Five reasons the Wallabies’ Rugby World Cup bandwagon is worth a ride
LIKE any good sports fan you’re looking for a reason to jump on board the Wallabies’ Rugby World Cup bandwagon. Here’s why the men in gold are worth your love.
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IT’S been a turbulent few years for the Wallabies.
They’ve used three coaches since the last failed Rugby World Cup campaign in New Zealand.
Quade Cooper described the team environment as “toxic” during Robbie Deans’ reign.
The game was brought to its knees by Kurtley Beale’s classic mistake of sending a text message to the person the text was about.
But then a guy called Michael Cheika showed up, took out his broom and cleaned up the mess that was Australia’s national rugby team.
A few personnel changes at an admin level and in the coaching staff appears to have made the necessary difference just in time for the 2015 Rugby World Cup in England, beginning Saturday morning when England take on Fiji.
Since “Cheik’s” arrival there is more evidence to suggest the Wallabies can win the World Cup than the evidence to the contrary.
Last month they beat the All Blacks for the first time since 2011 and they won the Rugby Championship.
More important, though, is that we’re not hearing the indifferent dismissals of part-time fans who used to be able to justify a decision to ignore the Wallabies by citing jargon like “penalty-goalathon” or “another bloody kicking duel”.
This is a team that has won back a lot of fans lost in recent years.
A lot of former fans want back on the bandwagon.
Here’s why it’s a decision you won’t regret.
1. THEY’RE ACTUALLY GOOD ‘AUSSIE’ BLOKES
WHEN the banter is flowing in a football team it’s usually a good sign the dressing room is united.
Here are just a couple of the one-liners that have been swirling around the playing group recently.
Israel Folau took a dig at playmaker Bernard Foley for being the most undesirable roommate in the World Cup squad because of a few odour issues.
“He talks a lot — as all good flyhalves do — but his taste in music is awful and there are a few questionable hygiene issues,” Folau told Fox Sports.
Don’t worry about Foley’s bruised ego. He can hold his own.
The Waratahs fly-half compared veteran speedster Adam Ashley-Cooper to a Mercedes in a recent interview — because it’s the car all middle-aged women want to ride.
If nothing else, the Wallabies’ banter makes them a team worth supporting.
2. ISRAEL FOLAU HAS NEVER BEEN ON A STAGE LIKE THIS
WHEN Israel Folau exploded on the international scene with a series to remember against the British and Irish Lions in 2013, there were calls he was on his way to become the next Jonah Lomu.
The GWS Giants convert was unstoppable.
That once-in-a-generation series is the biggest stage Folau has stepped on in his rugby career so far.
When the Wallabies begin their World Cup campaign against Fiji on Thursday morning he’ll be stepping onto the biggest stage of his career.
The 26-year-old has always loved the big stage.
The NRL grand final and State of Origin matches always brought out the best in Izzy. If the Giants had ever played in a big game he probably would have produced some magic in AFL as well.
The point here is that in Folau, Australia has the man most likely to become the biggest star of the entire tournament.
3. THEY HAVE SELF BELIEF IN SPADES
MICHAEL Cheika’s toughest assignment was getting the Wallabies to believe they can beat the All Blacks.
He can cross that off his list after the Aussies beat those Kiwis 27-19 at ANZ Stadium just over five weeks ago. We don’t need to mention the 41-13 drubbing they were dealt a week later at Eden Park.
4. NEW ZEALAND HABITUALLY CHOKE
THE All Blacks have been favourites for all seven of the Rugby World Cups and they’ve won just two.
Sure, this latest mob don’t seem to have the same mental frailties as previous All Blacks teams after they won the tournament on home soil four years ago, but somewhere in the back of Richie McCaw’s mind is the nagging feeling they might screw it up again.
The All Blacks will almost certainly finish up on the more competitive side of the knockout draw and are on a collision course to take on South Africa in the semi-finals if they both finish top of their pools and win their respective quarter-finals.
5. KNOCKING THE POMS DOWN A PEG
AUSTRALIA’S most critical game of the entire tournament will be their clash with England in Pool A on November 4.
It is expected to be a clash to decide which team finishes top of the group. The top team in Group A will play the second team from Group B — expected to be Samoa or Scotland — in the quarter-finals. The second team in Group A plays the top team from Group B — expected to be South Africa — in the quarter-finals. Finishing second in Group A would also leave the Wallabies in the same half of the knockout stages as New Zealand.
Beating England has always put a kick in the step of Australian sports fans and, after the recent Ashes series, Australians have never wanted to beat the Old Enemy more than right now. The Wallabies can give us that feeling of Commonwealth superiority we lost on the dusty England pitches last month.
Originally published as Five reasons the Wallabies’ Rugby World Cup bandwagon is worth a ride
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