Australia v Georgia - Rugby World Cup 2019: Group D
Australia v Georgia - Rugby World Cup 2019: Group D

5 reasons Wallabies will win... and why they won’t!

DO we really know what to expect from the Wallabies?

No one has much of an idea of how things will play out when they face off with England in a World Cup quarter-final.

So we've unleashed NewsCorp rugby union writers Julian Linden and Jamie Pandaram to argue why the Wallabies will beat England - and why they won't.

Stream the Wallabies v England in the 2019 Rugby World Cup on KAYO SPORTS. Live & On-Demand on your TV, computer, mobile or tablet. Get your 14-day free trial and start streaming instantly >




Never underestimate the Wallabies' ability to pull a rabbit out of the hat at the World Cup.

Time and time again, when the odds are against the Wallabies, they have found a way to lift their game at the World Cup when it matters and there's every reason to believe they can do it again.


The attack has been hot and cold for a long time but when everything clicks, the Wallabies can pile on points quickly and ruthlessly. It was only two months ago that they put on 47 points against New Zealand and even though they weren't at their best in the pool stages, they still managed to run in 20 tries.


Michael Cheika likes to joke that if the Wallabies don't know what they're doing then the opposition has no chance of figuring out what's going on and there's a grain of truth in that. One thing is for sure is that the Wallabies have not revealed their full hand yet so will have some surprises up their sleeve against England.


For a long time, Australia's scrum was an embarrassment and no-one exploited that weakness more than England. But those days are long gone. The Australian pack is now settled and performing as good as any other team in the world, both in the set pieces and in the loose, so half the battle is already won.


There's not a fitter team at the World Cup than the Wallabies. The brutal pre-training camps they did were designed to help them peak when it mattered and they've already shown that they are battle hardened and can run over the top of the teams in the second half of matches.



This England team have been building under Eddie Jones for four years and are a far more settled outfit than Australia, who have repeatedly tinkered with selections in all key positions. The intricate understanding between all the forwards in scrums, lineouts and rolling mauls, and familiarity between halves Ben Youngs and Owen Farrell will drive them home.


England have been using a rush defence with great success under former All Blacks coach John Mitchell. They are furious and well co-ordinated. They will pressure Australia, who will look to hold the ball, into crucial mistakes.


In their previous six clashes, England has beaten Australia on the scoreboard and in the set-piece. Their scrum should be stronger than the Wallabies and give England penalties out of their own half or for Farrell to kick goals.


Christian Lealiifano has had a mixed year with his kicks, while Farrell is a machine-like performer when it's time to slot the ball between the posts. Most World Cup playoffs are decided by a goal or two.


Eddie Jones has out-thought and out-coached Michael Cheika on each of the six occasions they've met. He has used the media to provoke his old Randwick teammate and managed to expose Australia's weaknesses while Cheika says he refuses to study his opponents.

Could Michael Cheika prove to be Australia’s weakness? Picture: Getty
Could Michael Cheika prove to be Australia’s weakness? Picture: Getty
News Corp Australia

FLASHBACK: 10 fantastic prom photos through the years

premium_icon FLASHBACK: 10 fantastic prom photos through the years

Region's teens put on stunning displays at formals time

Stabbing accused granted bail after weekend incident

premium_icon Stabbing accused granted bail after weekend incident

Court hears man was drunk at time of event

'I hated my body - now I'm on the catwalk'

premium_icon 'I hated my body - now I'm on the catwalk'

'I'm a bloke - and I had life-changing breast surgery'