Stirling Mortlock welcomes pool pressure for Wallabies

By Julian Guyer
December 02, 2008
AUSTRALIA captain Stirling Mortlock said his side could have no complaints about any weakness in their 2011 World Cup draw after being placed in a group also featuring Ireland and Italy.
The Wallabies waltzed through the pool phase in France last year only to lose to England in the quarter-finals.

That defeat led to complaints that the draw had done Australia no favours by leaving them insufficiently 'match-tough'.


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But Mortlock, speaking after a draw in London on Monday which will see Australia also playing qualifiers from Europe and the Americas, said the Wallabies would be tested early on in New Zealand in three years' time.

"Having gone through the World Cup last year, you do want to have a couple of tough matches and that's certainly what we will face against Italy and Ireland," Mortlock said.

"Italy and Ireland will pose significant challenges," added the centre, who saw the Wallabies made to work hard for a 30-20 win over Italy last month.

"You need to have that grounding if you want to progress forward.

Australia have won all four of their World Cup clashes with Ireland, but two of those were by the narrowest of margins - 19-18 in Dublin in 1991 and 17-16 in Melbourne in 2003.

"There has been some decent history between Ireland and Australia in the World Cup and no doubt in three years time we will make some new history," Mortlock said.

Ireland captain Brian O'Driscoll, who played in that Melbourne match, hopes to play in a fourth World Cup.

But the 29-year-old centre said: "I want to be involved but experience teaches you not to look too far ahead.

"The game can be fickle, especially when the body gets older."

Ireland failed to get to the quarter-finals of last year's World Cup, failing to finish in the top two of their pool following defeats by France and Argentina, the eventual third-place finishers.

Although, on paper, this looks a kinder draw, Ireland coach Declan Kidney remained cautious.

"Being ranked second will make us the target team for the other sides in the pool. They'll be looking to have a go at us."

Ireland were almost embarrassed by Georgia in France before winning 14-10 and O'Driscoll added: "It's hard to play against any side in a World Cup - I learnt that last year."



Agence France-Presse

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