This is what the World Cup is all about.
The Pool D clash between Wales and Australia sees the first of the Hemisphere heavyweight battles at the World Cup.
While we’ve already seen New Zealand and South Africa go toe to toe, some of the other top seed clashes in the pool stages have an all-too-familiar feel to them. Ireland v Scotland and France v England happen every year. November Test matches are great spectacles. But nothing beats a full-blooded battle between North and South at a World Cup.
Traditionally, fans have come to expect the Southern sides to produce free-flowing, attacking rugby. A game plan that lives in the wide channels, rarely puts boot to ball and instead terrorises sides with an offload-laden strategy.
Their Northern counterparts… Well, perhaps the traditional perception is much more of a laboured, one-off runners, patient build-up game that leaves very little leather on the ball come 80 minutes on the clock.
England remain the only Northern Hemisphere side to win the Webb Ellis trophy, out of a possible nine tournaments. Of the 18 finalist spots from the 9 deciders, only 5 of those have been occupied by teams above the equator; England twice and France on 3 occasions.
But are things starting to shift?
Speaking on the new episode of The JOEpan Rugby Show, former Munster and Ireland hooker Jerry Flannery believes Wales have nothing to fear in terms of creativity from their counterparts;
“I think there’s a nice dynamic to this World Cup, where I don’t think the Southern Hemisphere’s teams are being lauded to the same way that they have been at previous World Cups and I think that’s just because the game is evolving here, skill levels are developing and I think, looking through the teams from the Northern Hemisphere, the Welsh are as skillful as anyone else up here, so. In the past it was more a case of, you know, it had to be all about collision winning, that’s obviously a part of it, but I think Wales would be confident in their skillset versus the Australians.”
Wales finally brought a halt to a 13 game losing streak against the Wallabies in a turgid 9-6 victory in Cardiff last November. Flannery says that Australia can win ugly, but also turn on the style with the current crop of players at their disposal;
“They’ll be confident if the game turns into a running game, I think Wales will be just as confident. Look at their back three, look at Liam Williams, Josh Adams, George North, there’s world class in that back three. So, you know, compare them with Koroibete, with, well Hodge is obviously out now, and Kurtley Beale… there’s a good match up there.”
North v South, top of the pool clash… It looks set to be an absolute belter.
