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England headed for blockbuster against impassive Australia

The Wallabies are all singing off the same hymn sheet by declaring they are not seeking revenge for their defeat in the 2003 World Cup final in Sunday's quarter-final here against the defending champions, England.

It's shaping up to be a blockbuster knockout match with the two-time champion Wallabies taking on the Jonny Wilkinson-reinforced England team at Stade Velodrome.

But for English and Australian journalists trying to elicit any hint of Australian revenge at a team press conference on Monday, the Wallabies put up a stone wall of indifference.

"They should move on, I reckon. That was a while ago," George Gregan said, while skipper Stirling Mortlock said it was not about "exorcising some demons."

Almost a fortnight ago Stephen Larkham, before his latest knee injury setback, said he was looking forward to facing England again.

"For a couple of us that was one of the reasons why we pushed through to this World Cup because it was so disappointing to lose in 2003, not necessarily to England, but the way we lost the game," Larkham told reporters on Sept. 19.

But in Marseille on Monday it was a different response from the other senior Wallabies.

Mortlock, asked if revenge was on the agenda on Saturday, said: "Not really. I think we're a vastly different team than we were in 2003 and likewise are England. There are a few obvious similarities, but I think individuals will use whatever they need to get themselves up for this game."

"But from a team perspective we have certain goals that we want to achieve in this weekend's game, and we will be focused on those and not exorcising some demons or whatever," Mortlock said.

A Wilkinson drop goal won England their first Webb Ellis Trophy in extra time in the 2003 Sydney final.

The Wallabies also back-pedaled from endorsing the comments of Australian Rugby Union chief John O'Neill that "we hate the Poms."

"That's John's opinion and I'm not quite sure how many people John speaks for, but I quite enjoyed living amongst the English in the time I was coaching in Bath and there's some friends of mine playing in the opposition this weekend ... I'm not quite sure what that's all about," forwards coach Michael Foley said.

"We see the England forward pack as being one of the best in the world, if not the best," Foley said.

Backs coach Scott Johnson agreed: "England have played better than what people appear to have assumed.

"We will have to play at our best. The further you go the deeper the wound, so it hurts to lose now, you're out, you only get one bite, so we will have to be at our best to win it and probably every game from hereon in will be the same," Johnson said.
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