To say that Australia will enter the quarter-finals of the Rugby World Cup 2019 without much reference is a euphemism ... The Wallabies have completed the first phase of the World Cup with a small victory over the modest Georgia (27- 8), Friday, October 11, in Shizuoka.

Admittedly, the Wallabies have extenuating circumstances; the sustained rain that fell on the Stadium Ecopa did not facilitate their game naturally focused on the outside and the balloon races in hand. And the Georgians feasted on trapping them in the small perimeter, even though they left a bonus point to their opponents at the end of the match.

Still, six days after a runaway success over Uruguay (45-10), the Wallabies, who were still lining up a largely reworked team, seemed far from the canons required for a title contender.

In the balance sheet of the first round, the Australians, vice world champions in 2015, can only advance sixty convincing minutes against Fiji (39-21), and a beautiful second period against Wales, despite the defeat (29- 25) on September 29th.

"To be more precise in attack"

The loss to the Welsh "condemns" Australia to second place in Pool D, provided of course that the XV Leek beats Uruguay on Sunday.

In the quarterfinals, the Australians should find on Saturday, October 19, England, deprived of match against France because of typhoon Hagibris.

Collectively, they can advance a rather comfortable pack in conquest (touch, scrum) and the game of perpetual motion, which had almost carried Welsh.

"I think that forwards have played well on all the matches, and here we are in the finals, we have to build on what we have done in all four matches," said coach Michaël Cheika.

On the other hand, the hinge seems to constitute a serious question mark. Melee-backs Nick White and Will Genia do not weigh. And the attack leader Bernard Foley has not found the level that was his in 2015, leaving the coach line up a usual center (Tomua) or Christian Leali'fano number 10.

"I think we have a good base (the pack), but we must be more precise in attack," said Cheika.

In detail ? "We have to get more into the opposition defense and we're better able to take the intervals, we need to play more flat, it's easy for me to say, I'm sitting in the stands."

Cheika has a reserved place in the stand, next Saturday in Oita. By then, he has a week to erase the flaws of his team.

With AFP