Why ‘fearsome Wallabies’ can win Rugby World Cup
Convinced Australia has the talent to win the Rugby World Cup, new forwards coach Neal Hatley has welcomed the Wallabies’ daunting trip to Pretoria as the perfect season starter.
Australia open their Rugby Championship campaign against South Africa at Loftus Versfeld on July 8 in the much-anticipated first game of Eddie Jones’ second tenure as Wallabies coach.
The Wallabies have lost their past seven Tests in South Africa and have never conquered the Springboks on the high veldt since first facing them in Pretoria 60 years ago.
But Hatley, the South African-born scrum guru hand-picked by Jones to join his coaching team, is relishing the challenge and believes win or lose the Springboks will provide the Wallabies with an important barometer in this all-important World Cup year.
“It’s a great test,” he said.
“The Springboks, of course, always have two sets of front-rowers and are always ready to roll on and off so it’s pretty much as much in the deep end as you could get for this first Test.
“It’s probably what we would have wanted, to go away to Loftus, which is a real fortress for them. A game where Australia haven’t won before and take on the world champions.
“Yeah, it’ll give us a real good bar mark of where we are, what we need to do and where we need to keep improving. It’s fantastic.”
Hatley is adamant the Wallabies pack can take it to the very best in the world but consistency and mongrel is the key to providing the up-front platform to win the Webb Ellis Trophy.
“Eddie’s expectations are really clear. He wants a fearsome Wallabies pack,” Hatley said.
“He wants a pack that can scrum – and more – with the best of them.
“We don’t need any angels. We need to be attacking every set piece that we can.”
Hatley worked under Jones with England for four years leading up to the 2019 World Cup in Japan.
He’s been privy to what gives the 63-year-old the Midas touch when it comes to mastering tournament play.
As well as guiding the Wallabies to the 2003 extra-time final loss to England in Sydney, Jones helped mastermind the Springboks’ 2007 World Cup triumph in France, plotted Japan’s historic victory over South Africa in 2015 and took England to the title match four years ago.
“I’ve never worked with anyone who’s more fastidious and analytical in his preparation and his planning,” Hatley said.
“In the previous World Cup that I worked with him there, the, the planning going into it was just next level.
“I want to work with people like that, somebody who pushes me every day to get the most other players every day.”
While there’s no doubting Jones’ coaching credentials, it’s the depth of the playing squad that continues to be the big question mark around Australia’s ability to contend for World Cup glory.
But Hatley also believes the Wallabies have the cattle on that front too.
“I know (Wallabies attack coach) Scott Wisemantel really well,” he said.
“I worked with ‘Wise’ so he was the first bloke I phoned and I asked what he thought (after being approached by Jones).
“And he said ‘100 per cent we can win the World Cup’. Otherwise he would’t have been involved.
“I look at the players, I see players who are really hungry. I think we’ve got the class.”
Comments on RugbyPass
wel the crusaders were beaten by a queensland reds side that hadnt beaten them at home since 1999 and queensland reds partied like it was 1999
4 Go to commentsHard to disagree with the 5 points - with the exception that Wilson should be a squad member but, depending on the other loose forward selections, is not yet a shoo-in. McReight is. Aussie is looking a lot better this year and JS has some selection options. Also, Havili’s tendency to get caught, charged down is also a liability at times but he seemed focused (mostly) and is definitely a consideration for utility back-up. Still feel Reihana is a better prospect at 1st five for Saders.
4 Go to commentsYeah nah, still not sure on Havili tbh. Even though I’m a Crusaders fan through and through I’d be stunned if Razor considers him after seeing some of the stunning talent coming through up North.
