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PARIS - The Wallabies may have failed to avenge their loss to England in the 2003 World Cup final but there is one Australian still eyeing the chance to restore some pride.
Eddie Jones was coach of the Australian team that lost that final but is now working with the South Africans, as an advisor to coach Jake White.
Nothing will ever erase the disappointment that Jones and his players felt when they lost four years ago, but the 47-year-old admitted he would take some satisfaction if the Springboks beat England in Sunday's final at the Stade de France.
"I won't be thinking 'gee that makes up for 2003' but I might throw the silver medal away," Jones said.
Australia came agonisingly close to winning the final four years ago, forcing the match into extra-time only to go down to a last-minute drop goal by Jonny Wilkinson.
Jones admitted England were the better side and had deserved to win but said the South Africans were a superior team to the current English squad.
"In 2003, we had to battle to get to the final," Jones said.
"But this South African team has got to the final without playing as well as they probably would have liked, so that's the exciting part about it.
"I think South Africa is potentially the best team and if we play well, we'll get the result we want but we have to play well."
Jones said his belief in the Springboks was based on their ability to adapt to any conditions. He said they had the players to switch game plans in an instant and had a significant advantage in the outside backs with the likes of wing Bryan Habana, the tournament's leading tryscorer.
"The good thing about South Africa is that we have been able to score tries when we've had the opportunity and I think that's going to be a significant factor in the final," Jones said.
"If you cancel out the set-pieces, cancel out the defence then your ability to score points is going to be massive.
"We'll play how we need to play, we're able to play a tight grinding game, if we need to kick for field position we can, if we need to shift the shift then we can shift the ball.
"I think that's how you want rugby to be played, you want to be able to play a number of different ways."
Jones said first five-eighths Wilkinson presented an obvious danger but the South Africans would not target him, opting instead to cut down his supply.
"It's not about closing Jonny down, it's about winning that ball up front and neutralising their ball," Jones said.
"Defensively he's still good but he's probably not as dominant a player as he was in 2003.
"The thing about Jonny is that he gives the English squad enormous confidence and you can see guys around him play better when he's out there because he has won a World Cup, he still kicks reasonably well, he still kicks a field goal here and there and he's tough player."
- REUTERS
