Michael Cheika stepped down at the end of the tournament as head coach, with Dave Rennie moving into the position as his replacement. He will be working with a team in transition, with several players potentially being shifted out of the squad.

The Wallabies were forced to watch Southern Hemisphere rivals South Africa win the crown, and the journey to attempt to dislodge them in 2023 will be a long one for Rennie and his side. Australia are currently backed at 14/1 in the rugby union betting odds to claim the Webb Ellis Trophy in France in four years, highlighting the task at hand for the new man in the role.

There have already been moves made with flanker David Pocock announcing his retirement, leaving a void at the position alongside Michael Hooper. Sekope Kepu made his intentions clear before the World Cup that he was quitting after a distinguished career in the front row. Adam Ashley-Cooper’s days are numbered at international level as even the old reliable cannot be expected to suit up at the age of 39 to play in the next tournament after being brought back by Cheika.

There are natural replacements ready to take over. Jack Dempsey will slide into the position alongside his skipper, with Isi Naisarani filling the number eight role. Allan Alaalatoa and Taniela Tupou are in place in the front row, while the excellence of Marika Koroibete will hold down the wing for many years to come along with Reece Hodge. Jordan Petaia and Jake Mattocks are on the rise and their development could be an exciting prospect for a team that lacked decisive threat in Japan.  

Will Genia has enjoyed an outstanding career after succeeding George Gregan, but he had a poor outing against England and Nic White should take over starting duties. However, a long-term replacement for the two players should be a priority. Joe Powell and Jake Gordon are among the names that will be pushing for selection, while Nick Phipps will also be eyeing a return to the fold. Both Powell and Gordon are in their twenties and that might appeal to Rennie ahead of the 30-year-old Phipps, despite his experience.

A battle that Rennie will have to endure with his selection is the Giteau Rule. Players that are plying their trade outside of Australia must have 60 caps to earn selection to the Wallabies’ squad. Rory Arnold, Adam Coleman, Semu Kerevi and Christian Lealiifano will now not be eligible to play for Rennie’s team unless they return from their overseas’ outfits and back into Super Rugby. Reportedly a review is underway to determine whether the rule will stand and it could be a blessing for the new head coach for Australia’s hierarchy to make the drastic change.

It’s not going to be an easy process to overhaul the squad, especially playing regular matches against New Zealand and the Springboks. Australia have been a resilient side and have always churned out quality players. Their building process for the next World Cup under a new head coach will be one of the most intriguing storylines to watch as teams regroup for the next tournament.

2017.08.19.20.05.51-AUS anthem-0001 (CC BY 2.0) by www.davidmolloyphotography.com

With the squads getting ready to make the trip to Japan for the 2019 Rugby World Cup, we assess the size of the challenge facing the Australian national Rugby Union team. 

The favourites

The Wallabies last won the World Cup 20 years ago. Failure to do so this time round would extend their barren streak into the third decade. However, they face a mammoth task with six teams favoured ahead of them by the major bookmakers.

The defeated 2015 Rugby World Cup finalists are priced longer than New Zealand, South Africa, England, Ireland and Wales in the latest Rugby Union betting with the best price of 12/1 currently available. With so many teams in good form, the Australians could almost be classed as underdogs for the upcoming event.

Preparations hampered

Australia’s pre-tournament preparations were dealt a blow when their flight to Japan was delayed by a typhoon. With schedules planned to the minutest detail in advance, the delay will have provided a headache for the training staff who were ready to begin their week-long training camp in Odawara. Michael Cheika’s side will now have less time to settle on Japanese soil before the action begins. However, they were not the only team to have their travel plans affected by the weather.

With their preparations hampered and their status as outsiders established, Australia might not seem like a sensible pick. However, they do have a team capable of going deep into the tournament. And they cannot face old foes New Zealand until at least the semi-final stage.

Group clash with Wales crucial

The Wallabies have been drawn in a group featuring a resurgent Wales side along with Fiji, Georgia and Uruguay. Depending on how they finish in the group, they could face England, France or even Argentina in the quarter-finals. Obviously, either France or Argentina would be their preferred option so winning the group should be their target. And that will mean beating Wales. The good news is that David Pocock will be back in the side to contest his last international Test series.

