SYDNEY, 1 August 2003 — Australia and South Africa will have dual objectives when they meet at Lang Park in Brisbane tomorrow in the Tri-Nations championship.
Although the result is unlikely to affect the outcome of the championship both teams, who were torn apart by a rampant New Zealand side, desperately need a win.
But also paramount in their thoughts will be the need to plan ahead for the World Cup opening in Sydney on Oct. 10.
“We’re 100 percent committed to winning the game but, at the same time, you’ve got to have another plan going along and that plan is to be right for the World Cup,” said Australia coach Eddie Jones.
“We’re certainly not under-valuing the Tri-nations, but there’s been things that we’ve been doing and trying, some of them not too successfully, that are geared toward the World Cup and I can tell you we’re not the only side doing that.”
As the current world champions and World Cup hosts, the Wallabies are probably under more pressure to win than the South Africans.
They have lost their last three matches, including their opening Tri-Nations clash in Cape Town to the Springboks 26-22, and were humiliated 50-21 at home to New Zealand last weekend.
The Wallabies remain as potent as ever in attack and have finally found some cohesion in the forwards but their defense out wide was exposed as their weak point as the All Blacks raced in seven tries in an hour.
Veteran fullback Matthew Burke paid the price for the loss as he was dumped for Chris Latham and Jones has warned more sackings are likely if the team doesn’t start winning soon.
“Everyone has got to play well to keep their spot,” Jones said. “I think we’ll play much better in the backs and the forwards are going to do their job.”
South Africa began their new season full of renewed hope after last year’s unhappy tour of Europe.
