Aussie Cup run 'left too late'

The Australian Rugby Union will be considering the tenure of coach Eddie Jones. Picture / Reuters

SYDNEY - Nick Farr-Jones, the Wallabies captain who hoisted the William Webb Ellis Trophy aloft at Twickenham in 1991, cannot see his 2007 equivalent following in his footsteps at Paris after Australia's disastrous European tour.

Farr-Jones fears it is too late for the Wallabies to build a side capable of challenging for a third world title in France as the Australian Rugby Union consider the tenure of coach Eddie Jones who has presided over eight losses in his last nine tests in charge.

As the blood-letting intensifies ahead of the crestfallen Wallabies returning home, the halfback said although a crop of young players were blooded in France, England, Ireland and Wales they should have been brought in earlier.

Ideally, in Farr-Jones assessment, planning should begin 36 months out from the World Cup and not within the final 24 months.

"My gut feeling is we'll struggle to get there for 2007. I don't think we've been bold enough or brave enough to blood guys early enough," Farr-Jones told the Australian newspaper.

The timely introduction of new talent aside, Farr-Jones said the Wallabies' glaring deficiencies at scrum time were also destined to undermine their campaign unless drastic improvements were made.

"Perhaps we should have seen the writing on the wall. The fact we don't have pushing in scrums at school or junior level may now hurt us.

"Perhaps we should have been a little more clever ... scrum academies to teach the guys all about the scrum should have been instituted.

"It's easy to jump on the band wagon but unless you can at least get parity up front, forget about winning World Cups."

Meanwhile, the coach who helped mastermind Australia's 1991 triumph, adopted a more optimistic slant despite losses to France, England and Wales hard on the heels of a third placing in the Tri-Nations.

Bob Dwyer believed the current side could still form the nucleus of a team capable of winning the World Cup.

"Throughout this year, and culminating with the tour, we've unearthed a number of players who will certainly strengthen our depth of quality players," he said.

"We had 14 players who were unable to tour so that's a big plus, because we get them back. On top of that we've seen a couple of players who could become really world class."

Players including Stephen Larkham, Jeremy Paul, David Lyons, Elton Flatley, Stirling Mortlock, Clyde Rathbone and Bill Young were unavailable.

Matt Giteau became the 15th regular out of the selectors' grasp when he cracked his kneecap against England.

Dwyer said the emergence of hooker Tatafu Polota-Nau, lock Hugh McMeniman, centre Lloyd Johansson and wing Drew Mitchell were among "a number of pluses" from the tour - along with the relatively slender losing margins.

"On each occasion we were right in the game until fulltime. For me, that is the one really strong point: that we've shown a huge amount of courage to keep fighting against all odds and we stayed close. That shows a very good spirit in the squad."

- NZPA