Warren Gatland. Wales Grand Slam Celebra (CC BY 2.0) by National Assembly For Wales / Cynulliad Cymru

 Warren Gatland’s Welsh side were undefeated in their last Six Nations campaign and briefly occupied the World No. 1 spot before a 22-17 defeat to Ireland knocked them down a peg or two. However, their overall form cannot be denied and they will be expected to win the group. 

Path to the final

Failure to beat Wales will mean Australia will have to get past England to reach the semi-finals where New Zealand are likely to be waiting. If they manage to beat the All Blacks, they could meet Wales, again, or South Africa in the final. When laid out in black and white, the Wallabies path to the final looks fraught with danger.

If they could beat Wales in the Group Stage, they would likely face France or Argentina in the last eight then South Africa or Ireland in the last four before coming up against the All Blacks in the final showdown on November 2. Still an uphill task but perhaps a slightly less steep one.

Overall, it is hard to see Australia overcoming so many big challenges even if they do manage to top their group. As a result, an exit at the semi-final stage looks like the best they can hope for this time around.

The 30-year-old will be counting the financial costs after Rugby Australia tore up his $5m contract. Needless to say, there has been a fair bit of collateral damage suffered by many parties but none more so than the Wallabies and Waratahs, the latter being Folau’s domestic franchise before they also decided to cut ties with him.

The international spotlight was turned onto the Waratahs after Folau’s Instagram post and that put the club in an unfair position as they looked to win the Super Rugby title. It has obviously been something that has been playing on the mind of Tahs captain and former Wallabies teammate Nick Phillips, who waited until his side’s chances of making the finals seemed all but over over, before calling Folau out.

FULL TIME: The Brumbies get the win in Parramatta and take out the Australian conference in style.#WARvBRU #SuperRugby https://t.co/7E4A4klZu3 pic.twitter.com/8A2ialVz8O

— Super Rugby (@SuperRugby) June 8, 2019

Speaking after the Waratahs went down to the Brumbies 24-35 in New South Wales, Phillips said Folau’s comments had cost the Tahs the chance to make any finals this season. It’s very hard to argue with that and it just reinforces what a tremendous shame this whole episode has been. Whilst it hasn’t been openly said yet, if you were to read between the lines of Phillips’ comments, it does seem like he is preempting what will be said about Folau should the Wallabies fail in Japan at the World Cup at the end of the year. It has been 20 years since Australia won a World Cup and it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that the lack of success at rugby’s greatest showpiece is making fans exceptionally restless down under. Before Folau did what he did, he was seen as Australia’s’ greatest chance of winning the event in Japan. Now, however, that it looks almost certain that Folau will play no part, the Wallabies’ odds in rugby union betting have dropped to 14/1. It’s an extraordinary waste and it’s very hard to imagine Rugby Australia will offer Folau an olive branch between now and September, even if he were to retract his ill-advised comments.

The Rugby World Cup 2019  #Wallabies Jersey.#GoldBlooded pic.twitter.com/gqyAvXYHl8

— Qantas Wallabies (@qantaswallabies) May 29, 2019

Normally, there would be an outpouring of joy from opposition fans upon the news that their fierce rivals will be without their best player but on this occasion, there is very little celebrating in England, New Zealand and South Africa. On the contrary, fans of rugby union will be deprived of watching Folau at his prime in what is expected to be a phenomenal World Cup in Japan. Should the Wallabies crash out early doors and fail to come home with the Webb Ellis Cup, Folau can expect a lot more discontent aimed at him.

FACT FILE: #SuperRugby
Winning Streak: Crusaders are currently on impressive 19-game winning streak, the longest of any team in Super Rugby history, and primed to become the first team in competition history to win 20 consecutive games.
🔴⚫️✊️ pic.twitter.com/Z5UJl0IaqZ

— Rod Nui Bannister (@RodNuiB) March 13, 2019

Here’s one of the most glaring statistics that shows just how incredible the Crusaders are: 17 of their current squad members have played for New Zealand. With so many All Blacks in the squad, they have that big-game experience and you won’t find many teams who can match the Crusaders. Every young Kiwi wants to play for the All Blacks and playing for the Crusaders certainly helps.

