Jenkins homes in on whingeing Wallabies

The two-times champions from Australia appear to have spent the week leading up to their decisive Group B encounter grumbling loudly, as if it has only just dawned on them that in this Gallic festival they have managed to land the short straw of playing Wales in front of 70,000 of their fevered disciples in the Millennium Stadium.

"Why the hell are we playing in Cardiff on Saturday?" wailed John O'Neill, the Australian Rugby Union's chief executive, setting the tone. "You're talking about a World Cup billed as having one host - France. I don't think it's fair for Australia to be playing Wales on their home soil.

"How many points is it worth to them? That is a very significant advantage when you're supposed to be talking competitive neutrality."

With Aussie coach John Connolly muttering, "It's not an even playing field," and star player Stephen Larkham moaning, "Wales are very lucky," cue the local media's gleeful christening of their visitors as the whingeing Wallabies.

Indeed, the Principality, having along with Scotland earned this advantage of a piece of the hosting action in return for supporting France's bid, appears to be greatly enjoying the visitors' discomfort.

What with reports of a shoving and slanging match between two key players, Lote Tuqiri and Nathan Sharpe, during training in Montpellier on Monday leading to suggestions in the Australian press that the players are feeling the pressure, a nation is again convincing itself that Gareth Jenkins's men, roundly dismissed after their largely dismal pre-tournament showing, have the beating of a Wallaby outfit who looked ominously sharp in their 91-3 burial of Japan.

The prize for tomorrow's winner certainly feels huge. Victory would see them top Group B which, in turn, would mean avoiding South Africa, presuming the Springboks beat England tonight, in the quarter-finals. Indeed, England's woes seem such at the moment that, even if no potential opponent would dare publicly to admit it, playing Brian Ashton's beleaguered crew, or even Samoa, in the last eight would be seen as a golden opportunity to make the semis.

"As a game, it's not make or break but huge," said Stephen Jones. And much may rest on the Llanelli Scarlet star who not only saw off Canada's stubborn challenge by orchestrating a second-half Welsh comeback in Nantes last weekend but also, temporarily at least, saw off the challenge of the gifted James Hook for his No10 jersey.

For a game he feels will "pay no respect to history or to emotion", coach Jenkins has recalled a hardened triumvirate which can boast 251 caps and 26 World Cup appearances between them; fly-half Jones, back-row scrapper Colin Charvis and Gareth Thomas, restored as full-back and captain.

Off the field, Tottenham fan Jenkins reckons he also gained inspiration from a pre-tournament meeting with Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson. The pair swapped notes in a 20-minute conflab at a recent Labour Party fundraiser at Wembley Stadium.

"Sir Alex was great," Jenkins said. "He said you always have to be your own man. Sport is a judgement business, but it's how you judge yourself which is important."

True, but it is surely important for Jenkins to be judged kindly by a nationwhich appreciates he has been Welsh rugby's most successful club coach but which remains deeply unimpressed by a record with the national team which reads: played 17, won five.

All could be quickly forgiven, though, if the team which lifted the Webb Ellis Trophy in the Millennium Stadium in 1999 now find it a much less forgiving stamping ground.