Rugby World Cup: Wallabies take flight for Japan with spring in their step after stormy year
On the back of the worst on-field results in 60 years and the storm around Israel Folau, the Wallabies are heading to the World Cup united in their determination to ‘Bring Back Bill’.
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Flying straight into the typhoon that is barrelling across northern Asia, the Wallabies head to Japan on Monday morning more confident than ever that they are hitting peak form at the right time after emerging from their own turbulence.
On the back of the worst on-field results in 60 years, the storm that engulfed Rugby Australia after Israel Folau was sacked for his anti-gay postings not only split the game’s loyal supporters but also threatened to disrupt the Wallabies’ World Cup campaign before it even began.
But with wins over New Zealand, Argentina and Samoa in the last six weeks, and the reappearance of Australia’s traditional attacking game, things are suddenly looking much brighter as the Folau row fades into memory.
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"Realistically, what we're feeling like now is we can’t wait for it to start, which is probably something we may not have said six or seven months ago,” coach Michael Cheika said.
"We really feel like we can't wait for it, just excited about getting it on."
According to both the players and the coaches, the mood in the Wallaby camp right now is better than ever and everyone’s singing from the same hymn sheet.
If anything, the Folau saga has brought the squad closer together because it’s reinforced the message that the team is always bigger than the individual, especially when it comes to winning World Cups.
"There's a really good camaraderie within the team at the moment,” Cheika said.
“Players all compete with each other and then once one gets selected, the other one works with him to make sure the right outcome comes in the game.
“Everyone's looking to step it up and that's what we want. I think that gives us good options and creates competition inside the squad.
“You want to have as many players as possible competing for the spots, it's exactly where you want to be going into the tournament.”
There’s still plenty of work to be done before Australia’s opening pool match against Fiji in Sapporo on September 21.
The really hard physical training has been done, but now comes the fine tuning, and the tricky questions about selection.
The 31-man will travel to Japan on a Qantas jumbo bearing the team’s colours and “Go Wallabies” painted on the fuselage, before heading to a nine-day base camp at Odawara, once home to thousands of samurai warlords and ninjas.
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That’s where the selectors will decide the team for the opening match, with the key question revolving around whether to play Michael Hooper and David Pocock together or separately.
Replaced after 60 minutes after ticking all the right boxes, Pocock’s successful return from a long injury lay-off was the best news to come out of the 34-15 win over Samoa on the eve of the team’s departure.
“Knowing the character of the player, I had no doubt that he would be back,” Cheika said.
“It'll take him a few games to get reacclimatised to the pace of things but he's a very quick learner so I'm sure he'll be back in his shoes soon enough.
“I think just to get him through that time off the back of what's happened so far this season's a big tick for us.”