Robshaw rallies wilting Red Rose
The rivals clash in a dress rehearsal for next year’s pool showdown at the World Cup, with Wales offering a third heavyweight presence in the tournament’s ‘group of death’.
Victory over the Wallabies on Saturday would mean a psychological edge heading into England 2015 and build momentum for February’s RBS 6 Nations opener in Cardiff.
Defeat, however, would justify the notion of crisis with Stuart Lancaster’s men having succumbed at Twickenham to each of the southern hemisphere superpowers 10 months out from the World Cup.
“If we lose we must view this as a poor campaign. That disappointment would be tough to take for all the guys,” captain Robshaw said.
“This game is huge because our next game will be at the Millennium Stadium against Wales, so we’ll be using that as big motivation.
“Ask any team in the world if they believe they should be expected to win at home and they’ll say yes.
“However, losing to the two best teams in the world by three points, and beating two more, is not a bad place in which to be.
“I do not think we’ve gone backwards, but we haven’t moved forwards at the pace we were moving at in last autumn’s series and in the Six Nations.”
When asked what a win would mean to Australia ahead of the pivotal World Cup showdown, Robshaw said: “Look at what happened before the 2007 World Cup.
“England played South Africa and lost and then lost to them twice during the actual tournament.”
Meanwhile Alex Cuthbert has no doubt Wales are “there or thereabouts” in their continued quest to claim a major southern hemisphere scalp.
Cuthbert and company have one final chance for 2014 on Saturday when South Africa arrive at the Millennium Stadium.
It is six years and 26 tests since Wales last beat the Springboks, New Zealand or Australia, although they looked on course to end that dismal sequence against the All Blacks last weekend, leading 16-15 with 11 minutes left, before the world champions rattled up 19 unanswered points.
“They are a totally different team to New Zealand,” the Wales wing said.
“The South Africans are more direct. Their forwards love mauling and beating the other pack into submission.
“They will be wary of our backs, and if we get a lot of ball in hand we can do some damage. We have got the firepower to confront them, and we showed that in the summer.
“If the forwards can do the job they have been doing over the last couple of weeks, then hopefully we can get the result.”
Wales head coach Warren Gatland will name his team today to face South Africa, with a minimum of two changes to be expected.
Prop Paul James and hooker Richard Hibbard are now back with their English clubs Bath and Gloucester as Saturday’s test falls outside the International Rugby Board autumn window.
South Africa have made five changes from the 22-6 victory over Italy last weekend.
Full-back Willie le Roux and wings Cornal Hendricks and Lwazi Mvovo return while prop Tendai Mtawarira and hooker Bismarck du Plessis come into the pack.
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