Australia Serious About US Threat
WELLINGTON, 23 Sept. - After being mugged 15-6 by a fiercely focused Ireland in their previous Pool C match, Australia know better than to be lulled into complacency by a silver-tongued Irishman.
Ireland-born USA coach Eddie O'Sullivan insists he would be delighted if the No.17-ranked Eagles were still in the match with 20 minutes to go against a vengeful Australia at Wellington Regional Stadium on Friday.
He matched that fatalism by resting many of his leading players as he made 14 changes to his starting XV.
With only four days between the Australia clash and the Eagles' final pool match against Italy on 27 September, O'Sullivan conceded the team he named was "a fairly mixed bag", but one with a raft of fresh players keen for an opportunity.
He said he would be satisfied with a solid 80-minute performance against the No.3-ranked Wallabies, where players don't "abandon ship" when the going gets tough, and put emphasis on "staying within striking distance over the last 20 minutes as long as we can and staying on the horse for as long as we can".
Wallabies coach Robbie Deans, meanwhile, has named his strongest possible team, barring those who are injured or otherwise "not fit and able".
Asked whether he expected an easier time against "tier two sides" USA and Australia's final pool opponent Russia, Deans responded: "They're tier one sides. They're at the World Cup."
Simplify things
Scrum half Will Genia, named as Australia's 78th Test captain in the absence of rested tour skipper James Horwill, said the Wallabies were keen to "make things right" after their ineffective performance against Ireland.
He said the Wallabies had also reviewed their strategy for this World Cup to follow the lead of other teams in building pressure and playing more for field position.
"We've worked on it this week and worked to simplify things in the decision-making to look to put pressure on them (USA) by maybe not playing so much, maybe playing a little more field position.
"If you look to play a little bit too much in your own end you find yourself in trouble. We want to be smart in the way that we play the game and we'll look to do that this week."
Deans said the lessons learned from the Ireland match had to be implemented quickly for Australia to progress at RWC 2011.
"We were poor in our decision-making; we were poor in our discipline, which is part of decision making; we were poor around the contact. And those are three areas that, in a World Cup, without those three components, you're kidding yourself."
Papua New Guinea-born Genia is not the only newly promoted captain in the match. Australia-born scrum half Tim Usasz will lead the USA for the first time in what will be his 18th Test for the Eagles.
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