Rugby: Macqueen sees wisdom in Irish logic

By Chris Rattue

Wallaby coach Rod Macqueen says he has some sympathy with Ireland's decision to "throw" their World Cup pool match against Australia.

But Macqueen said last night that he would never contemplate going into a test with anything other than the aim of winning on the mind.

Irish coach Warren Gatland, the former Waikato and All Black non-test hooker, told Radio Sport yesterday that he would put out a second-string side against Australia in their second pool E match in Dublin on October 19.

Gatland believes Ireland's best chance of making the semifinals was to avoid a quarter-final clash against Wales, the heavy favourites to win pool D.

That quarter-final between the pool winners will be played at Cardiff, where the home side, who are on a winning roll under New Zealand coach Graham Henry, would be stirred on by a massive and patriotic crowd.

Ireland's other pool matches are against the United States and Romania, who Five Nations champions Scotland thrashed by 41 points in Glasgow last week.

That means the Irish should be untroubled in "manipulating" a second-place pool finish if they take a dive against Australia.

The runners-up in pool E have what should be an easy road to the quarter-finals, playing the top-rated third side from all the pools in a playoff in France. And that would set up an almost certain quarter-final match against France in Dublin.

Macqueen said any side with ambitions of winning the World Cup would have to beat the top sides at some stage, and he did not believe the right approach was to try to manipulate the draw to avoid tough battles.

"I think probably I can understand what the Irish are saying. We looked at it and realised it [winning the pool] was probably the tougher way to go," Macqueen said.

"But we were never even tempted to do something like that.

"I almost think it's a negative way to go into the tournament and you never know what's going to happen.

"It is a very defeatist thing to do to go out and want to lose. Psychologically it would be very difficult for a team to contemplate that."

Meanwhile, Macqueen indicated that Australia would beef up their loose forward combination if openside flanker Brett Robinson failed a fitness test on a shoulder injury at the Wallaby camp in a fortnight.

If Robinson is forced out, discarded lock Tom Bowman would be recalled, and powerful No 8 Tiaan Strauss would then become the back-up flanker to No 1 openside David Wilson.

Macqueen said: "The medical people seem confident Brett will be okay but we believe Tiaan has the pace to do the job."