SYDNEY - An athlete who clears obstacles for a living and an accidental hero who won winter Olympic gold when his rivals went for a skate have backed the Wallabies to complete their rugby mission impossible.
Jana Pittman, crowned the world 400-metres hurdles champion this year, and Steve Bradbury are among
a host of Australian sporting heroes encouraging the Wallabies to defy the odds in tonight's semifinal.
While critics and ex-players pass judgment on the team, the Wallabies have found support among their peers.
"They know how hard they have played all season, it's time to pay off, and I'm sure they can do it," Pittman said.
Speed skater Bradbury, who cruised to gold in Salt Lake after four opponents fell, said his triumph proved no one could be written off. Self-belief would get them through: "I guess there's that old Australian colloquialism of 'never underestimate the underdog'."
Swimmer Kieren Perkins, given no chance for the 1500m at the 1996 Olympics after qualifying last in lane eight, won gold.
"At the end of the day, it's all about maintaining self-belief," Perkins said.
"It's knowing that you can do the job when it's required."
America's Cup winner John Bertrand, who captained the Australian team which broke the 132-year United States stranglehold on the Auld Mug in 1983, said the Wallabies should turn off from the critics.
"The Wallabies have it in their hands to create history and it is up to no one else but them to do that," he said.
Golfer Jack Newton, who lost an arm in an accident in 1983, said he too had been in situations "where critics seem to be coming from every corner".
Meanwhile, former test players have urged the Wallabies to draw comfort from history as they search for the performance that will sink the All Blacks.
Former captain John Thornett, an integral part of the unscripted 6-3 victory over New Zealand in Christchurch in 1958, claimed the Wallabies had nothing to fear.
"We didn't have much in the way of reputation back then," Thornett told the Daily Telegraph newspaper.
"Our team that went away was branded the worst to leave these shores. The All Blacks this weekend do look awesome. But they can be dented."
Former fullback Paul McLean shakes his head at claims the Australians have little chance of making the final.
"I don't think they're the big underdogs some people are making out," he said.
"Back in 1979 we had just been beaten two-nil in a series by Ireland and our form wasn't that flash. On the strength of that and a history that said we hadn't won the Bledisloe since 1949, things were dead against us.
"But the first 30 minutes of that game was as good a performance by any Australian side I've ever been involved with."
Eleven years later the Wallabies went to Wellington having lost the first two tests of the series.
Coach Bob Dwyer was to be sacked if, as expected, the Australians crashed again against a New Zealand side unbeaten for 50 matches. But Sam Scott-Young, an eleventh-hour replacement for Brendan Nasser, emerged as man of the match in a 21-9 upset.
"We were written off and the weather was crap," Scott-Young recalled.
"I just aimed to take off Grant Fox's head. Every time he got the ball, even if he had shovelled it on, I'd belt him.
"The Wallabies can do the same to Carlos Spencer. He's a narky little bloke and gets cranky. As I like to say, you can entertain the mongrel in him. Bring it out, play with it for a while, and watch him go to pieces."
- NZPA
Full World Cup coverage
SYDNEY - An athlete who clears obstacles for a living and an accidental hero who won winter Olympic gold when his rivals went for a skate have backed the Wallabies to complete their rugby mission impossible.
Jana Pittman, crowned the world 400-metres hurdles champion this year, and Steve Bradbury are among
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