Wallabies will improve, says Jones

THE Wallabies have only four Tests and less than four months to turn themselves into World Cup contenders but coach Eddie Jones is adamant they can do it.

The Australians' painful 25-14 loss to England at Melbourne's Telstra Dome showed just how much they must improve before the World Cup defence starts on October 10.

England silenced southern hemisphere doubters and justified its world number one ranking with its first Test win in Australia, scoring three tries to one in a convincing victory.

The win saw bookies move England into second favourite to win the World Cup behind New Zealand, which it also beat last week.

The good news for Wallaby supporters is that the side should improve significantly as key players like Owen Finegan, George Smith, Stephen Larkham and Stirling Mortlock return from injury and they get deeper into the 2003 campaign.

England, meanwhile, must be close to its peak with an aging squad that's been together about five years and coming off a long campaign.

By contrast, Jones said Australia was only 18 months into building for the World Cup starting in 2002, six months after he took over the coaching job from Rod Macqueen.

"Woodward's been running his speed program, lineout throwing and kicking programs for five years so it's no fluke that they throw or kick accurately," Jones said yesterday.

"We've definitely got the talent here ... so if we're able to get other areas of our game right which we will through hard work, through technical correction and through application then we'll be in a position where we can make up ground fairly rapidly."

Of greatest concern is Australia's forward strength. The Wallaby pack was comprehensively outclassed by the ironfisted English, with its set-pieces, particularly its lineout, faltering.

"We were very disappointed (in our lineout)," Jones said.

"I think we lost the first four which put us under tremendous pressure... that means another 25 tackles.

"They beat us tactically and technically and it's something we need to do a hell of a lot of work on."

Despite their lack of quality first phase possession, he felt Australia created enough opportunities to win the game, but simply wasn't good enough to convert.

Wingers Joe Roff and Wendell Sailor, who scored a brilliant individual try three minutes from fulltime, were the standouts.

Jones was also happy with loose forwards Toutai Kefu, Phil Waugh and David Lyons, who were kept busy trying to shut down England's relentless charge up the middle led by man of the match, skipper Martin Johnson.

Australia's lineup for the opening Tri-Nations match against South Africa in Cape Town on July 12 will be vastly different with Jones saying other players deserve opportunities.

Forwards Smith and Finegan will return from injury, while Matt Burke is close to a return after playing club rugby.

He and Mat Rogers will contend for starting jerseys when the squad is named on July 2, with fullback Chris Latham and outside centre Morgan Turinui possible casualties.

Five-eighth Larkham (elbow) has been cleared to play while Elton Flatley has served his one-match ban for a disciplinary breach.

Lock Nathan Sharpe limped off early in the second half, but his knee injury has been diagnosed as a bone bruise.

Jones said today he was stunned by England coach Clive Woodward's verbal swipe in the post-match press conference.

Woodward said comments during the week by Jones, who called the world number one ranked side "pragmatic", had motivated his troops, while he was infuriated by the Australian coach's plea for referee David McHugh to crack down on the tackle area.

"It's always nice to make those comments when you win," Jones said. "I thought that we were giving a realistic commentary of England and where they were in the world so if that's to be used as a team talk then obviously what I'm saying must be pretty good."