KEY POINTS:
The Wallabies made an encouraging start to the Tri-Nations tournament and, while they do not appeal as a series winner, they do have the look of a side which could damage the All Blacks in a one-off clash at the World Cup.
But if they do not push
on and show that sort of clout next week at the MCG, they will lose their chance of exerting some psychological pressure ahead of the global tournament.
The transtasman rivals are touted to meet in a semifinal in Paris in October in what would be a replay of their duel at the last event.
And former skipper Nick Farr-Jones has been pushing the importance of the Wallabies unsettling the All Blacks next week in Melbourne, of gaining the sort of mental grip the Australians managed when they won the 1991 and 1999 World cups.
In both seasons, they had beaten the All Blacks, nibbled away at their confidence and added to the extreme expectations placed on the tournament favourites.
Before last week, Farr-Jones, like many of us, doubted whether the Wallabies would be a threat. They had been in patchy form against Wales and Fiji but at Newlands they rediscovered some of their sting.
The scrum performed, the lineout was strong, the defence was superb and the decision to revert to the old Brumbies backline combo of George Gregan, Stephen Larkham, Matt Giteau and Stirling Mortlock gave them a missing dimension.
Not perfect by a long way but suddenly you thought this was a team. Tack on others like injured fullback Chris Latham, add on help from Rodney Blake or Hugh McMenamin and the Wallabies have a handy squad.
Maybe not good enough to last an entire World Cup campaign but good enough to inflict the sort of damage they did on the All Blacks in the 2003 semifinal. They showed that attitude.
The Wallabies also have John O'Neill back as the chief executive to offer shrewd counsel to the coaching staff and, like 1991, they will be playing the public relations card hard.
Farr-Jones has already been banging that drum urging the side to connect with supporters and media in France. "Get out in the streets," he said. "The more we opened up, the more the Kiwis closed ranks and got criticised."
The best retort from the All Blacks will be victory next week in their third test at the MCG. First though they have to deal with the test tomorrow in Durban.
