Chisholm becomes the Wallabies' Muhammad Ali
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The greatest ... Mark Chisholm has been nicknamed Muhammad Ali by his Wallabies teammates.
BOLD lock Mark Chisholm's almost blind faith in the Wallabies has earned him a new nickname to match his predictions of greatness - Muhammad Ali.
It looks like sticking too after Australia stung the world champion Springboks 21-6 for a breakthrough Tri-Nations rugby triumph at Suncorp Stadium.
Chisholm took all by surprise, including stunned teammates, before Saturday night's Test when he prophetically spruiked Robbie Deans' rebuilding side was on the verge of "something great" despite four straight defeats.
"I actually copped a lot of flak. They started calling me Muhammad Ali," he said.
But the Brumbies second-rower, who also rightly predicted the Wallabies were fitter than the Springboks and would finish over the top of them, denied his outspoken comments were designed to build confidence in a desperate camp.
"I don't talk to pump teams up, I knew the boys were going to be great," said Chisholm, who only made his return from injury a week earlier in the 32-25 loss in Perth.
"That's what you get from watching a lot of games and coming back and playing in such a side with such skill and physicality.
"It was only a matter of time we could get a win we could build on."
Deans has taken little time to underline the importance of following up the upset of the world champions with a win over New Zealand in the September 19 Tri-Nations finale in Wellington.
Chisholm, who is keeping stalwart Nathan Sharpe out of the 22-man squad, believes the Wallabies' best is yet to come.
"It was a breakthrough, it's not going to be floodgates open and it will be a lot of hard work to back it up next week [against the All blacks] and continue," he said.
"We know within the body of players we have got it and we can match it with anyone.
"There's plenty of areas we can still work on but the skill and the patience out there [on Saturday night] was outstanding."
Injured duo Tatafu Polota-Nau and Lachlan Turner (both ribs) will know more about their chances of lining up against the All Blacks when the Test squad assembles in camp on Thursday.
Forward reserves Pek Cowan (Warringah) and Wycliff Palu (Manly) have been granted releases to play for their Sydney clubs in semi-finals this weekend.
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/spo...-1225770298455
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