Wales assistant coach Jonathan Thomas has described Australia as “a wounded animal” ahead of Sunday’s Rugby World Cup clash that could see the Wallabies make unwanted history.
Eddie Jones’ team are teetering on the edge of a World Cup pool stage exit for the first time.
If Wales beat them in Lyon, then their quarter-final hopes will be over and head coach Eddie Jones left to face the music.
“It is a cliche, and I apologise, but you just have to focus on yourselves,” Thomas said.
“When you start thinking about permutations or selection of the opposition, you go down a rabbit hole, in my opinion.
“Confidence, for me, comes from the work you do during the week. That is where we get our focus from.
“We respect Australia as a rugby nation. They are a wounded animal, they can be dangerous.”
Australia hold a 5-2 lead across the countries’ seven previous World Cup meetings, but Wales will start as favourites this time around.
They have collected a maximum 10 points from their first two Pool C games – a record that only Ireland of any other team in the competition can match.
Wales’ pool stage win against Australia in Japan four years ago set them on a course to the semi-finals, where they were knocked out by South Africa in Yokohama.
Wales centre George North added: “I’ve been to quite a few World Cups now, and to get early results is good.
“I think if you had said to us we would have 10 points after the first two games, I think everyone would have bitten your hand off. It is a massive game that we have to go and win on Sunday.
“The quality we have got now is really showing. Each day everyone is trying to get better to fight for that jersey and that’s what drives you on.
“It (qualifying on Sunday) would certainly be a little weight off the shoulders, wouldn’t it? What has stood us in good stead is just focusing on every game as it comes.
“We will have had an eight-day turnaround, which helps, from the Portugal game. We’ve had that rotation and allowed everyone to have a game.
“The families have been out and we’ve seen them. Every week, we have a day off, and that ability to switch off is key. I think it has really showed.
“This week, boys are really chomping at the bit. Yesterday was what we would call a recovery day, but it was far from recovery. It was very much on full gas.
“I think if we can keep pushing that today and the rest of the week, it will put us in a great position come Sunday.”
Wales head coach Warren Gatland’s team selection looks unlikely to deviate far, if it all, from the one that defeated Fiji in Bordeaux 10 days ago.
He could, though, decide on naming two specialist openside flankers in the back row, with Jac Morgan and Tommy Reffell starting alongside number eight Taulupe Faletau.
Reffell was due to feature against Portugal, but a tight calf muscle saw him withdrawn from the starting line-up just before kick-off.
Thomas said: “It was a prudent move not to play him. He is being assessed every day. He is the only one we will weigh up – everyone else is fit.
“The good thing we’ve got with our back-rowers is that they are versatile. All of them can play in different positions, pretty much, so those options are always there. We will see.”
Smith not pinning blame on Ford for England loss
Marcus Smith does not blame England's narrow defeat to New Zealand on Saturday on George Ford, despite his late missed kicks.
Ford replaced Smith, who had scored 17 points and set up England's only try in their 24-22 loss, hitting a potential match-winning penalty against the post before narrowly missing a drop goal.
England had held an eight-point advantage when Smith left the field, but Mark Tele'a's 76th-minute try before Damian McKenzie added five late points proved enough to get the All Blacks over the line.
The hosts' autumn series got off to a losing start as Ford struggled to find his clinical edge in the dying moments, but Smith does not lay any blame at his team-mate's feet.
"Sometimes that's the life of a kicker, we've all experienced that. It's part and parcel of the job," said Smith.
"I've learned so much off George. He's an unbelievable kicker, both off the tee and out of hand. It was one of those days.
"It's nothing to do with him why we didn't win the game. It's a team effort. Every kicker in the world has experienced that.
"We practise [drop-goals] as kickers every single day, but sometimes it doesn't go for you. We're all human and people miss."
Saturday marked a third consecutive narrow loss to New Zealand for England, with their last win an emphatic victory over Japan in June.
Despite that run, Smith remains confident that England can take lessons from these defeats to set themselves up for success in the future.
"International rugby is very different to the Premiership and the experiences we're experiencing now are very painful, but we'll be better for them," Smith added.
"Keep the faith. We've fallen again on the wrong side of the result, but we'll learn from it 100%.
"These experiences will tighten us as a group, and it will be worth it in the long run. We will be better for it."
Australia recover from middle-order collapse to win Pakistan opener
Australia rallied to overcome Pakistan by two wickets in the first of three one-day internationals between the teams at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Roared on by vocal travelling support, Pakistan were in the ascendency when their pacemen dropped Australia from 113-2 to 115-7, with the hosts chasing 204 for victory.
Harif Rauf dismissed three while Shaheen Shah Afridi and Mohammad Hasnain also got in on the act to decimate the hosts' middle order.
Naseem Shah had earlier scored 40 off 39 balls to salvage a score of 203 all out for the tourists, but a crucial cameo from captain Pat Cummins got Australia over the line.
Cummins calmly came up with an unbeaten 32 from 31 balls as the hosts sealed victory with 16.3 overs remaining, with even Sean Abbott's error in being run out for 13 failing to inspire a change in the momentum.
Bowler Mitchell Starc told ABC Grandstand after the match: "We probably didn't like that Patty and I had pads on, but it's a positive start to the summer.
"A win is a win no matter how you get there."
Data Debrief: Cummins leads from the front
Cummins' unbeaten 32 may not go down as his most memorable knock in ODIs, but it did equal his best innings for Australia in the format.
That proved crucial after Matthew Short (1), Jake Fraser-McGurk (16), Marnus Labuschagne (16), Aaron Hardie (10) and Glenn Maxwell (0) disappointed with the bat.
Australia, who have won both of their ODI series versus West Indies and England since lifting the World Cup in 2023, can now seal a series triumph in Adelaide on Friday.
England 'banging on the door' of rugby's elite, says proud Borthwick
Steve Borthwick reckons England are "banging on the door" of the elite nations after their close loss to New Zealand.
England went down 24-22 to the All Blacks in Saturday's Test match at Twickenham.
Mark Tele'a scored the decisive try for New Zealand, who beat England twice in July, in the 76th minute.
England missed the chance to win it late on when George Ford missed a drop-goal attempt, after he had struck the post with a penalty.
But coach Borthwick, who was immensely proud of his team, feels England showed they are capable of mixing it with the best teams in the world, despite losing four of their last five Tests.
"It is a mixture of immense pride at the performance against a very tough New Zealand team and one of incredible disappointment," Borthwick told BBC Radio 5 Live.
"They are the emotions we balance and will work through over the next few days.
"When we started two years ago we wanted to get England right to the top of world rugby again. You can see the team banging on the door."
With the pre-match build-up having been dominated by Joe Marler's jibe at New Zealand's pre-match haka routine, tries from Tele'a and Will Jordan put New Zealand in control.
Marcus Smith's penalties kept England in contention, though, and he set up the hosts' only try when he intercepted a loose pass and teed up Immanuel Feyi-Waboso.
Yet England ultimately failed to hold on to an eight-point advantage, with Ford having to be consoled by his team-mates after the match.
Next up for England are Australia, with fixtures against South Africa and Japan also in store.
"We really have to find a way of winning these close ones," said captain Jamie George. "We put ourselves in a really good position after 60 minutes.
"Eight points is a lot in Test match rugby but we probably went chasing the game a bit and gave away too many penalties. We have to be smarter in that respect."
England walked up to the halfway line to face the haka, something George explained was planned prior to Marler's comments.
"That was always our plan before Joe's comments but we did it in a respectful way," said George. "I saw a smile on Scott Barrett’s face, I was smiling, and it was done in good spirits."
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