Wales face South Africa at Twickenham tomorrow.
Advertisement
“Argentina have beaten them recently, we all know Japan beat them recently, so they’re not that formidable side anymore”.
He’s done well with Japan, he got Australia to a World Cup final and he also helped South Africa win it in 2007.
“But we can take confidence from that as Australia are one of the form teams in the competition”.
The huge Welsh media contingent that turned out for his press conference on Thursday suddenly went strutting, with any sort of confidence.
“It made sense to reunite Bryan and JP…it brings a lot of experience to our backline, which has been doing well despite the relative inexperience of (flyhalf) Handre Pollard, (and centres) Damian de Allende and Jesse Kriel”.
New Zealand coach Steve Hansen is leaving little to chance, recalling captain Richie McCaw to lead a squad of 23 with a combined 1,295 caps and including no fewer than four men who have been named world player of the year.
He hardly trains because of a back issue and was not sure he could stand up to the rigours of a World Cup but coach Heyneke Meyer was desperate for him to be part of this campaign. The intensity and atmosphere in the Millennium Stadium were all there. Yet there are other factors in play, as Roberts acknowledges.
They’ve still got a very good team out there against South Africa.
“He was anxious when he did not get game time before the tournament”, Meyer said.
“We’re playing against a well-balanced side that always likes to mix things up when it comes to physicality”, he told reporters on Thursday, as teams put the final touches to their preparations and more lineups were announced.
Morgan only made his Test debut against Ireland in a World Cup warm-up match in August.
– In contrast the Pumas have lost four of their last five at the Cardiff venue. But they bounced back to top Pool B with three straight wins.
The Welsh have suffered a number of injuries throughout the tournament, and will be weakened somewhat from that aspect, but they will also be motivated as underdogs with strong local support to surprise the 1995 and 2007 champions.
-This will be the second RWC meeting between these sides having met at the same stage in 2003, a game which Australia won 33-16 and in which Matt Giteau featured as a replacement fly-half.
“My first (training) camp in the Six Nations, I was a bit star-struck seeing the likes of (Leigh) Halfpenny, Alun-Wyn (Jones) and (Jamie) Roberts, but as soon as you get into the rugby environment, they are your team-mates”.
Although considered a star of the future, Morgan has only played three test matches. Momentum behind their challenge is building, but it is Wales who will offer the most reliable gauge of just how good they are.
Advertisement
“At this level and at this stage, you have to be prepared to throw in something different”, he said.
