Wallabies must dominate in tonight’s clash with Uruguay

WITH England going down in a damaging defeat to Wales overnight, the pool of death has been shaken. And it has huge implications for Australia.

CARDIFF, WALES - SEPTEMBER 23: Israel Folau of Australia makes a break during the 2015 Rugby World Cup Pool A match between Australia and Fiji at the Millennium Stadium on September 23, 2015 in Cardiff, United Kingdom. (Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)

THE 2015 Rugby World Cup has posted some of the biggest shock upsets in history, but none have had such an impact on the Wallabies as England’s overnight loss to Wales.

The close 28-25 defeat at the hands of the Welsh gave England a losing bonus point, leaving them just two points ahead of the Aussies, with the latter expected to win their second match of the tournament tonight and pick up at least four points.

Last night’s result means the two favourites to make it out of the so-called pool of death, Australia and hosts England, may now have to battle it out for the second qualifying spot, making every point as valuable as gold.

It is now crucial the Wallabies not only win tonight against Uruguay, but win convincingly.

Australia must ensure they secure a bonus point win against the South Americans to give themselves some breathing space leading into their most important match against England.

Dean Mumm will be looking to secure his first win as captain against Uruguay.

If they do secure tonight’s bonus-point win, the Wallabies will go into the game against England equal top of the table with Wales, giving them a three-point buffer ahead of the host nation.

This would mean that if Australia beat England next week, they will most certainly knock the home side out of the running for the Cup, provided the Welsh win their clash against Fiji.

However in the rare case Fiji were to beat Wales next week, the pool would blow wide open for any of the top three teams again.

Assuming none of the big three in the group drop a match to Fiji or Uruguay, Australia’s best-case scenario should they lose to England would be collecting two bonus points in any defeat of less than seven points.

But that would still leave the Wallabies needing a four-try bonus-point victory over Wales in their last pool match at Twickenham on October 10 to guarantee a quarter-final spot.

While it is unlikely the Wallabies will go down to 19th-placed Uruguay, the bonus point is all but guaranteed. And considering the results to date, Australia stumbling on their smallest challenger would not be the most unbelievable thing to happen in this World Cup.

In the best possible scenario for Australia, two consecutive wins would secure them a place in the finals, with the luxury of one game still remaining in the pool stages.

This would allow coach Michael Cheika to rest key players for the game against Wales, in the knowledge that the result will not damage their chances.

Australia must ensure they secure the bonus-point win tonight to give them the easiest run into their next two games.

Uruguay will be looking to put up a strong fight against Cheika’s men in their second pool match. Despite facing almost a completely new starting Wallabies side to the team that beat Fiji on Thursday, the Uruguayans are excited to take on some of the best players in the game.

“We are used to seeing these players on TV and now we are playing against them,” Uruguay captain and lock Santiago Vilaseca said.

“They are most of the best players in the world. We are going to field 15 against 15 but we are not the best players in the world.”

Uruguay lost their first pool match to Wales 54-9 last weekend, and made only five changes. They feel an obligation to show World Rugby that the development money it has given Uruguay to help them qualify for its first Cup in 12 years was worth it.

“We need to show its investment is paying off,” coach Pablo Lemoine said.

— with AAP