Three Crusaders players have notched over 100 All Blacks caps – that wealth of experience is unrivalled at Super Rugby level. Kieran Read, Sam Whitelock and Owen Franks have been part of World Cup-winning squads and all three will play integral roles at club level in the coming months. Punters will be backing the Crusaders to go on and retain the title once again – and it would be foolish to back against them.

Super Rugby is maturing into a very competitive division but the Crusaders are still a class above their rivals. In some ways, their position is similar to that of the Sydney Roosters in the NRL. The Roosters, fresh from winning last year’s Grand Final, are red-hot favourites at 2/1 in rugby league betting odds to repeat and the Crusaders are also expected to go close in their pursuit of another title.

Crusaders coach Scott Robertson has said they will do the right thing at the right time. https://t.co/eqwlHLOMlQ — RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) March 21, 2019

The Christchurch Stadium faithful will be expecting big things from the Crusaders in 2019 – and with good reason. With great success comes great expectation and fans will be hoping for another Super Rugby title come the end of the campaign. They’ve started well enough but there is a long road ahead. And with the 2019 Rugby World Cup edging closer, a few of the All Blacks might not be quite on the ball when it comes to the domestic game.

If everything goes to plan, it is hard to see anyone toppling the Crusaders this year. Rugby union matches aren’t won on paper but the Crusaders are the strongest team in Super Rugby by some distance and it is their title to lose. Watch this space, we could see another masterclass in the business end of the campaign.

Four years is a long time in rugby union, so just how do Australia’s flashpoint opponents of 2019 compare to their predecessors?

Beat Wales, win Group D

As the only team that is absolutely certain await Australia at this point, the equation appears simple: beat Wales, win the group. Current rugby union betting odds for the 2019 World Cup price Australia at 8/1 to lift the trophy, making them exactly twice as likely to do so as Wales.

As a New Zealander, Warren Gatland will certainly be eager to score a huge upset, and the newcomers into the squad since 2015 will also give Australia food for thought. Though he has just eight international caps for Wales in two years, Ellis Jenkins has already experienced the pressures that go with being an international captain. Psychologically he will also be stoked, having been forced to wait for international action due to the sheer level of competition he faced.

Several other Wales players will also be a handful for Australia if their trajectory of improvement – relative to last year – continues. Josh Adams is prominent in that regard, having missed out on a crucial tour last summer, only to be drafted in for what was to be a winning test, against Argentina this year. In between those contrasting events, he entered Christmas 2017 as the Aviva Premier League’s top scorer and made his bow (against Scotland) at the Six Nations.

Looking ahead – the projected knockout stage

Regardless of surprise elements, Australia will still be odds-on against Wales. Thus, it becomes a question of whether France or England finish in the runner up spot of Group C.

Given England’s disgraceful performance at their home World Cup of 2015, nothing can be guaranteed. However, current odds indicate full confidence in the 2003 winners finishing top, and leaving France at the mercy of Australia at the first knockout hurdle. As the most experienced prop forward in the international roster not to have played in the 2015 World Cup, Cyril Baille will be fighting harder than ever over the next year to stay in consideration next to more experience positional rivals in Uini Atonio and Rabah Slimani.

Beyond that, it is anybody’s guess as to whom Australia will face thereafter, though a final matchup with reigning holders New Zealand would be almost inevitable if the Wallabies get that far. Scotland had an unexpectedly strong Six Nations campaign in 2018, while winners Ireland continue to go from strength to strength. There is also the presence of home nation Japan to consider, with a famous victory over South Africa (in the 2015 World Cup) being considered a watershed moment for a Rugby nation on a near-vertical ‘up’.

Current projections indicate that Ireland will await Australia in the semi finals. While already experienced in World Cup action, tighthead prop Tadhg Furlong is potentially Australia’s greatest threat to progress after an illustrious 2018. This year saw him become a Grand Slam winner, and (at club level) a Champions Cup and Guinness PRO14 silverware winner. He will certainly relish the prospect of facing Australia again. Having shown excellent clearing at the breakdown, his contributions were vital to getting Ireland a first series win in Australia since 1979.

