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Aussies laugh off 2015 Boks

Rob Houwing, Sport24 chief writer

Cape Town - An Australian poll suggests that citizens of that country have forgotten, surprisingly quickly, the “jammy” nature of their Rugby World Cup quarter-final victory over the Springboks.

VOTE: Rugby World Cup Team of the Tournament

Aussies were invited to vote, in the aftermath of RWC 2011, by leading newspaper the Sydney Morning Herald on the question of: “Which country do you think is best placed to win the 2015 World Cup in England?”

Almost unbelievably, considering that South Africa are two-time winners, traditionally a rugby talent “factory” and recently dominated vast tracts of a Wellington quarter-final dubiously policed by Bryce Lawrence, the Boks command only negligible support - around the 2% mark - to lift the spoils four years up the line.

The All Blacks are rated clear favourites at this long-term juncture to retain the Webb Ellis Cup: support for them runs at 45% amidst some 15 000 respondents thus far.

Next up are the Wallabies, not too surprisingly, with 25% of approval, before there is a big drop to Wales (9%), France (7%) and the host nation at the next tournament, England (4%).

The Boks then have the “honour” of a 2% share of the pie, with Samoa similarly earning a crumb (1%) and virtually no backing for the likes of Argentina and Ireland.
 
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