UNITED VOW: OLE’S GOT US BUYING BETTER
EDDIE JONES has warned Australia he has a squad of samurai warriors ready to put their lives on the line for England tomorrow.
A first World Cup semi-final since 2007 is the prize for England if they can take the spring out of theWallabies’ step here.
And Jones, who has caused a shock dropping fly-half George
Ford, said: “It’s do-or-die by
HOW THEY LINE UP ENGLAND:
Daly; Watson, Slade, Tuilagi, May; Farrell (capt), Youngs; M Vunipola, George, Sinckler, Itoje, Lawes, Curry, Underhill, B Vunipola. Replacements: Cowan-Dickie, Marler, Cole, Kruis, Ludlam, Heinz, Ford, Joseph.
AUSTRALIA:
Beale; Hodge, Petaia, Kerevi, Koroibete; Lealiifano, Genia; Alaalatoa, Latu, Sio, Arnold, Rodda, Naisarani, Hooper (capt), Pocock. Replacements: Uelese, Slipper, Tupou, Coleman, Salakaia-Loto, White, To’omua, O’Connor. Referee: J Garces (Fra). Kick-off: 8.15am, ITV. AUSTRALIA have gambled on a 19-year-old making only his second Test start for tomorrow’s World Cup quarter-final against England. Queensland Reds centre Jordan Petaia was not born the last time the Wallabies won the World Cup. But he is set to become only the fourth teenager to play in a knockout game at the tournament after being called up in a surprise move by Michael Cheika. “It’s going to be fast and aggressive and all that type of stuff, but I know that lad will rise up to that challenge,” Cheika said.
“I’ve seen it in him, so I know he will on Saturday. Even though he’s young, he’s more than ready to do this. I trust him infinitely and that’s why he’s been chosen.”
Petaia, who has played 13 Super Rugby games, toured Europe with the Wallabies last year but his Test debut was delayed because of a hamstring problem. Another pulled hamstring at Australia’s World Cup preparation camp delayed the start of his tournament but, after wing appearances against Uruguay and Georgia, he has an unexpected chance in his favoured No13 shirt.
Wallaby centre Samu Kerevi, who plays with Petaia in Brisbane, said: “He is going to be one of the greats.”
Australia will have Kurtley Beale at full-back after he passed his concussion protocols.
George Ford will be feeling desperately disappointed but I think Eddie Jones has got his selection and strategy right to play Australia. I like the dynamic he has gone for. Everybody wants to start – you want to be in from the first whistle – but it looks to me like a deliberate two-pronged approach from Jones.
Rip the door off its hinges with his starting 15 and then send the bench men in through the hole. Physically, England will want to get stuck into Australia early on and then play more rugby later on when Ford will have a role to play off the bench. Hopefully, he will have the satisfaction of helping to put theWallabies away.
It is a tough call on Ford as he has been playing well at this World Cup, but it is a real luxury for England to be able to call on someone who is in such good form.TheTuilagiSlade midfield partnership was in place for the Six Nations so we know it works, and the advantage of having Owen Farrell in the No10 shirt is that it gives England a stand-off who can defend like a back-row forward.
Farrell hasn’t been at his best yet in this tournament but he has not needed to be. Big games such as these bring out the best in players like Farrell.We’ve seen him under pressure before and he loves it. He thrives on it.
Australia have not been great so far thisWorld Cup and they will need to front up or they could lose quite heavily, but I fully expect a significant uplift against England.
The two nations have met six times at
World Cups with three wins apiece and this has all the makings of another classic – but I fancy England to reach the semi-final. The quarterfinal stage at aWorld
Cup is a cliff edge.Win and whatever happens you are staying for the duration with a third-place play-off as well as the final in the schedule. Lose and you are out of there the next day. Four years of planning and hard work gone in a flash.
The stark reality of that was spelled out to us in 2003 at half-time againstWales when, 10-3 down, Clive Woodward told us that if things did not improve we were on our way home. Fortunately we did. In 2007, England had been rubbish but we somehow beat Australia and France knocked out New Zealand.The whole dynamic of the tournament changed. I don’t see any of the quarter-finals as foregone conclusions and I haven’t been as excited about a rugby weekend in years. Ireland might live in hope that they can catch New Zealand cold, with the world champions not having been in a serious game for a month, but I fear that won’t be the reality.Wales, though, have a golden chance against a French side who have spluttered through this tournament. And I can’t wait to watch Japan play South Africa. The hosts have set this World Cup alight. The question is whether, having achieved their goal of reaching the last eight for the first time, they can keep the magic carpet airborne. I think ultimately South Africa might have a little too much for them and I expect the semi-final line-up to look like this – England v New Zealand andWales v South Africa.