France stayed with the starting lineup that got it easily past Ireland while England received good news -- the likely return of flanker Richard Hill for the World Cup semifinal Sunday against Les Bleus.
Australian hooker Brendan Cannon said it doesn't matter if the Wallabies haven't produced their best so far in the tournament because their biggest challenge -- the All Blacks in Saturday's other semifinal -- is ahead of them.
"New Zealand is a side we have a lot of respect for, but certainly don't fear it," Cannon said. "It's the biggest challenge for us so far this tournament."
PHOTO: AFP
At the news conference announcing the French team, coach Bernard Laporte denied reports he'd criticized his English opponents, saying the English were confident and not arrogant.
"Some reports said that I said everyone hated the English, but that is not true," Laporte said Wednesday.
"They have a very professional setup, I have a lot of respect for Clive Woodward, who has turned England into the best team in the world," added Laporte. "They have stated they will win the World Cup, but I see that as confidence more than arrogance."
England's confidence received a boost when Hill told a news conference that he had overcome a hamstring strain that has sidelined him for four matches.
The 30-year-old backrower was injured in the opening win over Georgia and his robust style has been a missing link as England's forward pack has failed to perform up to its reputation.
"I am fully fit," the 61-test veteran said. "It's been a very frustrating time for myself and ultimately longer than I expected. But I am available for selection and very much want to play at the weekend."
Woodward has delayed announcing his team until Thursday, reportedly to give Hill as much time as possible to prove his fitness.
France, runner-up at the last World Cup, advanced through the preliminaries as the form team and had a convincing 43-21 win over Ireland in the quarterfinals last weekend.
"There was no need for any changes to the starting 15 -- we were happy with the way we played against Ireland,'' said manager Jo Maso.
There were four changes on the bench, with David Auradou replacing injured lock Oliver Brouzet, Cristian Labit coming in for backrower Patrick Tabacco, Damien Traille in for center Brian Liebenberg and Clement Poitrenaud filling in for Pepito Elhorga.
Brouzet hurt his shoulder against Ireland and was flying back to France on Wednesday. Biarritz fullback Elhorga had returned home for his father's funeral and wouldn't return in time for the match.
After holding the trans-Tasman biggest rugby prize, the Bledisloe Cup, for five successive years from 1998, the Wallabies suffered a severe slide in form against the All Blacks in 2003.
New Zealand thrashed Australia 50-21 at Sydney in July before holding out a slightly improved Wallabies 21-17 at Auckland in August.
Cannon said Wednesday that as the tournament progressed and the standard of opposition improved, the need for the Australians to fix the deficiencies in their game became imperative.
"We've managed to win, and win some games reasonably well, but not playing as well as we'd like," he said. "Our own expectations in terms of our performance are still very high and we're still a fair way off where we'd like to be."
England captain Martin Johnson took a swipe at his critics on Wednesday although, strangely, it was in defense of the French.
Asked at a news conference if the secret to the French success so far at the World Cup was newly-discovered discipline, Johnson said his Gallic rivals had never consistently had major problems with referees.
"That was always a myth," he told reporters. "You guys have come to that realization 10 years late. You like your stereotypes, that's for sure."
"That cliche about indiscipline isn't accurate," he added. "There's never been a discipline issue. As far as we're concerned, they're a first-rate, world class international team and they're going to take some beating."
Brouzet goes home
The World Cup is over for giant French lock Olivier Brouzet, despite France continuing through the tournament. Brouzet flew out of Sydney on Wednesday, bound for France after being ruled out of the remainder of the tournament with a shoulder injury.
The second rower had hoped to remain in Australia and watch his teammates take on England in Sunday's semifinal, and perhaps the World Cup final, but was refused permission by his French team Montferrand.
Brouzet is replaced in the French squad by Montferrand teammate Thibault Privat.
Zara Phillips has fun
British Queen Elizabeth II's rebellious granddaughter, Zara Phillips, cheered and drank vodka at a pizza bar in southern New Zealand as she watched England beat Wales in World Cup rugby, local media reported Wednesday.
While her cousin Prince Harry was at the game in Brisbane, Australia, Phillips was enjoying near-anonymity on a flying visit to an old friend in southern New Zealand, the Christchurch Press newspaper reported.
Phillips, 22, spent time in small resort towns and on isolated alpine farms with longtime friend Dave Murray, 23, Murray told the paper.
The pair met at the exclusive Gordonstoun school in Scotland seven years ago and have remained close friends, it quoted him saying.
The outing that created the most interest was a visit to a Tekapo pizza bar where Phillips, daughter of Princess Anne and ex-husband Captain Mark Phillips, watched England's narrow victory over Wales in Sunday's rugby quarterfinal.
Staff said Phillips clapped loudly and drank vodka mixed with a popular energy drink while eating pizza as she watched the match, which England won 28-17.
Locals later described her as down-to-earth and friendly.
All Blacks fear themselves
New Zealand has more to fear from itself than from Australia in Saturday's World Cup semifinal, according to former All Black Stu Wilson.
"The Wallabies cannot beat the All Blacks. Only the All Blacks can beat themselves," the former international center who now plys his trade as a rugby commentator said in his Sydney Morning Herald newspaper column Wednesday.
Wilson said after racking up two wins against the Wallabies this year, the All Blacks will take an all-important mental edge into the match, to add to their supposed on-field superiority.
He said the Wallabies were also suffering from the twin pressures of being defending world champions and World Cup hosts.
"Australia are in a whirlpool -- I don't really think the Kiwi fans realize how much pressure is on the home side," Wilson said. "The public expectation, talkback radio criticism, press scrutiny. I don't know if the Wallabies team is a happy one at the moment. Its unity must be at stretching point, and that's why New Zealand have a mental edge."
Wilson advised Australia coach Eddie Jones to inject some winning mentality into the team via successful former players.
"Bring in plenty of former Wallabies to mix with the players -- people like Nick Farr-Jones, Tony Shaw, Andrew Slack, Steve Finnane -- and get them to just talk footy," he said. "It sure beats talking to the same guys you've been with in camp for months."
Wallabies become `visitors'
New Zealand has evicted the Australian team from its own dressing room for Saturday's semifinal clash at Sydney's Telstra Stadium.
New Zealand Rugby Union chairman Jock Hobbs won the coin toss that gives the winning team the right to choose its dressing room for the match, ousting the Wallabies from the home team facilities for the first time ever.
World Cup tests are considered neutral for all teams.
The All Blacks have now won the pre-match toss in all six games at this tournament.
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