Team talk: Australia
The Aussies have come into a timely run of form this year, shooting up the IRB World Rankings to move into second place behind the Kiwis.
Beating the All Blacks in this year’s Tri Nations has been their high point of recent times and sends a stern warning to the likes of France and Ireland that they are not the only challengers for the RWC crown.
This makes a change from a poor run of form in the previous couple of years. And there is strong belief in Australia that they could lift the Rugby World Cup for a third time.
AUSTRALIA SQUAD: A. Ashley-Cooper, B. Barnes, A. Baxter, M. Chisholm, S. Cordingley, M. Dunning, R. Elsom, A. Freier, M. Gerrard, M. Giteau, G. Gregan, S. Hardman, S. Hoiles, G. Holmes, J. Huxley, S. Larkham, C. Latham, D. Lyons, H. McMeniman, D. Mitchell, S. Moore, S. Mortlock, W. Palu, N. Sharpe, G. Shepherdson, G. Smith, S. Staniforth,L. Tuqiri, D. Vickerman, P. Waugh.