Jones defends team and tactics as criticism mounts

AUSTRALIA coach Eddie Jones has defended his team and tactics as they head into their World Cup quarter-final against Scotland on Saturday.

The Wallabies have come under fire from local media for some sloppy handling in the backs and a perceived lack of authority in the pack, and former players have attacked Jones’ selection policies as well as individual players.

David Campese and Nick Farr-Jones, 1991 World Cup winners, have led the attacks, while that year’s coach, Bob Dwyer, has also laid into the team, but Jones remains steadfast.

“If six weeks ago you asked us where we wanted to be, this is where we want to be,” said Jones, who has been growing increasingly frustrated with claims he is too conservative.

“There’s opinions made but selection can only be done in two ways. It can be done with all the information available, or you can have opinions that don’t necessarily take into consideration all information,” he said.

“There’s been a lot of criticism of Wendell Sailor lately,” he said as he defended the former rugby league international’s efforts so far.

“I thought Wendell did particularly well in the first half against Ireland. In the second he didn’t get much ball.”

Fly-half Stephen Larkham believes the torrent of abuse has not affected morale in the squad’s Coff’s Harbour base: “What we talk about is the fact that it's the World Cup, a one point victory is good enough to go to the next round and that's all we have to do, keep winning matches,” he said.

Meanwhile, the psychological warfare between two of rugby's most intense rivals began in earnest yesterday, with South Africa saying they expected to encounter rucking from the All Blacks in their World Cup quarter-final on Saturday.

New Zealand said they will not ruck players who delay recycling the ball after receiving an IRB directive that referees would be vigilant on the practice in an effort to stamp out foul play.

All Blacks coach John Mitchell repeated his side's stance on Sunday after they beat Wales 53-37 in Sydney.

“We certainly believe it's a high-risk area, there's a high probability of a penalty”, Mitchell said.

“It's a difficult area to control and we're dealing with the breakdown as we think will benefit us as a team.”

But South Africa coach Rudolf Straeuli said they expected New Zealand to reinstate the practice at Melbourne's Docklands Stadium.

“There was a briefing before the tournament on certain areas of the game (and) basically they [the IRB] made that decision (to police rucking vigilantly),” Straeuli said.

“That is not to say there has been no rucking.

“But if the All Blacks have decided to take rucking out of their game that will be interesting. That has been a typical strength of the All Blacks. They might reinstall it.”