Ireland v Australia: Australian coach Eddie Jones dutifully heralded the success of his country's soccer team in reaching the Fifa World Cup finals yesterday, though, in the midst of their worst losing run since 1969 and amid the scrummaging crisis which has enveloped the Wallabies, there will also be concerns that the country's dormant sporting giant will be reawakened.
"It is fantastic for the Socceroos and we all like our national sides doing well," said Jones yesterday following Australia's dramatic penalty shoot-out win over Uruguay.
However, Wallaby rugby chiefs will be acutely aware that their union will need to redouble their efforts to promote rugby union in Australia's ultra-competitive sporting market - where they face an uphill battle against rugby league and Aussie Rules.
They'll also be mindful that their former chief executive John O'Neill, who was the mastermind behind the successful 2003 World Cup in Australia, has since switched to soccer.
Saturday's destruction in the scrums by Andrew Sheridan, Steve Thompson and Phil Vickery has made Australia realise that they can no longer survive in this area by hook or by crook, at least not when a referee such as Joel Jutge is in charge.
"Help is needed, not just in personnel, but in technical expertise," the Sydney Morning Herald commented this week. "Wallabies coach Eddie Jones has called for the introduction of a scrummaging school, which is good. It would also be wise if Andrew Blades can be brought back into the fold."
"The former Test prop is an excellent scrummaging technician, who spent time with the Wallabies as their forward coach before departing in mysterious circumstances last year because of differences with Jones. Hopefully that relationship can be healed, because in such times of need, smart men such as Blades are required."
Jones will confirm his side for Saturday's Test against Ireland today, and although the Irish scrum does not contain a prop on the scale of the wrecking ball that is Sheridan, the expectation is that the starting XV will feature two changes, both at prop.
Matt Dunning is rendered hors de combat after his Twickenham experience with an injured neck, while Al Baxter may be demoted to the bench, with David Fitter, a more old-fashioned scrummaging tighthead and Greg Holmes, known more for his work "around the paddock", promoted in their place.
Asked whether scrummaging was the area of their game which they focused on this week, Jones responded: "No, not more than usual," with a glint in his eye, before conceding: "It's no secret that it was an area we were far from happy with during the England game, and we've put in some hard work to try and rectify that."
The Australians also have insider knowledge of Ireland due to the time Alan Gaffney, Jones's assistant/backs' coach, spent with Leinster and Munster.
"He's got a twofold influence with us this week," said Jones. "Firstly, he's our social manager and he's done a fantastic job for us. He's also got an intimate knowledge of Leinster and Munster from his time involved coaching with them and also the Irish set-up. That knowledge will be useful to us but sometimes that can be difficult to translate into players on the park."
Jones agreed that this game had been given added importance to both sides in recent weeks: "For two different reasons. From Australia's point of view we've lost seven games in a row and it would be really nice to get a win, and for Ireland to see how they will bounce back after last week's setback against the All Blacks."
A contributory factor towards Australia's losing run has been the quality of the opposition, not to mention that five of those games against sides in the world's top five have been away, but they've also been afflicted with a horrendous injury list which has debilitated their resources.
This season, Jones said, the Wallabies will have blooded 14 new players in the Test environment, a rate that was unprecedented in Australian rugby. That, though, will cut little ice if they don't end their losing run, all the more so with events back home.
