TELL THEM THEY’RE
THE THING YOU HAVE TO admire about the Australians is that they never lack self-confidence. Never. Doesn’t matter what the situation or how badly the odds are stacked against them, the natural inclination of Australians is that they can still win. That it is their right to win.
There’s definitely a bit of that going on at the moment. Rugby has been struggling across the Tasman for the better part of the last decade. Probably longer really. They haven’t won a World Cup since 1999.
The Wallabies have only won the Rugby Championship or Tri Nations as it was four times in 20 years and two of those were in World Cup years when, let’s be honest, the All Blacks didn’t take it all that seriously. They haven’t had the Bledisloe Cup since 2002 and between the 2007 and 2011 World Cups, the Wallabies only beat the All Blacks three times in 14 tests. There was a period within that where they lost 10 in a row. Between 2012 and 2015, they only won once and in 2013 the Australian Rugby Union would have gone bankrupt had it not been for the massive cash injection they enjoyed from hosting the British Lions.
So it has been a bit of an awful time for the Australians – and that’s not even getting into the scandals around James O’Connor and Kurtley Beale. But here’s what you have got to love: backed into a corner the Australian Rugby Union has come out fighting, announcing a five-year strategic plan which has all sorts of goals attached, none more eyecatching than the following.
Wallabies: win the Rugby Championship, Bledisloe Cup and 2019 Rugby World Cup and at all times retain top three world ranking.
Wallabies: ranked number one as Australia’s most recognised national team brand.
If it was up to us to set strategic goals, they would be far more realistic and kind sorts that we are, we are quite content to share.
Wallabies: don’t come last in the Rugby Championship and beat Argentina at least once a year.
Regularly ask the All Blacks if they would mind if some Wallabies could quickly take selfies with the Bledisloe Cup and successfully locate Japan on a map before heading there for the 2019 World Cup.
Become at least half as well known as the Australian Diamonds.