Winless Wallabies reliant on Eddie's tournament craft

SYDNEY : Eddie Jones's frequent assertions that Australia can win the Rugby World Cup in France might be wearing a bit thin with Wallabies fans given recent results, but they have little choice now but to trust the tournament craft of a veteran campaigner.

Australia certainly look like they need any edge they can get as they head into the tournament without a win in five tests this year and ranked ninth in the world, the triumphs of 1991 and 1999 fading fast from memory.

Jones, however, knows the Wallabies will not need to beat the best in the world every week in France to get to the business end of the World Cup.

The wily 63-year-old Sydneysider has taken three teams to World Cups as a head coach and in each has masterminded a single, almost perfect, performance.

With Australia in 2003 it was the semi-final against New Zealand in Sydney, where the Wallabies confounded unbackable odds to beat the All Blacks and reach the final.

In 2015 in Brighton, his Japan side stunned the world with a last-gasp victory over South Africa that remains arguably the greatest upset in the history of the World Cup.

New Zealand were again the victims in 2019, when England dominated the defending champions in a 19-7 victory in Yokohama that sent them into the title-decider.

Both finals were lost and Japan still exited in the pool stage but Jones also knows a successful World Cup campaign for Australia in 2023 does not necessarily mean lifting the trophy.

That hosts France, top-ranked Ireland, reigning champions South Africa and perennial powerhouse New Zealand are on the other side of the draw will certainly help.

If the Wallabies can get out of a Pool C also featuring Wales, Fiji, Georgia and Portugal they are likely to meet England or