AUSSIES UP FOR WALES – AGAIN
WAYNE Pivac believes excitement levels for a Rugby World Cup quarter-final between Wales and England in 2023 would “go through the roof”.
The Wales coach was speaking after the draw for the tournament in France in three years.
Wales were drawn once again with Australia and Fiji, with Europe 1 and a final qualifying winner making up the rest of the pool.
Those two teams could feasibly be Georgia and Uruguay, which could make this pool a carbon copy of the one Warren Gatland’s side topped in Japan last year.
“It’s a similar pool but in another country,” said Pivac in reaction to the draw.
“I’m certainly very excited though. Fiji have just been in the Autumn Nations Cup and I’ve got an affinity with Fiji having coached them in 2007.
“It gives us a focal point. Australia with Dave (Rennie) is going to be a big challenge.
“We saw Uruguay get a big upset last year so everyone has to be on their toes in every single match.”
If Wales get through, they’ll face a team from Pool D – which is likely to be one of either England, Japan or Argentina.
While a knockout stage clash with Eddie Jones’s men is as far away as is conceivable, Pivac did admit it would be some occasion if it did come off.
“We can’t get too carried away,” he added. “We’ve got pool matches to talk about first.
“If we’re to get through and get that fixture, the excitement level will obviously go through the roof in Wales with a Wales v England match.”
Before thinking about England though, Pivac will have to negotiate a group containing two very familiar foes.
But does the fact that a large number of Wales’s side already have experience of beating Australia and Fiji at a World Cup bode well for 2023?
“Obviously, there’s a lot of experience there in terms of players who played in those matches,” said Pivac.
“We also had Stephen Jones who joined the party and he was involved in those matches and we can draw on some of the experience he brought back.
“But we’re three new set-ups, really (Wales, Australia and Fiji). There’s a lot of work going on in Wales in terms of building depth at the minute.
“The aim of the Nations Cup was to do that. We’re looking forward to rolling our sleeves up and getting into the Six Nations. We’ve also got a very tough autumn series coming up next year.
“There’s a lot of work to be done but building our depth for 2023 is important for us.
“Hopefully we’ll be playing our best rugby at that stage.”
Pivac says there’s every chance that Alun Wyn Jones will be joining Wales at the 2023 World Cup, but admits it will be a “massive challenge” for the veteran second row.
The Wales skipper, who currently has 152 Test caps to his name when including Lions appearances, will turn 38 during the tournament.
Pivac said: “It will be a massive challenge for him but if there’s any player that could do it, Alun Wyn’s that guy.
“He looks after himself so well, prepares so well and knows the landscape very, very well.
“He knows what it takes to get into that shape. He’ll be the one that decides that in terms of where his mind and body is at.
“It’s certainly a massive challenge for him but he loves those sorts of challenges.”