It would go down in history as the most incredible World Cup triumph of all time, but the Wallabies could stun rugby fans around the globe later this year.
The Wallabies have been written off by many pundits and fans around the world; cast aside as nothing more than a fallen giant of the sport known as rugby union.
Even Stirling Mortlock, who captained the Wallabies at the 2007 World Cup, insisted Australia is “no chance” of winning this year’s tournament following their shock loss to Italy last November.
Ouch.
And let’s face it, that first-ever loss to the Azzurri was only the tip of the iceberg.
The Wallabies avoided their worst ever season since 1958 with an incredible comeback win over Wales during the Autumn Nations Series.
Australia fought valiantly in the final quarter of the test, as they overturned a 19-point deficit to stun the Cardiff crowd.
But that victory, while impressive, doesn’t exactly right the wrongs from the year that was. It was a disastrous campaign, and that’s concerning going into a World Cup year.
But not all hope is lost.
In reality, the Wallabies weren’t themselves last year – they were the wounded Wallabies, and they still managed to challenge some of the best teams in the world.
More than 50 players donned the coveted gold jersey last year, as the Wallabies experienced what can only be described as an injury crisis.
Coach Dave Rennie was unable to pick his best team week-to-week, so the Wallabies lacked cohesion in some key positions out on the field.
But even still, without superstars such as Quade Cooper, Samu Kerevi, Angus Bell and Matt Philip, the men in gold managed to showcase their flair.
While wins proved hard to come by, they did fall agonisingly short of wins over Ireland, France and the All Blacks – the top three teams in the world. And they probably deserved to win these matches too.
Australia did manage to record statement wins over England and South Africa this year; in review, proving to the rugby world that they can match it with the top five teams in the world.
And then there’s the Wallabies, currently ranked sixth in the world, who are widely considered a dark horse for this year’s World Cup as opposed to a contender.
Yes, rugby is a results driven business, but the Wallabies are frustratingly underrated.
If they had their best players to pick from, which they should do next year, then they’ll be more than capable of an upset or two. In fact, with Cooper and Kerevi back in the fold, they’ll have the best backline in the world.