Ultimately, though Australia are amongst the frontrunners by merit, nothing is guaranteed!

However, so far in 2018 we have seen some very indifferent performances from the Red Rose, giving a huge indicator that it is more than likely that we will once again see New Zealand and Australia competing for the Webb Ellis Cup when rugby’s powerhouses meet in Japan next year.

England’s collapse in the Six Nations, which saw them lose their final three fixtures of the tournament, stands out as a reason why Jones’ side simply can’t be considered as New Zealand’s main threat, but there are other factors. We constantly see Australia going up against the All Blacks on the international stage, with the two taking each other on three times throughout 2017 and the Wallabies coming out on top in one of their three meetings.

“2017.06.17.14.51.58-Michael Cheika-0002” (CC BY 2.0) by www.davidmolloyphotography.com

Australia triumphed the last time they faced New Zealand, with the Wallabies winning 23-18 in Brisbane to remind everyone that they have what it takes to overturn their rivals in a one-off fixture. How regularly Michael Cheika’s side go up against New Zealand can only be seen as a positive, even when they are on the wrong end of results.

England haven’t faced the All Blacks for some time now, and although there is a clash on the horizon later in 2018, Jones hasn’t seen what his side can do against the world’s best. In that time, Australia will have gone up against New Zealand in every season.

As we tick into the final 12 months before the showpiece event in Japan, Ireland, Grand Slam winners in the Northern Hemisphere, are seen as New Zealand’s biggest threat. Australia, though, remain behind England in bet365’s rugby union betting market, at a price of 8.50, ranked as fourth favourites ahead of the World Cup.

It would be foolish to think that Australia, despite the odds, aren’t likely to challenge for the World Cup, particularly given their experience of facing the All Blacks compared to England or Ireland.

It is also worth remembering that Australia’s best is often going up against New Zealand’s best in the Super Rugby competition, which has to be considered as the greatest club rugby competition in the world. The intensity in the Southern Hemisphere’s club rugby competition is frightening when compared to the English Premiership or Pro14 competition, which is often represented when international colours are pulled on.

With four New Zealand teams in action for Round 11 of #SuperRugby, which of these five tries did YOU think was the best?

A: Brad Shields
B: Vince Aso
C: Tumua Manu
D: Tim Bateman
E: Fletcher Smith#DontMissAThing pic.twitter.com/Yp5Y1FnMgY

— Super Rugby (@SuperRugbyNZ) April 29, 2018

Australia haven’t looked the same side since their 2015 World Cup final defeat to New Zealand, but they are still the side that are most likely to overturn them in Japan next year. At times, in the last three years, England have amazed us under Eddie Jones, whilst Ireland’s 2018 Grand Slam at the Six Nations has to be noticed.

However, when the major competitions come around, history tells us that it is those competing in the Super Rugby competition that peak and end up challenging for the major trophy on the world stage.

Leaving the competition are South African pair Cheetahs and Kings, as well as Australian side, the Force. This reduction in teams will see a return to the three-conference format and will see Japan’s Sunwolves moving to the Australia conference from Africa.

A Fairer Competition

In the previous four-conference format, teams only played 13 of the 18 total teams – which could result in a great disparity in terms of equality, and could significantly improve or hinder a team’s playoff chances, depending on their fixture list. For example, last year, Lions and the other teams in the old ‘Africa 2’ conference managed to avoid facing highly-fancied New Zealand teams throughout the entire regular season, a significant disadvantage for sides in the Australia conference.

And while not perfect, the returning 15-team format will see every team face 12 of the 14 other teams available, missing just one team from other two conferences, while playing each team in the conference twice. This means teams will face 85% of the other sides in the league, significantly higher than the 70% of 2017. Unsurprisingly though, last year’s champions, Crusaders, are again 18/5 favourites in the rugby union betting to win the 2018 Super Rugby Grand Final and become champions for a ninth time.

