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Paris: Wallabies vice-captain Tate McDermott says Australia’s pass mark for the upcoming Rugby World Cup should be winning the Webb Ellis Cup for the first time in 24 years.
After months of planning and fine-tuning game plans, the Wallabies have finalised preparations in France for their opening game of the tournament against Georgia in Paris on Saturday (Sunday 2am AEST).
The Wallabies beat Georgia 27-8 four years ago in their only Test against the Europeans.
McDermott, who will start at halfback in his maiden World Cup outing, was asked what the Wallabies were viewing as a pass mark, four years on from a quarter-final exit against England in Japan.
After a long pause, McDermott continued the team’s trend of dreaming big by declaring the group would not be happy with anything but world rugby’s biggest prize.
“I’d say to go all the way to be honest,” McDermott said. “We’re not here to scrape out of the pool stages. We’ve got to win it. There’s a lot of water under the bridge before we do that but that’s the pass mark.”
Tate McDermott at Stade de France on Thursday ahead of Australia’s World Cup warm-up match against Georgia.Credit: Getty
Last year, then-Rugby Australia chief executive Andy Marinos said the pass mark for Australia’s European spring tour was winning at least three of five games.
The Wallabies managed two wins from five Tests on a tour that saw the men in gold lose to Italy for the first time.
Two months later, coach Dave Rennie was sacked and replaced by Eddie Jones following a poor run of form over the preceding year.
New RA chief executive Phil Waugh, who made a World Cup final in 2003 as well as a quarter-final in 2007, has gone on record to say a semi-final finish is the governing body’s expectation.
Australia have Georgia, Fiji, Wales and Portugal in their group and are likely to face either Argentina or England in a quarter-final.
“We’ve got a really good draw,” Waugh said. “If we get a roll on and get momentum, take the points when they’re on offer and execute well, I think we’re a good chance. My view is we’ve got the talent and we want to see the guys get through to the semis.
“We want to see that real Australian spirit and that Australian fight and you want to go deep into the tournament.”
Jones has said repeatedly that supporters should have a bet on the Wallabies becoming world champions for the first time since John Eales’ side of 1999.
In his final press conference before the match, in front of dozens of reporters from Australia, England, France and other nations, Jones appeared relaxed and was in a talkative mood.
He maintained his optimism despite the team’s run of five straight losses this year to begin his tenure.
Since November 2021, the Wallabies have won just five of their last 22 Tests and slipped to ninth in the world. Jones took over at the beginning of this year after being sacked by England in December.
“We went through a period where we had to almost restructure the team to get ourselves in a position where we think we can win the World Cup,” Jones said. “This is the first step against Georgia. Very important game. I have been really impressed in the later part of the Rugby Championship and the France game.
“We’re going to develop a reasonably unique style of play that suits us. We’re ready to go.”
Watch all the action from Rugby World Cup 2023 on the Home of Rugby, Stan Sport. Every match ad-free, live and on demand in 4K UHD from September 9.
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