Source: Radio New Zealand
Wallabies fullback Tom Wright said the decision was always going to divide opinion. PHOTOSPORT
The news that the Wallabies will be kicking off the World Cup against tournament newcomers Hong Kong China was met with a collective groan across the rugby world.
While the team’s inclusion marks a significant expansion of the sport as just the second Asian country to appear, fans couldn’t help but feel an opportunity had been missed.
From a showpiece perspective, a blockbuster match-up between two of the world’s most storied rugby rivals appeared a gimme.
Alas, organisers have opted to save the All Blacks vs Australia clash for week two in Sydney.
Wallabies fullback Tom Wright said the decision was always going to divide opinion.
“Oh, it’s hard, right? Do they want to put the fireworks at the start and then maybe it’s lesser spectacle for the next two? I don’t know what their thinking was. We all know that we were going to be playing those three sides anyway, so when we play them you could make a case for it being better, worse or the same, whatever order it ended up being in.”
The Brumbies flyer did feel for the Western Australian supporters.
“What I do know is a lot of friends and family that get to see the Wallabies versus All Blacks game in Sydney were pretty happy. But all the people that live in Perth that wanted to see that first game as well will also be disappointed. You can never really appease everyone.”
Wright also weighed in on the drama surrounding Scott Robertson’s sacking as All Black coach.
“You’ve given the word drama to me, it’s part of the game, right? I’ve had less than a handful of interactions with Scott as a coach and as a man. Shared a really nice conversation with him last year and he was lovely to me, gave me his time. He’s not the first coach to go, and I’m assuming he won’t be the last coach to go. But sad to see him go after a short stint, he’s a good man.”
Though still a long way out, Wright felt Australia would be competitive on home soil as they looked to lift their first World Cup since 1999.
“It’s not long ago it feels like the Lions tour was upon us and that came and went pretty quickly after such a big build-up, the atmosphere and it lived up to every sort of hype and expectation that I had for it. The experience is something I’ll never forget and now the sort of attention turns to Super Rugby and laying a foundation into the World Cup.”
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
