A couple of Super 12 players makes all the difference. Captain Paul Warwick vouched for that after Australia returned to the force of old last night.
Four legs into the IRB Series and Australia are languishing in an embarrassing eighth place with 12 points, a massive 56 behind arch rivals New Zealand. Losing was becoming acceptable. That's anathema to Aussies. So the Australian Rugby Union took matters in hand, beefed up the squad with a couple of Super 12 players and bingo ... the team have been turned around.
That much was clear after Australia beat Samoa 19-12 in their final pool game last night to earn the 'easier' quarter-final today - against South Africa, rather than New Zealand.
'We expected to be in this position,' Warwick said. 'We are extremely confident going into [today's] quarter-final against South Africa. We have been playing in Bowl finals in the last couple of tournaments so it's great to be back in contention for the Cup. We'll give it a good shot. But we haven't done anything yet.
'It's been a disappointing year for Australian sevens but the combination of a few new guys and releasing a couple of Super 12 players have aided our cause,' Warwick said, referring to Elia Tuqiri, who has just returned from Super 12 duty with the Waratahs in South Africa, and Peter Hewat, who is contracted to the Waratahs. Elia is a cousin of Wallaby winger Lote Tuqiri and was drafted in at the last minute for Hong Kong.
'Adam Ashley-Cooper has also just come back from South Africa with the Brumbies,' Warwick said. 'These guys along with the likes of Matt Hodgson, who is also with the Waratahs, help the young guys and give them a bit of confidence. Obviously, the results are showing.
