Australian Rugby Chariman John O'Neill talks to Radike Samo of the Wallabies following the side's win over the All Blacks. Photo / Getty Images
The Wallabies may be cautiously optimistic heading into the World Cup, after a morale-boosting win over the All Blacks in Brisbane. But Australian Rugby Union boss John O'Neill has taken a thinly-veiled jab at the All Blacks, claiming he would rather enter the tournament on the back of two wins
than consecutive losses.
The All Blacks couldn't topple the Wallabies at Suncorp Stadium, losing the match 25-20 and the Tri-Nations trophy in the process. The victory for Australia built on a tightly-contested win against the Springboks in Durban.
O'Neill accepts the tournament hosts are still favourites to break their 24-year World Cup drought, but warned that the Wallabies' latest win could be a "significant" result.
"It was a great Test match, and clearly a great result. The timing was perfect, it gave us momentum going into the World Cup in 10 or 11 days time," he told Sportal.
"When it was 20-all with 20 minutes to go, they're the sort of games we may have lost in the past, but we won and there was a lot of character and composure in that result."
He said the back-to-back victories demonstrates the faith placed in the coach and players is starting to come good.
