'Wales are genuinely the better team' - Warburton rubs up Aussies ahead of World Cup fixture
Sam Warburton believes Wales are a better team than Australia ahead of their crucial World Cup pool meeting in Tokyo on September 29.
The Welsh had been on a terrible losing streak against the Wallabies in recent times, losing 13 fixtures in succession since a November 2008 win in Cardiff.
However, that rotten run was finally ended last November, Wales winning 9-6 in Cardiff, and Warburton claims this psychological breakthrough will be massive heading into their next meeting in Japan.
“Wales have done a lot of things right in the past 10 years when they have played Australia,” said the former skipper who retired last year.
“They have beaten them recently in the November series in 2018, which is great from a psychological point of view because you don’t want to be doing press conferences as a player and being asked questions that you haven’t won since 2008, so that monkey has gone, that’s off the back.
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“Wales have had the taking of Australia in the last 10 years but when you look at videos back, it’s literally just been one or two examples of perhaps where they might have left a try or not taking a three-point opportunity which has been the difference between the two teams.
“Both teams have been so close in recent years – but Wales are genuinely the better team at this moment in time,” continued the Land Rover ambassador who called time on his playing career at the age of just 29.
Wales will begin their preparations for the finals on the back of a record 14-match run that included the clinching of a third Six Nations Grand Slam under Warren Gatland last March. It’s a momentum Warburton feels will be invaluable heading to Japan.
“It does help massively. I’ve gone into World Cups where we have had a poor Six Nations campaigns and vice-versa, but it’s so much easier when you have wins under your belt.
“There’s still four warm-up games to go, double-headers against England and Ireland at home and away, so there’s going to be at least two or three of those games where both unions will put out their strongest teams.
“If you can come out on top in those games, then that will be huge moving forward, but you can completely lose the momentum you have got with say three losses out of four and it completely turns it on its head. Hopefully Wales can get a good few wins in that warm-up period and that will put them in really good shape going into the group stages.”
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— Scarlets Rugby (@scarlets_rugby) May 17, 2019
The disappointing regional season for the Welsh sides concludes on Saturday with Ospreys hosting Scarlets in a Champions Cup qualification play-off. Despite that important fixture, Gatland had already named his World Cup training squad and Warburton isn’t shy in naming some of the key figures who will be central to Wales’ mission in Japan.
“Alun-Wyn Jones, George North and Jonathan Davies are crucial to Wales success. Those guys, off the top of my head, I’m thinking, they have probably got seven World Cups in experience between those three players alone, so you need those guys for the younger guys so they know what to expect going into a World Cup.
Here it is! A few weeks ago I met @Cardiff_blues longest serving fan, 90 year old David Harris and along with @LandRoverRugby helped him get along to watch his team play in their last home fixture of the season. A remarkable man and a great vid, have a watch! https://t.co/kdFyZ9Wf8g
— Sam Warburton (@samwarburton_) May 16, 2019
“You’re away from home for potentially six or seven weeks, so you’re way out of your comfort zone. Particularly in Japan, it’s going to be completely different to anywhere else they would have played before. Those senior players are going to be really important to drive the standards that the players require to get to the latter stages of the World Cup.”
Warburton will be intrigued watching the finals unfold as he feels hosting the tournament in a lesser-known rugby nation like Japan can increase the global appeal of the game. “It’s huge,” he said. “I think Japan is really timely with their win against South Africa four years ago.
And to grow the game now you are looking at those countries like Japan and USA – they could be super powers of the game from a performance point of view in years to come and from a financial point of view and the fans and the player base they have is enormous as well.
“That’s two countries in particular which I think we’re doing a good job of tapping into. You want there to be 15 competitive teams. Right now, you’ve probably got eight/nine really competitive teams. If in two World Cup’s time you can develop that into 12 to 15 really strong, competitive teams, that would be great for the game of rugby.”
WATCH: Sam Warburton surprising a 90-year-old Cardiff Blues fan with a personalised drive to the club’s last game of the season. Land Rover understands and shares the values of rugby. Follow @LandRoverRugby
Comments on RugbyPass
Except for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
33 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
2 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
33 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
49 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
33 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
33 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
33 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
33 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
1 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to commentsObscene that SA haven’t been knocking
1 Go to commentsChances of Blackadder being injured seem too high to give him serious consideration. ABs loosie combination finally looked good with 2 committed to tackling and clearing rucks in the centre and Ardie roaming. Hoskins/Ardie together would force one of them into where they don’t excel and don’t get to use their talent, or require a change in tactics. If we continue to evolve last years systems I would take Papali’i and Finau at 6 and 7 (conceding that Blackadder will be injured) and Ardie at 8.
33 Go to commentsArdie’s preferred position 7? Where do they get these writers from? I've no idea where he's playing in Japan, but the previous two seasons he wore the 7 jersey exactly twice.
17 Go to commentsNot good to hear Ulster described as “financially troubled”. Did not think it was getting to that level. I would hope the Irish system of spreading players of talent away from Leinster would kick in now. Better to have a Leinster fringe player with Ulster or Connacht, then getting only a few games a season in Dublin. 10, for example, would seem to be a case for spreading the talent. I would not be at all adverse to a SA man coming in as head coach/DR. Ludeke is worth trying. Certainly got a long and impressive coaching career at this level…..149 games in SR, then Japan, 30 years experience. And Ulster’s ledger of successful SA coaches and players is on the positive side. Is talk of Ruan Pienaar interested in coming back as a coach…..could be a good combination with Ludeke. And Pienaar and family would have no settling in to do, one would judge. He loved life in Ulster when there, by all reports.
1 Go to commentsSome thoughts to consider here, Sam. Thanks
2 Go to comments