Source: BNZ Crusaders via Facebook

Playoffs: Simplified

One of the biggest perks of the return to the 15-team, three-conference format is the simplification of the playoff system. The winners of all three conferences will automatically qualify from the playoffs, as well as five wildcard sports being awarded to the next best sides ranked on points. This should put a stop to weird situations, such as Brumbies managing to qualify for the playoffs with a home quarterfinal tie after picking up just 34 points, while the Blues missed out altogether after coming bottom of the New Zealand conference, despite picking up more points (37) than the Australia Conference winners.

Source: Brumbies Rugby via Facebook

Derbies: The More the Merrier?

One of the biggest debates with the return to the three-conference set up is the increased number of derby matches, as each conference expands from four to five teams – thus increasing the number of derbies for each team during the regular season from six to eight. The big question here is if this is a good thing or whether the higher frequency dilutes the intensity of the rivalries.

However, the return to this setup has thrown up an interesting stat for fact fans, as the Waratahs will become the first side in Super Rugby history to play in all five competing countries in a single season. Of course, this will be particularly challenging for the Waratahs, due to their increased travel demands. The New South Wales side will first travel to Sydney (Australia), before visiting Durban (South Africa), Buenos Aires (Argentina), Tokyo (Japan), and finally Christchurch (New Zealand).

For the All Blacks and Australia, who both made the 2015 World Cup final in England, it will hand them another opportunity to test themselves against some of the countries that will be looking to challenge them in Japan in two years’ time.

New Zealand, who have won back-to-back World Cups, are overwhelming favourites for success in Japan in 2019, and are currently priced at 11/10 in the latest rugby union betting markets. However, after a difficult summer against the Lions, they, along with Australia and a host of others, will have an opportunity to once again take a look at the task ahead.

The Southern Hemisphere teams travelling to Britain and France this autumn will face the best the Northern Hemisphere has to offer, with the exception of New Zealand, who will not play against England, with the next clash between the world’s two leading nations, set to take place in the autumn of 2018 – four years after their last contest in 2014.

BREAKING | England to face @AllBlacks as the 2018 Old Mutual Wealth Series fixtures are confirmed.

Read more ➡ https://t.co/8enad1mPB0 pic.twitter.com/Fp2AzMAsLb

— England Rugby (@EnglandRugby) September 13, 2017

England will perhaps pose New Zealand and Australia their biggest threat in the upcoming World Cup, with both countries knowing all about the threat that the Red Rose have under Eddie Jones, who has transformed the face of English Rugby since their embarrassing exit at the group stage of their own World Cup in 2015.

A number of England’s squad featured under Warren Gatland for the Lions against New Zealand over the summer, with the likes of Maro Itoje, Owen Farrell, Elliot Daily and Anthony Watson causing the All Blacks problems throughout the thrilling three-game series. Australia, who will face England later in 2017, also know all about Jones’ England side, who recorded a series whitewash over the Wallabies the last time they toured.

There will, of course, be a threat from Ireland and Wales in 2019, with both nations having key influencers in the Lions tour. However, it is likely to be England that New Zealand and Australia want to learn more about from the Autumn Internationals and beyond.

Whilst the World Cup in Japan seems a lifetime away in 2019, time will fly and it will be upon us before we know it – something that international coaches around the world will be well aware of. The Autumn internationals are the perfect opportunity for New Zealand and particularly Australia to take a look at some of the competition they will face for success in two years.

New Zealand have the benefit of just having had the Lions tour, which gave them an opportunity to look at individuals, but now they, along with the other Southern Hemisphere sides, will get an even greater opportunity in the remainder of 2017. 

Fijian rugby union could be handed another huge boost following the news that a Super Rugby franchise could soon be formed on the Pacific Island. Following Fiji’s incredible gold medal success at last summer’s Rio Games, it appears as though the tiny island that has long punched above its weight in world rugby has a real chance of establishing itself among the best in the world on a regular basis. With 19 percent of professional players around the globe either Pacific Islanders of descendants of islanders, having a Super Rugby franchise based in Fiji is being viewed as a way of stopping the huge player drain from the region.

