‘We could win the World Cup’: Psychologists have Wallabies believing in a miracle
By Tom Decent
After half an hour of interviews in front of the national Parliament House on Thursday morning at an event marking 100 days until Australia’s opening Rugby World Cup match against Georgia, Wallabies halfback Nic White delivered the golden one-liner.
It gave a fascinating insight into the Wallabies’ regime under Eddie Jones.
“Eddie has got three psychologists in there. His quote was, ‘They’re working so hard that the psychologists are going to need psychologists’,” White said with a chuckle.
“We’ve got the talent, but there is something up top that hasn’t quite clicked, and we’re leaving no stone unturned to get the job done. It’s changing that mindset.”
Jones knows he has a finite amount of time to transform the Wallabies, ranked seventh in the world, into genuine World Cup contenders. It’s why he’s started weekly calls with a leadership group and the mind coaches tasked with instilling belief into the playing group.
The priority is making those who pull on a gold jersey this year believe Australia can win the Webb Ellis Cup for the first time since 1999.
Independent senator David Pocock, Rugby Australia President Joe Roff, ACT Brumbies coach Stephen Larkham Wallaby Allan Alaalatoa and Wallaby Nic White pose with a replica Webb Ellis Cup. Credit: AAP
Corinne Reid is the team’s lead psychologist. She has worked with Jones before, notably to help England players heal the mental scars of a horror 2015 World Cup campaign at home.
She was also with England when they marched into a World Cup final in 2019.
While most Australian athletes and teams shy away from making overambitious statements, Jones is an exception. Since he fronted his first press conference earlier this year, he has said the Wallabies have the talent to win the World Cup in France.
Now it’s about convincing the players.
“I think we have got a really good chance. I think there’s an unbelievable amount of talent in Australia,” said Wallabies great Stephen Larkham, who played under Jones.
“He’s got a theme around ‘smash and grab’, so he knows he’s going to put a team together really quickly. He knows his preparation is not going to be perfect, but I think Eddie has got enough experience and nous to know what he’s doing.”
There is a group of seven players who jump on a call with Jones each week. The group includes White, Michael Hooper, Allan Alaalatoa, James Slipper, Andrew Kellaway, Jed Holloway, and an overseas-based player.
“It’s pretty exciting that we’re meeting each week with Eddie and the psychologists,” White said. “No stone is being left unturned. Everyone came out buzzing from that camp [in April]. There is a genuine belief over the next five years that something is growing.”
Allan Alaalatoa, David Pocock and Nic White take a selfie out the front of Parliament House in Canberra on Thursday morning. Credit: Rian Murphy
Alaalatoa, who said he hadn’t ruled out the prospect of playing Super Rugby again this season after picking up a calf injury on Saturday, says the positive rhetoric has filtered down to the playing group.
The Wallabies won five of their 14 Tests in 2022 before Dave Rennie was axed as coach.
“There’s a lot of belief there that we could win the World Cup,” Alaalatoa said. “He’s [Jones] saying that in front of you guys [the media] but he is constantly ingraining that in the players’ minds. I think that’s so important. He’s constantly helping the leaders think in that space and get an understanding of how we can win.
“It’s not something we’ve done in the past.”
Larkham, White and Alaalatoa were joined by World Cup-winning Wallaby Joe Roff at the new workplace of another Brumbies great, David Pocock.
White repeatedly referred to the former Wallabies back-rower, who featured at three World Cups, as Senator Pocock, much to his amusement.
Pocock obliged for a photo opportunity with a replica Webb Ellis Cup but refused to touch it. After making a semi-final in 2011 and a final in 2015, the hurt of Australia’s quarter-final loss in 2019 still stings.
“I went to three and didn’t come away with anything,” Pocock said. “Let Bernie or Joe talk about that [winning a World Cup].
Wallabies coach Eddie Jones and halfback Nic White during a camp in April.Credit: Getty
“It was a really tough way to end my time with Australian rugby to be honest. I have thought about it a lot. Those opportunities ... you have to seize them. We didn’t. That’s how it goes.”
Roff, the new RA president, has faith that Jones can shock the world.
“I offered to be an extra selector for Eddie Jones and he respectfully declined,” Roff joked. “What we all know is that when Eddie makes his decision, it will be unequivocal. He will back those players to win the World Cup.”
The Wallabies’ first Test of the year is against South Africa in Pretoria on July 8.
Stan Sport is the only place to watch all the action from Rugby World Cup 2023 in France, with every match streaming ad-free, live and in 4K UHD from Saturday 9 September.