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‘We are on track’: What Eddie Jones expects from Wallabies’ World Cup rival
By Finn Morton
Following a disappointing Rugby Championship campaign, the Wallabies fell to their fifth loss from as many starts under coach Eddie Jones when they came up against France last weekend.
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The Wallabies showed plenty of fight, passion and character, but the taste of sweet, sweet victory continues to allude the young side.
But a Rugby World Cup beckons and the Aussies believe they’re “on track.”
The Wallabies will begin their quest for rugby immortality against Georgia at Stade de France on September 10. Georgia are a team on the rise, and they won’t go down without a fight.
Now sitting just two places behind the Wallabies on World Rugby’s rankings, Georgia has come a long way since the tournament in Japan four years ago.
Georgia beat Italy in Batumi just over a year ago and Wales in Cardiff last November, but they’ll be eager to create more history in France.
“They’ve changed their game a little bit,” Wallabies coach Eddie Jones told reporters. “They play very much like France; very high-kicking team.
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“I had a wonderful dinner in Paris on Wednesday night and this French guy came up to me and he said, ‘I love how France play now. I love how they play because they don’t kick the ball anymore.’ They’re the highest-kicking side in the world.
“People have perceptions of how teams play. When you’re winning, the perception is a positive perception.
“Georgia play a very similar game to France, 10 of their players play in the leagues in France – mostly in Top 14.
“They have a very significant French influence so they kick a lot, they contest hard at the breakdown, and they’ve developed some fantastic counter-attacking skills.
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“I won’t try to pronounce the name of the 15 or the nine but they’re very good attacking players.
“The perception of Georgia was that they’re a hard scrummaging, hard mauling, gritty team, and there’s still elements of that but they’ve changed their game considerably.”
Australia have been cast aside by many rugby fans as pretenders ahead of the Rugby World Cup, rather than the contenders that the once international powerhouse was.
The Wallabies are ranked ninth in the world – their lowest place ever on the World Rugby list – and coach Jones has picked a young team to turn the Aussies’ fortunes around on the sport’s biggest stage.
Rising star Carter Gordon is the only flyhalf in the squad, and electric halfback Tate McDermott is expected to play plenty of minutes in the No. 9 jersey.
This is a team with plenty of potential, but whether they have what it takes to challenge for World Cup glory remains to be seen. But the Wallabies are just taking it one game at a time.
“The only thing we have to worry about is Georgia in 10 days’ time,” Jones added.
“Are we on track for Georgia? Yes, we are on track for Georgia. Then after we deal with Georgia we get on track for the next game, that’s all we have to worry about.
“Those things are for you guys to worry about, not for us.”
On track to do what? They don't look like they're up to much. And I have to wonder how long those Pacific boys are going to tolerate Eddie's dictatorial, sarcastic style.
Still want to know why Ikitau didn't travel as I believe his shoulder is largely repaired and he has started contact work back in Canberra. Of all the debatable selections - Cooper, Hooper, Samu, Holloway etc - taking Jorgensen unfit but not Ikitau with the likely same ready to play date just makes no damn sense at all
If the Wallabies can roll Fiji and Wales then they could well make the semi's. All ifs and butts at this stage but just feel there is plenty of improvement in this side and if they get a good couple of wins under their belts then things could change very quickly.