PLAYING FOR SHEEP STATIONS
Australian rugby saviour Michael Cheika restored pride in the Wallabies jumper and has his team believing they can fleece the World Cup title from New Zealand
IT looms as the greatest feat in Australian rugby history.
But, to complete it, the Wallabies must beat what’s been described as the greatest team in rugby history in the long-awaited first-ever transTasman World Cup final.
Having fought back from their lowest depths, and surviving a brutal draw and two sudden-death scares, only the defending champion All Blacks stand in the way of the Wallabies and their final frontier at Twickenham tomorrow.
Both southern hemisphere giants, the world’s top tworanked teams, have a shot at becoming the first nation to lift the Webb Ellis Cup three times.
But for the Wallabies, another victory at the spiritual home of rugby would top the deeds of Australia’s champion 1991 and ’99 outfits and complete the most remarkable of coaching feats by master planner, manager and motivator Michael Cheika.
While Bob Dwyer and Rod Macqueen will forever be hailed for plotting Australia’s two previous against-the-odds World Cup triumphs, neither coach had to overcome the obstacles Cheika has cleared since taking charge of a squad in disarray barely a year ago.
Even assistant coach Stephen Larkham, a hero of Australia’s last triumph 16 years ago, marvels at what the Wallabies’ class of 2015 have ac- complished in less than half the time that the past two triumphant outfits had.
“We’ve had an accelerated growth together, whereas in 1999 and 2003 we had two years of preparation,” Larkham said of Cheika’s 15-Test reign. The final shapes as a classic, with the Wallabies facing an All Blacks outfit inspired by outgoing greats Richie McCaw, Dan Carter, Conrad Smith, Ma’a Nonu and Keven Mealamu.
The titleholders’ devastating dominance is illustrated in their record of just three losses in 53 Tests since their droughtbreaking 2011 World Cup win.
And with just one defeat to the Wallabies in 11 encounters during that period, the All Blacks will start as deserved favourites. But the Wallabies can take confidence from their 27-19 Rugby Championshipdeciding win against the All Blacks in Sydney when the David Pocock-Michael Hooper combo was unleashed.