Australia quiet on cushy outcome

SYDNEY - Australian coach Eddie Jones sat firmly on the fence yesterday after a World Cup draw delivered his team a reasonably trouble-free path to the semifinals.

If the defending champions live up to their top seeding, they would avoid any of their main rivals for the title - New Zealand, South Africa, France or England - until the tournament reaches the last four.

But Jones didn't believe the Wallabies had received the more favourable side of the draw.

"I don't think there's any easy side in the World Cup," he said.

"The World Cup is about the best teams in the world. You just have to do well in the games in front of you."

Jones was unwilling to reveal whether he was pleased with the draw.

"I'm not happy or unhappy. We've got to be good enough to prepare for those games and that all starts for us now."

Australia's likely quarter-final opponents are Scotland and, if other results go according to expectations, they would meet the All Blacks in the semifinals.

Meanwhile, Sydney, host of what has been rated as the best Olympics ever, has vowed to draw on all its experience from the 2000 Games. Australian rugby and city bosses have promised a return to a Games-like atmosphere for the cup, which they hope will in turn reap a $A350 million ($422 million) benefit for Australia's most populous state.

"The benefits of what Rugby World Cup will do for our city, our state, cannot be underestimated, especially after the effects of September 11 on world tourism," said New South Wales Premier Bob Carr.

Carr and rugby officials aired a slick, Olympic-style video presentation which showcased the best Sydney and Australia have to offer and which also suggested what ousted sub-hosts New Zealand might be missing out on.

Nine senior officials from the Sydney Olympics organising committee were working on the World Cup in key areas such as marketing, planning and ticketing.

Australian Tourism Export Council managing director Peter Shelley said visiting fans were expected to spend more than $A300 million in the 10 cities in which games will be played.

- NZPA