4 Go to commentsThink it was a great defensive performance by Northampton. They didn't have stage fright in the first half, the Nienaber defense smothered them. They limited Leinster to 15-3 in the first half. It could have been over by then. A great try from Leinster in the start of the second half looked to have sealed it. But Byrne missed another conversion. Northampton started trying little kicks behind the Leinster wingers. Leinster messed one and Smith brilliantly made the conversion. Leinster decided to tighten the game after Byrne missed a straight forward penalty. A few errors got NH into the 22 and they scored and converted with a few minutes left. Another brilliant steal from Lawes saw NH have a final attack which was turned over by Conan. A classic semi final. World record attendance of 82,300. Leinsters 3 week preparation warranted for this one.
1 Go to commentsJust came back from the game and the atmosphere was amazing. Players stayed afterwards for more than a hour to sign stuff and take photos with fans. Great day out.
5 Go to commentsA great game. The Sharks without Etsebeth are a shadow of the team compared to when he plays. The limitations of Some of the expensive Sharks players are being exposed. Credit to Clermont for some exhilaration play at times.
5 Go to comments100% Mr Owens. But who would want to be a referee.? It must be the most difficult job on earth.
1 Go to commentsStarts to be overdone and oversold this systematic SA narrative…which nevertheless has the merit in this case to recognise blatant refereeing mistakes in their favor
5 Go to commentsNice article. Shades of Steinbeck. They can win the final if they take the game seriously; but only if they take it seriously.
5 Go to commentsWhat a sad way to end a glittering career. Somebody should tell him to delete his social media accounts and face the consequences of what he's done. Then he should slip away quietly into obscurity. This isn't likely to happen, something tells me he'll be back in The Sun / Daily Mail sooner rather than later.
5 Go to commentsguys its fine! he understands why he did what he did and has taken accountability for it; why should he have to be accountable to a court? after all he did was abuse people in person - its not as if he was engaging in _online_ abuse!
5 Go to commentsChiefs flanker Kaylum Boshier yellow-carded for collapsing the scrum as it rolled towards the line. It was a maul….
1 Go to commentsyou know, i’m a leinster fan so I want Northampton to lose and it is gonna be tuff with Cortney lawes, Alex michell and the other guys🏉 lets go leinster🏉
1 Go to commentsWelcome to the Pro ranks. Those hard teams of old do hit the sole better though. its a dog fight at the top.
6 Go to commentsCan someone fill me in please, I've read a number of Ben Smith articles now and it seems he's got something again South Africa? Surely, this game was over and done with 7 months ago. Can't we have something a bit more interesting and relevant, or is this the calibre of journalist on this site?
238 Go to commentsNot sure what the Welsh are moaning about. They’ve had far more players off England, than England have had off Wales. Guys like Josh Hathaway and Kane James will play for Wales in the end. And they’ll be fsr better players for having played in the Gallagher Premiership, than they ever would have been had they stayed mired in the shambles that is Welsh rugby.
4 Go to commentsThis is all being blown totally out of proportion. First of all, since half the Irish team isn’t Irish - it’s very likely that none of the Irish players said that at all and, thus, we’re not being arrogant. Second, since half the Irish team is Kiwi - it’s very likely the Kiwi players were predicting a NZ SA World Cup final. Which they got spot on. Good on them!
163 Go to commentsAha. An Irishman with logic! Follow the flow: - Ireland peaks with a >80% win record between 2020 and 2023. And then… - crashes out of another QF at the WC; - Beat a poor French Team; - Beat 6N wooden spoonists Italy; - Play shite against eventual wooden spoonists Wales; - Lose against the most boring, “the worst English team ever” , a team widely regarded as unable to attack; - scrape through against Scotland. This article, No - Trimble, is on the money! Except for one glaring statement: _The Springboks have a few aces in the hole in this debate being the reigning world champions and official world number ones_ There is no debate, boys and girls. There it is. In black and white. “Reigning World Champions and OFFICIAL world number ones”. Come July, the overrated Andy Farrell and this overhyped team are going to enter into a world of hurt.
90 Go to commentsI’d like to know what homoerotic events Daniel enjoyed at 8th man. I clearly missed out!
20 Go to commentsThis article is missing some detail, like some actual context or info about what led to him abusing the ref.
2 Go to comments