Rugby World Cup: Sir Clive Woodward doubts Wallabies scrum and goalkicking

SIR Clive Woodward has smeared Australia’s top props, and labelled dud goalkicking as another false pillar in the Wallabies’ Rugby World Cup quest.

Woodward on Wallabies: Can’t scrum, can’t kick

SIR Clive Woodward has smeared Australia’s top props as not good enough to make the England squad, and labelled dud goalkicking as another false pillar in the Wallabies’ Rugby World Cup quest.

England’s former World Cup-winning supremo, as ever, was glowing about the Aussies hopes on one hand and clubbed them with a velvet hammer from the other.

Woodward gushed about the Wallabies’ potential for reaching the final, except for the two most important pillars you build World Cup success on.

“If the scrum goes backwards, the Wallabies’ whole game will fall apart,” Woodward said from London on the eve of the code’s showpiece event.

“They are working on it but it’s a worry because I see three or four sets of props in England who’d get into the Wallabies squad.”

Cop that.

Sir Clive Woodward with the Rugby World Cup.

If any more motivation is needed, Sekope Kepu, James Slipper, Greg Holmes, Scott Sio and Toby Smith got lashings of it for the monster pool clash against the bull-necks of England on October 4 (6am AEST).

Woodward was blessed with superboot Jonny Wilkinson when his English side triumphed at the 2003 World Cup and is certain goalkicking will decide key games again.

Until Bernard Foley’s much-improved six-from-seven effort against the USA in Chicago last weekend, the Wallabies were more hit-or-miss flying to London than any other top nation.

“A world-class goalkicker is the other element you need to win a World Cup, an 85-90 per cent man, and the Wallabies have a big question mark there when it gets to the knockout stage,” Woodward said.

Beyond those fingers-crossed fracture points, Woodward was upbeat about the Wallabies, their weapons, the hard edge of coach Michael Cheika and the style of rugby they will play.

“You’ve got to pick to your strengths, so absolutely I see David Pocock and Michael Hooper, two amazing opensides, playing a lot together at this World Cup,” Woodward said.

“You can play a final 30 minutes with both against a very big South African side but the question is can you start them both?

“I feel Cheika will start both in certain games but England will be fielding a huge back-row and I don’t know if he can start them there.

“Cheika has done a great job and getting Matt Giteau back from France will work for him.

“The Wallabies can play differently to any other team at this World Cup, they have as much skill as the All Blacks in their ability to play with the ball and I see them as semi-finalists for sure.”

Five-eighth Quade Cooper should derive confidence from at least one Englishman urging him to make a mark on the tournament.

“To win a World Cup, a team needs special players like Cooper and you want a Messi or Ronaldo on the pitch for the code’s sake at its biggest event,” Woodward said.

“He’ll get a good run but, again, is he a good enough goalkicker when the crucial moment comes?”

Sir Clive Woodward is a rugby ambassador for Land Rover, a worldwide partner of Rugby World Cup 2015 and promoting grassroots rugby through #WeDealInReal

Find out more at www.landrover.com/rugby and @LandRoverRugby

Originally published as Rugby World Cup: Sir Clive Woodward doubts Wallabies scrum and goalkicking