- Former Wallaby captain praises Australia coach Cheika for keeping current squad grounded ahead of last week’s Twickenham success.
- World Cup winner says comments made by Sale fly-half Cipriani spurred his country on to 33-13 win.
RUGBY World Cup-winning captain Nick Farr-Jones says Danny Cipriani’s pre-match statement that not one Australian would get into England’s starting XV was ‘music to the ears’ ahead of Saturday’s 33-13 thumping at Twickenham.
The former Wallaby, who lifted the Webb Ellis Trophy at Twickenham in 1991, has praised Australia coach Michael Cheika for keeping Australia ‘level headed’ in their approach last weekend, and after his country knocked the hosts out of the tournament at the earliest possible stage, he believes they can go all the way.
Test caps: 63 (36 as captain)
Tries: 9
Honours: Rugby World Cup (1991), Bledisloe Cup (1986, 1992)
However, he did admit that beating Wales this week – and securing a so-called ‘easy’ passage through to this year’s final – is ‘critical’.
‘Cheika is doing a wonderful job … what he has done with our scrum in the space of a year is incredible,’ said Farr-Jones, who visited St Michael’s and St George’s Schools yesterday.
‘He is a tough person to manage – it’s Cheika’s way or the highway – but he is putting together the jigsaw which is capable of playing on biggest stage in the world and is not getting carried away.
‘He understands it’s still a work in progress, he’s not letting egos inflate and is not giving any ammunition in anything he says to the opposition.
On the importance of securing top spot in Pool A, which would most likely divert the Aussies away from South Africa and New Zealand in the quarter and semi-finals, Farr-Jones continued: ‘It’s critical that you go down that easy channel when it comes to sudden death rugby. I’m not saying Scotland would be an easy beat, but I think we’d prefer to play Scotland than South Africa. Then perhaps you’d come up against Ireland, and good luck to them. This is the first time they’ve had a real legitimate chance to win and I think it would be great for rugby if they did, but Australia would back themselves and go through to face the nemesis, the All Blacks.
And what of Lancaster, whose job is in doubt following England’s premature exit?
‘I don’t see what happens in the inner workings … but I wish him well,’ the scrum-half-turned-solicitor added. ‘He has obviously changed the culture of the team and congratulations for doing that, but he hasn’t got them up for the biggest stage, which only happens every four years.’
