Captain Harry Wilson says a potential 2027 quarter-final with the Springboks is exactly the challenge the Wallabies must seek at their own World Cup.
Australia were drawn in Pool A alongside the All Blacks, Chile and Hong Kong, setting up a potential knockout clash with the reigning world champions if both teams finish top of their groups.
Far from shying away from that prospect, Wilson says the Wallabies would welcome it.
“We’re obviously stoked to get the All Blacks, a team we love versing,” Wilson told AAP News. “To get them in the showpiece event, our first game, it’s really exciting. In the World Cup, if you want to win it, you’ve got to beat the best teams.”
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The Wallabies have lost 11 straight Tests to New Zealand, but Wilson sees opportunity rather than history. A win in the opener would place Australia on track to top the group and face the Springboks, the four-time champions targeting an unprecedented hat-trick of titles.
“I guess if you beat the All Blacks, it will give our team a lot of confidence,” he said. “So if we get the Boks in the quarter-finals, it will be exciting, and it’s a challenge we’re going to have to be ready for.”
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The Springboks, drawn in Pool B with Italy, Georgia and Romania, are expected to progress without major difficulty.
For the Wallabies, the path is far less certain. They endured a mixed 2025 season, beating the British & Irish Lions in the third Test of a tight series and the Boks at Ellis Park for the first time since 1963, but losing 10 of 15 Tests – including a shock defeat to Italy – and slipping to seventh in the world rankings.
Wilson acknowledged the gap between their best and worst performances must narrow quickly.
“Ultimately, we’ve got to be winning more games,” he said. “We’re disappointed with the back end of the year, but we take a lot of confidence from some of our performances beating some of the best teams in the world.”
Photo: James Worsfold/Getty Images
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