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Former captain Stirling Mortlock has changed his tune and reckons the Wallabies can challenge for Rugby World Cup glory after all.
Nine months after declaring Australia had “no chance” of winning back the Webb Ellis Cup this year following a “train-wreck” loss to Italy, Mortlock believes again.
A try-scoring hero of Australia’s shock 2003 World Cup semi-final triumph over New Zealand under Eddie Jones, Mortlock has seen similar progression from the Wallabies since the master coach returned for a second stint in January.
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While the Wallabies are none-from-four during Jones’ latest tenure, Mortlock isn’t ruling out emulating Australia’s swift reversal in fortunes of 20 years ago.
Back then, the Wallabies made the World Cup final four months after copping a 50-21 Bledisloe Cup hammering from the All Blacks, only to lose the showpiece to England in extra time.
“I have been a lot more positive and optimistic than a lot of other people that I’ve been speaking to in and around the game,” Mortlock told AAP on Tuesday.
Tate McDermott of Australia passes the ball during The Rugby Championship & Bledisloe Cup match between the New Zealand All Blacks and the Australia Wallabies at Forsyth Barr Stadium on August 05, 2023 in Dunedin, New Zealand. (Photo by Joe Allison/Getty Images)
“I have been to both the home matches that we’ve had and I’ve seen improvements from every Test match.
“Although we’ve lost all four, there’s certain aspects of our game where I’ve seen definitive improvements.”
Mortlock has been most impressed with Jones’ juggling of the twin challenges of trying to settle on the best 33-man World Cup squad while overhauling the Wallabies’ playing style.
“That involves making sure players get certain opportunities to show their wares at Test level, so they’ve been rotating through more players than you’d normally want,” he said.
“At the same time, they’ve been really trying to push the team through fundamental big changes to the way we’re playing the game.
“If you add those two together, they really are two conflicting focuses that don’t usually add up.
“For the team to be able to go through this – constantly changing your combinations – and still improve is huge. It’s massive.”
Mortlock believes the Wallabies were “pretty unlucky” not to have recorded their first win against the All Blacks in New Zealand in 22 years on Saturday, when they lost 23-20 in Dunedin.
He says the question remains whether Jones’ charges have enough to beat the heavyweights of the world in France.
“If it’s a fitness concern, there’s not that much time to remedy that,” he said.
“But I’m pretty strong on my view that firstly, we do have a relatively favourable draw. It’s not easy but it’s a good side of the draw.
“So that gives the Wallabies a good opportunity to get into the semis.
“In World Cups, it’s all about maximising your chances of taking momentum into the sudden-death matches, and that will certainly be the focus for the Wallabies.
“With Eddie at the helm, I’ve got no doubt that’s what they’ll be focusing on and then applying themselves 100 per cent on the sudden-death games.
“If you win two of those, you’re in the final and anything can happen.”
World Cup winning coach Steve Hansen agreed, in an interview with SENZ on Tuesday.
“The draw’s interesting, isn’t it? The top four sides in the world play each other in the quarter-final. And people have got to understand two of the best sides in the world could be gone by the quarter-final stage, which is really unique and probably not what you want but it’s the way the cards have fallen,” Hansen said.
“On the other side that gives lesser sides an opportunity and someone like Australia, if they get a good run and get some confidence, they could go all the way through and make the semi-final.
“Once you make the semi-final, you’re in the party. Anything can happen from there. England don’t look like they’re travelling that well, but who knows? Wales, I’d pretty much say the same. So it is open for Fiji to get out of their pool and Scotland, again, another side (who) could get out of the pool.”
Jones will name his World Cup squad on Thursday.
© AAP
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