For some nations, a World Cup is about more than winning and losing but for Australia the equation is very black and white.
The Kangaroos are the monster at the end of every other team’s nightmare, the unbackable favourites in just about every single game they’ll play.
Even accounting for players defecting to other nations, Australia has the kind of squad where victory is not demanded so much as expected
It means most of their victories have an inevitable quality to them and their 42-8 victory over Fiji at Headingley to open their World Cup campaign was no exception.
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Fiji bloodied Australia’s nose early, taking an early lead after a try to Semi Valemei, and gave a better account of themselves than expected.
This was no training run – considering the strength of their squad, the Bati gave a fine account of themselves, especially when compared to the embarrassment Samoa suffered at England’s hands in the tournament opener several hours earlier.
But until the business end of the tournament that’s the best anybody playing Australia can hope for – a respectable defeat, an honourable effort, a brief resistance against international rugby league’s greatest and most terrifying force.
Victory was never really in doubt, and barring a series of miracles it will remain that way for the Kangaroos in their remaining pool matches against Scotland and Italy.
They won’t be in serious danger until they take on New Zealand, England or Tonga and even then they’ll still be expected to win and win well.
As such, the early stages of the tournament become an exercise in fine-tuning as coach Mal Meninga looks to develop his best 17. His blades are already sharp, but they can always be honed to a finer point.
Jeremiah Nanai was impressive in his Test debut and will push for inclusion in Australia’s top side — his mobility and footwork made him a constant danger down the right edge and the North Queensland man was the pick of the debutants along with Harry Grant.
Josh Addo-Carr was scintillating on the left wing, and his length of the field score in the first half will take some beating as the try of the tournament, while Cameron Munster was tantalising and tidy at five-eighth.
It was a different story for his halves partner — Daly Cherry-Evans made all the right moves in running the team around the park it appears that once Nathan Cleary assumes the halfback spot he will not surrender it unless he’s rested.
The Australian middle forwards were strong, with Tino Fa’asuamaleuai especially catching the eye, and the looming debut of Isaah Yeo, a certain inclusion at lock next week, will make them all the more dangerous.
And that’s the really scary thing about Australia – without a warm-up match, and given they infamously haven’t played a game in three years, this was as rusty as they’ll be all tournament and they were still pretty damn good.
Now they’ve blown out the cobwebs and their ruthless march to the total and dominant victory a squad of their talent demands will begin in earnest.
The World Cup is not about the journey for Australia, it’s about the destination.
They are a team of absolutes and the only two choices are victory and failure and it will take something special to convince anyone that anything other than the former is in their future.
Source:: ABC News
