IN OTHER MAJOR tournaments, in other codes, two teams assured of qualification for the knock-out stage might just offer a nod and a wink to each other before shadow boxing their way to a harmless draw.
That option isn’t open to Wales and Australia. Warren Gatland and Michael Cheika’s men go in to Saturday’s ‘Pool of Death’ decider having pushed England out the door, but in the knowledge that the loser must take on the formidable force of an angry South Africa.
Cheika, for what it’s worth, doesn’t believe in hoping to meet an apparently ‘weaker’ side.
“I want just to try to win every game. No team ever won the World Cup losing a game. We have to keep getting better in tournament play because other teams are improving.”
Still, an 11th straight win over Wales would give the Wallabies a likely quarter-final meeting with Scotland (or, less likely, Japan). After flexing their muscles in Twickenham, the Green and Gold would surely be feeling confident in their powerful strides through the tournament.
“We supposedly had momentum after we beat New Zealand in Sydney,” Cheika disagrees, dredging up their 41 – 13 august humbling in Auckland a week after beating the world champions 27 – 19 on home turf.
“Then they (the All Blacks) put their boot to our backside. And that can happen if you are not on every day.
“We have to learn from those times. When people are happy with the way you play and all around you the world is all good, you can’t just settle for the good part. You have to be great. We weren’t on that occasion.
“It will be more difficult because of the nature of the tournament. Every match is a step up. Wales have an excellent game with variation.”
The only real hiccup in the Wallabies’ World Cup run so far was this week’s suspension of openside Michael Hooper for a reckless charge into a ruck deep in England territory.
The number seven escaped with a one-game ban, halved from two for his early guilty plea and good behaviour, so although he won’t get a chance to go head-to-head with Justin Tipuric this weekend, he’s free to feature in the business end.
Cheika made sure to express his disappointment at the citing, but you can’t help but feel he was thrilled with the minimum suspension.
“That was probably the best-run hearing that I have ever been involved with. The professionalism around it and the opportunity for us to present the case as to why. I thought the referees in that game had a very good game. So we were a bit disappointed by the citing. I was surprised.”
As for Wales’ latest attempt to prove they can mix it with the best the southern hemisphere have to offer, the Wallabies aren’t preparing to shadow box, they’re ready for the real thing.
“It is going to be a big game for us. It is going to be a massive battle and pretty painful.”
