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Wallabies can win:Eales
Sportal
Wallabies World Cup-winning captain John Eales has thrown his support behind the Australian team, saying they can win the World Cup despite an indifferent European tour.
Ten months out from the tournament New Zealand is the odds-on favourite to the win the 2007 World Cup. But Eales believes current form has little to do with winning a major tournament at the end of next year.
"Even though the All Blacks are far and away the best team in the world, the World Cup is not about being the best - it's about being the best at the tournament," Eales said on news24.com.
"Australia has shown they can play tournaments well and, if you reach the quarter-finals, which Australia will, you then have to win three weeks in a row and you win the World Cup."
Wallabies coach John Connolly is also confident Australia has what it takes to win the World Cup but believes it will take a special performance from any team if it is to upset New Zealand next October.
"I think you've got to be good at everything, don't you," Connolly said on when questioned about what it will take to stop the Kiwis.
"We played them three times during the year. The first time we played them, we coughed up four tries on the back of our mistakes. The next two games, we were an inch or two of getting away with them.
"So there's confidence in this team that we're good enough, we're close enough.
"But we have to do everything right. I've spoken time and again about playing a tight game to beat the All Blacks.
While the Australians managed to get near the All Blacks in all three of their meetings this year and at one point led in every match, the all-conquering Kiwis now hold the impressive statistic of 33 Test wins from 37 starts since their devastating World Cup loss to the Wallabies in 2003.
"You can make mistakes against some teams and get away with it. Against them, you'll be standing under the sticks," said Connolly.
"But we got close twice this season."