Aussie media excited by Irish World Cup draw
December 3, 2008
Ireland have been drawn alongside the Wallabies for the group stages of the 2011 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand, and the Aussies, in the media here at least, seem to have already started counting their chickens.
Ireland and Australia were drawn alongside Italy and two European/American qualifiers, and although not the worst draw imaginable from an Irish point of view, the Australians seem to have been wetting themselves with glee since the announcement on Monday.
“The Wallabies have received the best draw imaginable for the 2011 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand,” the Age newspaper in Melbourne reported.
“If results go according to seedings during the pool stages of the tournament, the Wallabies cannot run into the defending champion Springboks or the top-ranked All Blacks until the final.
“In addition to landing on the opposite side of the draw as their two Tri Nations rivals, Australia have also been grouped in a relatively easy pool alongside Ireland, Italy and two qualifying teams from Europe and America.
“Currently ranked eighth in the world, Ireland are the lowest-placed side from the so-called band two nations that the third-ranked Australians could have been pitted against in the pool stages.
“If results go according to the seedings during the round-robin phase of play, the Wallabies will meet Wales in the quarter-finals.”
Didn’t Australia just lose to the Welsh last weekend in Cardiff?
World Cup 2011 Pool Draw:
Pool A: New Zealand, France, Tonga, Americas 1, Asia 1
Pool B: Argentina, England, Scotland, Europe 1, Play-off winner
Pool C: Australia, Ireland, Italy, Europe 2, Americas 2
Pool D: South Africa, Wales, Fiji, Oceania 1, Africa 1
Entry Filed under: Rugby, Sport. Tags: All Ireland League, Brian O’Driscoll, Connacht, Declan Kidney, Heineken Cup, Leinster, Magners League, Munster, Six Nations, Super 14, Tri Nations, Ulster, World Cup.
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Moses @ BeerandSport.net | December 3, 2008 at 2:08 pm
Our media do get excited don’t they… I fully expect Ireland to step up a lot in the next three years, and don’t consider you guys easybeats in any sense. You think we’d be more worried about meeting England, they’ve knocked us out of the last two RWC’s..
And you’re right, we did just lose to Wales.. albeit missing Rocky Elsom, Dan Vickerman, Wycliff Palu and losing our captain Stirling Mortlock 2 minutes in, and copping a really dodgy sin-binning of Stephen Moore by Irish pin-up referee Alan Lewis. Well that and the Welsh played really well