THE WALLABIES WILL play the cream of European nations on their 2014 tour with an eye on the World Cup the following year, the Australian Rugby Union announced today.
Up against four of the Six Nations and a Barbarians selection, coach Ewen McKenzie will be looking to be at least as successful as on last year’s tour when Australia narrowly lost to England before embarking on a four-match winning streak.
“The (southern) spring our last year was the most successful in five years for the Qantas Wallabies and we’ll be looking to improve on that come November,” McKenzie said.
“With the Rugby World Cup just a year away in England, we have scheduled five games against five teams that will bring a different style to each.
“We’ve got England and Wales in our pool for the Rugby World Cup and big improvers in France and Ireland … that will be a good challenge for us,” he said.
“We’ll also get a chance to play two games at Twickenham — the venue where two of our pool games will take place — as part of a tour that should help further our preparations ahead of the World Cup.”
Fixtures:
November 1: Barbarians, Twickenham, London
November 8: Wales, Millennium Stadium, Cardiff
November 15: France, Stade de France, Paris
November 22: Ireland, Aviva Stadium, Dublin
November 29 England, Twickenham.
