Rugby World Cup 2015: Fiji could have huge say in how far Australia goes in tournament
MICHAEL Lynagh favours the All Blacks to win the Rugby World Cup, but believes a minnow could have a big say in how far Australia goes in the tournament.
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FORMER Wallabies five-eighth Michael Lynagh favours the All Blacks “with reservations” to win the Rugby World Cup, but believes so-called minnow Fiji could have a big say in how far Australia goes in the tournament.
“The All Blacks are rightly favourites but they will have to turn history on its head if they are to win,” the 1991 World Cup winner said.
“No country has won it twice in succession. When a team wins, some of the older players decide to hang on and keep playing for another four years, and that puts pressure on the selectors. At what stage should youth take over from experience?
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“In saying that, they are clearly the top-ranked side in the world right now, but they haven’t always been able to convert that into a World Cup win.’’
Still suffering some loss of sight from the stroke which he suffered on a trip to Brisbane in 2012, London-based Lynagh is an analyst with the UK’s Sky TV coverage of Super Rugby and The Rugby Championship and has the chance to see all the European sides in action.
Of the main contenders outside Australia’s pool, Lynagh’s ratings are:
Ireland: “Well coached, reasonable draw”.
South Africa: “Depends if they want to beat everyone up and kick goals or pick some young guys who want to run it”.
France: “Who would know? In 2011 you wouldn’t give them the time of day early on and then they nearly won the thing’’.
With Australia in Pool A alongside host England, Wales, Fiji and Uruguay, the Wallabies will do well just to get to the knockout stage, but Lynagh remains confident.
If England can get off to a good start the home support will be enormous, but their first game against Fiji could be the trickiest of all.
“If England has a good win first-up they will get a lot of push forward,” he said. “If they do well the country will go berserk, but Fiji won’t be easy.
“They weren’t too bad against the Maori recently and they have a lot of players who play here in the UK now. They know the conditions and they understand the 15-man game better than they used to.
“There will be huge expectation on England. After a big build-up they could be tight, nervous. Fiji will be a tricky opposition.’’
If Fiji can pull off a huge upset in the first game of the tournament, it will open the door for Australia, but Lynagh believes Wales will be equally tough.
“What is it, 10 times in a row that Australia has beaten Wales? A sequence like that has to end sometime,’’ Lynagh said.
“(Wales) are preparing well. They have lost (centre) Jonathan Davies through injury but there are some good replacements.
“Wales tends to do well in World Cups and this is the first time they will be meeting Australia at full strength. It will be tough, but I think Australia will be strong.
“There was a lot of talk about the front row when the Wallabies were over here last year, but the return of Stephen Moore makes a big difference there. If he gets the front row working as a unit they can set a platform.
“The teams over here focus on that part of the game, of course. England particularly targets Australia there. It is their perceived strength and our perceived weakness but if we hold our own, or even better than that, we have some very good backs.
“The last time the Wallabies were here Michael Cheika had been coach for four days. It was hardly ideal. He’s a good coach and the players like him. He has their loyalty and trust. That’s a very good start.
“I can see a scenario where the top three sides in the pool, England, Australia and Wales each take a game off each other and it will come down to points difference.
“That’s where Fiji and Uruguay will have a very big say.’’