Glen Ella thinks Aaron Smith is the All Blacks' danger man. Photo / Brett Phibbs
Glen Ella thinks Aaron Smith is the All Blacks' danger man. Photo / Brett Phibbs
The overly optimistic Aussie Pundit edition
NEW AUSSIE XV
Never short on confidence and optimism, our Aussie cousins are looking forward to Sunday morning's final with hope in their hearts and a good deal of faith in the boys wearing canary yellow. Fox Sports commentator Sean Maloney is perhaps the most chipper Aussie out there. Maloneyreckons just one All Black - Brodie Retalick - would make a combined NZ-AUS forward pack, and just four All Blacks would make the team. Maloney grudgingly includes Ben and Aaron Smith and Julian Savea in his line-up - but that's it. Former Wallaby Stephen Hoiles far more even handed, including five All Blacks (with Richie McCaw the only forward) in his combined team. So much for the All Blacks being the G.O.A.T. then?
OURS (ie THEIRS) TO WIN
Veteran Aussie rugger journo Greg Crowden, who now opines for ESPNscrum.com, takes a while but eventually manages to convince himself that glory is there for the taking. After pointing out that the Aussies are carrying injuries and playing on a day's less rest and got utterly smashed the last time the two countries met, Crowden eventually gets to the point: "It will require Australia doing absolutely everything right to get even close to New Zealand. They do have that potential. It is their World Cup to win."
Former Wallaby Glen Ella reckons stopping Aaron Smith is essential if Australia is to win. He's even been good enough to bend the ear of the Aussie coach, he revealed to Sydney Morning Herald. "As I said to 'Cheik,' you have just got to bash Aaron to stop his chance to run. You have to bury him. You have to make sure your forwards are around those rucks and mauls. Don't slip up. Don't look the other way. Look at the halfback first until he passes the ball."
VOICE OF TREASON
Trust Nick Farr-Jones to put a damper on all this Aussie optimism with a dose of cold, hard All Blacks sycophantism. "This New Zealand team are a mighty side who, should they make history and defend their World Cup title won four years ago, will go down as the greatest team of all time," the former Wallaby halfback turned fund manager writes in the Australia Financial Review." Love or hate the way their leader Richie McCaw plays on the edge of the laws, he is a majestic player and skipper. He deserves to go out in style but Cheika's men will have zero sympathy for such sentiments."
Trust Nick Farr-Jones says 'McCaw deserves to go out in style'. Photo / Getty Images
CREATORS AND SUSTAINERS
Not content with wheeling out NFJ, the AFR also contracted the Executive Chairman of the Hoyts Group to share a few thoughts about the final. According to the chairman (former All Blacks captain David Kirk) rugby teams can be broken down into two types of players - creators and sustainers. "I don't have the space here to describe how the creators create pressure and space but if you are reading this you probably have a fair idea yourself." Of course. This column has a particularly astute readership, don't worry about that mate. Captain Kirk reckons the difference could well be the wildcards. "The players who play in positions not requiring creativity, but who produce it anyway. The All Blacks have two - Brodie Retallick and Dane Coles. The Wallabies have none." NONE. Put that in your transTasman line-up pipe and smoke it.