Long respected as one of the toughest teams in world rugby, especially when it comes to rugby sevens, the lack of any real domestic scene has hurt Fiji, and other Pacific Islanders, keeping their best players. In fact, there are currently more than 160 Fijian players plying their trade in France, and a host of international teams boast Pacific Island-born players, including England duo Semesa Rokoduguni and Nathan Hughes, who both recently represented their adopted nation against the country of their birth. On the back of the country’s remarkable Olympic triumph, in which the tiny nation beat Great Britain in the final to earn Fiji’s first ever summer games gold medal, rugby union in the country could be set for another major milestone in its history. 

Despite reaching the quarter finals of the Rugby World Cup in both 1987 and 2007, Fiji have never been able to really match those bigger nations in the 15-a-side game. Due in some part to the consistent stream of players leaving the country to ply their trade elsewhere, as well as the shoestring budget the country’s rugby association are forced to work under, a Super League franchise on the island would go a long way to at least cutting the financial gap between Fiji and the likes of New Zealand, Australia and England. 

“FIJI_SA_032” (CC BY-SA 2.0) by Craig Boyd

Super Rugby – which will get underway again in February with the Hurricanes currently priced at 17/4 to retain their title with bet365  and other bookmakers – is full of Pacific Island players, many of whom now represent either Australia or New Zealand. Previously made up of teams from those two Antipodean counties as well as South Africa, over the past 12 months we’ve seen Argentina and Japan both represented in the competition following the integration of the Jaguares and the Sunwolves, respectively. 

The introduction of the two franchises hasn’t only gone some way to helping Argentina and Japan offer a realistic alternative for their best players, it’s also brought something new to Super Rugby, playing a part in breathing new life into the tournament. It’s hard to imagine how that wouldn’t be the case if a Fijian franchise were to be next. Anyone who has seen Fiji play either sevens or 15-a-side rugby will know just how expressive and attractive a style the islanders play the game with, and it would be fascinating to see just how much of a benefit having a top-class team in Fiji would have on the national squad. 

And while the Wellington Hurricanes have been celebrating their recent success, they must now turn their attention to the 2017 season. Preparation for the next campaign will get underway in the coming months and Chris Boyd will be keen to maintain a level of focus ahead of the upcoming season.

“Westpac Stadium” (CC BY 2.0) by  Glutnix 

Without a shadow of a doubt, the Hurricanes have one of the most talented teams in Super Rugby. On paper, it is very formidable and Boyd has a number of New Zealand’s most celebrated internationals at his disposal. Julian Savea, who finished as the top try scorer at the 2015 Rugby World Cup, is just one of the star names to grace the Wellington turf on a weekly basis.

But it won’t be easy. Everybody will be hunting the Hurricanes down as they look to displace Boyd’s men at the top of the Super Rugby ladder. At the time of writing, odds on the competition aren’t available just yet with Bet365 but they can keep you updated on the latest news and tips for the competition – and the Hurricanes will feature prominently as the defending champions.

We've done it!!! 20 years and the @SuperRugby title is the Canes title pic.twitter.com/MOAfhjCIXM

— Hurricanes Rugby (@Hurricanesrugby) August 6, 2016

Boyd and the Hurricanes hierarchy will be busy during the off-season as they look to prepare for the upcoming campaign. Wellington cannot afford to get complacent in the coming weeks and months, especially as everybody will now be gunning for their crown. The Hurricanes must invest heavily and astutely in order to ensure that they give themselves the best chance to defend the title.

During the pool stages, the Hurricanes were dominant – winning 11 of their 15 fixtures. In fact, they scored an incredible 458 points whilst conceding just 314; a set of figures that shows just how offensive-minded Boyd’s men were. And in the final, they were simply outstanding as they controlled proceedings from start to finish, eventually winning 20-3. They truly were a joy to watch and neutrals will be keeping a close eye on the Hurricanes next season. With a number of stars signing new, long-term deals, the Kiwis could shine for many years to come.

The Hurricanes will find it very difficult next year but if anybody can cope with the pressure of defending a league title, it is them. Chris Boyd is a superb coach and they have enough talented, experienced stars to go the distance again in 2017. Watch this space, the Hurricanes mean business – write them off at your peril…