Australia coach Eddie Jones said on Thursday the Wallabies have found weaknesses in New Zealand’s defensive armour that the defending champions can attack in Saturday’s World Cup semifinal.
Jones refused to divulge where the All Blacks’ frailties may lie but he has already indicated fly-half Carlos Spencer would be targeted by Australia’s defence.
It is also believed the Wallabies view makeshift centre Leon MacDonald and fullback Mils Muliaina as potential weak links in an otherwise impregnable New Zealand side.
Jones said Wales had shown in their gallant 53-37 defeat to New Zealand earlier in the tournament that the All Blacks could be exposed.
”New Zealand have got some frailties in terms of their game,” Jones said. ”I think Wales showed there’s some areas that can be exposed if you get some quick ball, there’s defensive patterns and defenders that are able to be exposed.
”We’ve got to work hard, as Wales did, to get some good forward ball that allows us to expose those areas.”
Jones brushed off concerns over his misfiring back division, and said the Wallabies had ”an array” of tricks up their sleeves that had so far not seen the light of day because of handling errors.
”We’ve got some plays, yes, but you’ve got to be able to execute them on the day,” Jones said.
”We’ve got a couple of things we’d like to use that may attack some of the areas we think New Zealand aren’t that strong in.”
Australia were walloped 50-21 by New Zealand at the venue for Saturday’s match during this year’s Tri-Nations, but matches between the trans-Tasman rivals are traditionally close.
Jones said Saturday’s game could be decided by an element of surprise.
”Every team has its strategy in place, there’s a certain way that each team attacks and defends but it’s that little tactical surprise that team can pull out, a new lineout formation, one of two special plays from that that can help you get that little bit of difference,” he said.
Jones, who has a famous fondness for psychological warfare, doubts New Zealand are mentally vulnerable. World Cup flops in 1991, 1995 and 1999 were of dubious relevance he said.
”Historically that might be the case but I think [with] the preparation they’ve had under John Mitchell … they’ve set themselves pretty high standards and shown over the past 18 months a great deal of strength mentally in close games,” Jones said.
”I think they’re a much more stable team than maybe the side that played in 1999.”
The Wallabies are likely to be at full strength for Saturday, with flanker George Smith, nursing an injured shoulder, and lock David Giffin (thigh), certain to play.
Jones meanwhile agreed that the fact his team had been written off in the media had eased the pressure.
”It’s not something that we talk about a lot or think about a lot, but probably unconsciously it has,” Jones said.
”Physically we’re 100% right, we couldn’t be better than we are … it’s about mentally getting right and being up for the challenge and right to play 80 minutes.
”This game on Saturday night, it’s all about this 80 minutes. While you can go back in history and look at previous games, previous experience, it’s going to come down to who’s the best team for the 80 minutes.” — Sapa-AFP