Just one more hurdle to hop for the Wallabies

By JULIAN LINDEN

SYDNEY - Australian rugby has never been in better shape.

The Wallabies hold the World Cup, the Tri-Nations title and the Bledisloe Cup, and have helped to make the game more popular than ever.

Record crowds attend every match, television ratings are rising and sponsors are lining up to throw pots of money at the players and administrators.

More children are taking up the game and the top players who used to defect to rugby league are now staying put, while league players are starting to change codes.

To top that, the Brumbies won the Super 12 and the Australian Rugby Union is busily preparing to host the next World Cup in 2003, with Sydney's Olympic Stadium as its centrepiece.

But there is still some unfinished business to sort out. For all the success Australia are enjoying on and off the field, something still nags away at them - their failure to beat the British Lions in a series.

They should have done it in 1989 until a moment of madness by David Campese gifted the deciding test to the Lions, and they have been waiting 12 years for another chance.

"Beating the Lions is an important priority for Australian rugby," said Wallaby coach Rod Macqueen.

"It's one of the biggest challenges we'll ever face."

Things are looking good for the Wallabies to break their losing streak, although no one is taking anything for granted. Australia were beaten by England on their end-of-season tour to Europe last year and know they face an even tougher side when the best Scottish, Irish and Welsh players are slotted in.

The series comes at an awkward time for the Wallabies, with Macqueen stepping down in September and the squad rebuilding for the World Cup after the retirement of key players such as Tim Horan, David Wilson, Jason Little and Richard Harry.

They have been able to fill most of the holes, but with the series coming at the start of the Southern Hemisphere's international programme rather than the end, time is running out to develop new combinations, with only one warm-up match, against the New Zealand Maori next Saturday.

Macqueen said the Lions series could be harder to win than the World Cup because there were no easy games.

"This is arguably the hardest season Australia's had and is right up there with the World Cup.

"We've got a few new players, so the challenge is going to be to get the team going early because we've got the Lions first-up, whereas in the past our goals have been at the end of the season."

The 30-man squad named on Monday to contest this year's international programme includes 12 each from the Brumbies and Reds, but there are some genuine concerns over the lack of top-quality props and depth in some backline positions.

Veteran lock John Eales will lead the side for possibly the last year and halfback George Gregan will remain as his deputy.

Gregan and first five-eighths Stephen Larkham are the most innovative pairing in the game, but there is no obvious replacement for them if they get injured, and the series could hang on their fitness.

Daniel Herbert will fill one of the centre positions, but his midfield partner remains in doubt since Stirling Mortlock dislocated his shoulder in the Super 12 semifinals.

Chris Latham is the country's best fullback, forcing goalkicker Matthew Burke to the wing, where he will be joined by Joe Roff as Ben Tune recovers from injury.

While there are fears over the props, the hooker slot presents no worries, with Michael Foley and Jeremy Paul both available.

They have shared the hooking role for the past two years and will probably do the same this season, with Foley used for the early set-pieces and Paul coming on as an impact player.

Eales and David Giffin will be the locks. Toutai Kefu, Matt Cockbain, Mark Connors and Owen Finegan will contest the No 8 and blindside positions, leaving George Smith at openside.

The 20-year-old Smith is one of the most exciting youngsters to break into the team in years and experts are already predicting he will become one of the world's best.

He will be vital to the Wallabies' hopes against the Lions because of his work-rate and speed to the breakdown.

While Australia have a definite advantage over the Lions in the backs, their biggest problem will be winning enough ball, and they will have to rely on their high-risk running game based on multi-phases and quick recycling to shift the Lions' pack around.

But the enormity of the challenge has not been lost on the Wallabies' 1991 World Cup-winning coach Bob Dwyer, who tipped the Lions as favourites.

"I believe people in Australia will look at the Lions forwards and think this will be a tough series," he said after his Barbarians side beat England 43-29 in London this week.

"The Lions have strength and depth, and many good players will watch the test series from the sidelines.

"Having said that, favourites lose sometimes."

- REUTERS