solid showing against England.

The Welsh pack is their strength. Ken Owens has bloomed into a top-class hooker, thriving alongside props Tomas Francis and Nicky Smith. Tough-as-teak Alun Wyn Jones leads the way in the second-row and as captain.

Cory Hill, who had a massive Six Nations in the Welsh second-row, is rushing to return from a foot injury in time for the World Cup. They are hoping to get Hill on the field against Ireland in the last of their World Cup warm-up matches in Dublin next weekend.

The Welsh back row is formidable and competitive. Ross Moriarty is perhaps the only certainty to start at No.8, with Josh Navidi, Justin Tipuric, Aaron Wainwright and James Davies all fighting for the other back-row jerseys.

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The Welsh defence is a great strength. In the most recent Six Nations, they only conceded 65 points across their five games. The next best defence was Ireland, who let in 100 points. England could only manage two George Ford penalty goals in Cardiff two weeks ago.

Their only blip was a 33-19 loss to England a week earlier when England shot out of the blocks and went on to end Wales’ 14-match winning streak.

Points are hard-earned against Wales. They will grind and scramble – and they’ve been doing it for a while now. They will head into the World Cup with a hard edge, having faced England twice and Ireland twice before their first clash of the tournament against Georgia.

World Rugby’s rankings will be well forgotten by then. For Australia and Wales, claiming that No.1 ranking in Pool D is what’s most valuable this year.

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