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Bigger and better: Wallabies prioritise physicality against Wales
Admitting they were “spooked” by Fiji, veteran prop James Slipper feels the Wallabies have fixed their weaknesses as they look to keep their World Cup alive with victory over Wales.
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A loss in Lyon on Sunday (Monday AEST) would see Eddie Jones’s men likely bow out of the tournament before the quarter-finals for the first time in history.
The Australians were badly outplayed last round by Fiji, who swapped out their regular expansive style for a crash-and-bash mission up the middle.
Slipper said the unbeaten Welsh would have taken notes on how the Fijians dominated at the breakdown to put the Wallabies under pressure, with the scoreboard ticking over through forced penalties.
“You’ve got to give Fiji credit, they played a really physical game and I’m sure a lot of people were probably expecting them to play a little bit differently, a bit more expansively, but they went front door,” the four-time World Cup prop said.
“We did get spooked and obviously the scoreboard started ticking over, a bit of pressure was coming on, we were losing the breakdown, we were putting ourselves under pressure.
“I was really impressed with how the Fijians played, they took the game away from us.”
Jones has added more size at the breakdown, moving Tom Hooper to openside flanker and Rob Leota to start at blindside with Rob Valetini again at No.8.
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Slipper said it was a battle they needed to win to get the jump on Wales, who downed Australia in a pool game at the 2019 World Cup.
“It’s something that we have got to fix … we didn’t match their physicality at all and that comes off the back of the breakdown,” added Slipper, who has 132 Test caps.
“If you’re not winning up front, you’re not winning the breakdown, you’re not going to win the game and I can tell you now the Welsh will be sitting there looking at that as well.”
He said they had tried to train under pressure at their Saint-Etienne base because that’s what they expected from Wales from the get-go. In 2019, Dan Biggar slotted a drop goal after just 36 seconds.
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“Test match rugby is about pressure, it’s about the team that can absorb the pressure the best,” he said.
“Ideally, we want to start fast, we want to get ahead, but realistically that always doesn’t go to plan as Wales are a good team.
“It’s about making sure that we go out there and get our mindset right.
“This is my third World Cup where I have lost a pool game but we’ve managed as a team to make it back through the finals and do reasonably well.
“You just have to name it how it is – it’s a must win game for us, we all know that.”
Slipper said despite their poor results under Jones, with just one win from seven Tests, he shared the coach’s confidence they would down Wales.
“I’ve got huge amounts of confidence in this group; everyone knows we’ve got to win to stay here so if motivation was a factor it’s pretty high.
“But it’s one thing saying it, there’s another thing doing it, and that’s probably the theme this week.”
Comments on RugbyPass
And they came from behind to win two big games before the final. No one can say what would have happened. Had the boks gone behind the game plan changes and the result may changes. Ifs and ands are irrelevant. The boks won. Neutral critics enjoyed the games they played. Its not a popularity contest. Get over it and move on.
82 Go to commentsI'm happy for the people of SA to get a second WC. And I mean that. I was very disappointed with this man's “stand on the hand” incident with Josh Van Der Flyer (Ireland). Ireland's downfall in the last WC was they did not rotate their first 15 as the head coach probably should have. That said, I'm happy for SA and genuinely hope it lifts the mood in their country. Ireland did beat them in the first match of the tournament. And before the trolls start trolling ….. please don't bother. Etzbeth said recently that the Irish players said after the match “see you in the final”…..this was actually wishing the SA team the best of luck in the rest, the Irish team were not dismissing the AB’s. This is what Etzbeth was implying. But he was wrong. I no longer live in Ireland. But I hope to see them lift that cup before I pass. Anyway, congratulations SA. 👍
12 Go to commentsMore bloody click bait. Dan Carter has said absolutely nothing. As he should do. Poor journalism again from a site that should know better
9 Go to commentsOh god please help these loosers get over it!!!! You lost. Doesn't matter how many times you dummies are gonna analyse the game, you still lost and we are still Rygby World Champions….get over it, you lost.
82 Go to commentsThe next Willie le Roux. SA are made not to use him.
2 Go to commentsDan has always been as controversial as tea with milk so we were never going to get any definitive answer. So DMac for the win.
9 Go to commentsGoodness. When are the All Blacks and New Zealand commentators going to stop complaining about how they could have won and just try to win next time 😂. In South Africa if you lose you get up and try again. Get over it.
82 Go to commentsHonestly, it doesn’t matter a whole lot. RSA has a ton of experienced talent in its leadership group. I am more interested in who is the new 8 man/8 men and the younger props. The captain may change but the system does not
1 Go to comments“See you in the final” can mean whatever you want it to mean. To me it means that 12 Irish rugby players are a bunch of poeses. See y’all in Pretoria.
131 Go to commentsBen, you are one of the most arrogant and self opionated rugby critics I have ever come across (next to Keohane). I hoped that after SA beating the best ranked teams in the world on their way to the WC (something not done before) that you might have the grace to admit that this is a special team that deserved the accolades coming their way. You have no humility and as has been been already pointed out, merely a troll to attract audience numbers. Count me out in the future.
82 Go to comments‘War of independence’. Such a grand name for a few skirmishes. Where were all the great battles of this ‘war’ ? Smith got goosebumps as he was being emotionally manipulated, another mushroom.
1 Go to commentsFor all those disputing the veracity of Etzebeth’s very public recollections of the Irish players’ comments, I have one question: should we be holding our collective breath in anticipation of a barrage of strenuous denials from the Irish squad? Then again, perhaps not…
131 Go to comments> If the game of rugby is to grow globally, then the rugby Sth Africa play needs to be exterminated. Their performances at World Cup ‘19 & ‘23 were the antithesis to what the game should be. If the World Cup final is the grand spectacle of the game, please no more having to endure the drudgery and insipid ‘style ‘ of play harking back to pre WWII days, where the soulless rugby of the Bok reflected the mindset of a nation. > Gotta agree with Ben Smith, “ the Springboks took the trophy by default, with what might be the most unimpressive escape of all time “.
82 Go to commentsI think Rassie should bring in some new guys and give them a go in these irrelevant games. It’s a chance to blood some guys that might otherwise not get a chance and see if they’re up to it. As for the who’s number 1 dispute? Don’t care. As long as the trophies are brought home, that argument isn’t important. Champions don’t fuss about the could’ve, would’ve, should’ve. They just do, and that for me makes SA and NZ the top dogs. Followed by Ireland and occasionally England.
225 Go to commentsThis is like the “catches win matches" saying in cricket. If ABs were pragmatic and kicked for goal instead of hunting tries, I reckon they win that game with ease. Instead, nearly 6 months later; we have World Rugby's official mouthpiece celebrating their Almost Won the Rugby World Cup trophy. Fine Victory Gentleman! Well-earned!!
82 Go to comments“…the All Blacks nearly won…” is the only phrase you need to concern yourself with relative to this “journalistic” piece. Enjoy your Almost Won the World Cup victory…
82 Go to commentsAw common. Stop winging. There were no errors by officials. It is all recorded. Whose fault was the Cane red card? Or the Savea knock? Maybe the selectors who insisted on making a very average player their captain should be blamed. Something had to give way.
82 Go to commentsThe latest ‘Ireland are arrogant’ attack from one of the two most arrogant rugby nations on earth.
131 Go to commentsWaawaawaaaaaaaa
24 Go to commentsHow does this guy still have a job?
82 Go to comments