Matt Giteau identifies ‘big growth area’ needed by Wallabies and gives candid verdict on their 2027 World Cup chances
Former Australia utility back Matt Giteau (inset) and the Wallabies in action against the British & Irish Lions.
Former Australia utility back Matt Giteau doesn’t believe it’s all doom and gloom for the Wallabies after their series loss to the British & Irish Lions and is backing them to win the 2027 Rugby World Cup Cup on home soil.
After being outplayed in most departments en route to a 27-19 loss against the famous touring team in their first Test Brisbane, the Wallabies delivered a much improved effort in their second Test in Melbourne but despite holding a 23-5 lead, they eventually suffered a 29-26 defeat.
That meant the Lions now hold an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-Test series and although the Wallabies have little to play for in the final encounter with the tourists in Sydney on Saturday, Giteau believes they are tracking in the right direction and can lift the Webb Ellis Cup in Australia in two years time.
‘We can, but we have got to continue to develop’
“I think we can,” he told the The Big Jim Show with Jim Hamilton when asked if the Wallabies can win the next Rugby World Cup. “We can, but we have got to continue to develop.
“So we were talking with George Gregan yesterday for our pod (Kick Offs and Kick Ons) and he (had) just a couple of little gems what he was talking about. He said like, anyone you play in Test rugby is good.
“So if you give them an opportunity to come back in, they are going to take it.
“So when Australia went two tries in front (against the Lions) and they just weren’t clinical enough getting out of their half, just putting that half to bed, he said. That’s the big growth area. You know, being able to put that together for 80 minutes, keep your foot on the throat and keep that intensity.
“It’s almost, when I was playing with Greges (George Gregan) way back, if we saw a weakness, he would reinforce, ‘let’s go, let’s go’, like now’s the time to really dig it in.
“So he just would not take the foot off the pedal. And he won everything there is to win and there’s a reason because he was competitive and he was clinical at what he did.
“So I just reckon that’s the big growth area for us. It’s just being able to consistently put great performances together and full matches.
“Like, we always are good at bouncing back when the media gives us plenty of s***, but that’s easy to (do), you can get motivated very easily when you’ve had a poor game.
“It’s trying to stay motivated after you have had a good game and then another good game and then putting a season together and we have definitely got the talent and we have got the players that we, as we saw on the weekend.
“But it’s just trying to get these younger guys now putting in consistent 80 minute great performances, but we have definitely got the talent to win the World Cup.”
‘There is a difference between being good and great’
Giteau was then asked why the Wallabies’ traditional rivals, the All Blacks and Springboks, are consistently among the world’s leading teams. He replied: “Well, I reckon that no lapses really. You know, being good and there is a difference between being good and great and that great is what we are chasing at the moment, that full, no lapses really, no lulls.
“You know, you get to a good lead and then we kind of just take the foot off rather than keeping that intensity going. So that is probably one thing that we will probably learn from those bigger nations, well not bigger nations, but the ones that are higher on the ladder than us on the rankings.
“But also depth as well: If we lose a couple of players, you kind of saw it, you know, Test one, Test two, we kind of need to have more depth, more competition for spots.
“It’s like when you’re in a tough, even Super Rugby team or club team, if you’ve got a really good second-row sitting behind you, it’s going to make you work hard. You never feel comfortable.
“So I feel like once we can create competition for spots and that depth, like a complete, strong 30-man squad, that’s probably our biggest area to get better and to make us super competitive at that World Cup.”