Wallabies prop Ben Alexander says the once unknown ACT Brumbies are ready to boost Australia’s World Cup bid.
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Many of the Brumbies were brought together on minimum-wage contracts two years ago to rebuild the Super Rugby franchise.
Now they loom as key members of the Wallabies as they aim for rugby’s biggest prize at the World Cup in England next year.
The Wallabies blooded eight Brumbies last year as new coach Ewen McKenzie started building towards the tournament.
McKenzie started his tenure after replacing Robbie Deans, but while it took time to adjust to a new coach and new style, veteran Test prop Ben Alexander says 2014 has to deliver success.
“We definitely saw the trend heading upwards at the end of last year,” Alexander said.
“We’re improving, but the real barometer to see how much work we’ve done will be when we play against New Zealand and South Africa in New Zealand.
“This year is the one when teams go at it ... the year of the World Cup is usually when players are rested.
“We’ll get a chance to see where we’re at. We’ve started playing better, we have a better understanding and we’ve made progress. But how far we’ve come won’t be seen until we play the All Blacks and Springboks.”
Brumbies Ben Mowen, Jesse Mogg, Matt Toomua, Christian Lealiifano, Tevita Kuridrani, Scott Fardy, Scott Sio and Nic White all made their Test debuts with the Wallabies last year.
Add to that David Pocock, Pat McCabe, Stephen Moore, Ben Alexander and Joseph Tomane and the Brumbies will have international experience in almost every position.
The Australian Rugby Union sacked Deans after losing the British and Irish Lions series last year. McKenzie and former Brumbies coach Jake White were the two candidates to replace him.
The ARU overlooked White’s World Cup-winning record to pick McKenzie because of his vision to play “the Australian way”, a reference to attacking rugby.
The transition from Deans to McKenzie got off to a slow start.
The Wallabies won just two of seven Rugby Championship and Bledisloe Cup matches.
But they started to click on the spring tour of Europe and they won four of their five Tests.
The Brumbies have played a major role in the rebuilding of the Wallabies.
McKenzie has stated his intent to pick players on form, not reputation. That was good news for the low-key Brumbies after making the Super Rugby final last season.
The Brumbies had just three Wallabies in a 35-man squad at the start of the 2012 season.
By the end of 2013, the Brumbies had 15 players with Test experience.
Brumbies skipper Mowen was elevated to the Wallabies captaincy in just his seventh Test.
But Mowen shocked Australian rugby when he announced his decision to sacrifice his World Cup dreams to sign a lucrative deal in France.
It means he will likely be overlooked for the Wallabies’ mid-year Tests against France and the Rugby Championship as McKenzie continues to build his squad for the World Cup.
“It wasn’t an easy decision, I wrestled with it for six months,” Mowen said.
“I love the Wallabies and the Brumbies and I genuinely believe there’s success ahead for both of them.
“The World Cup was on my mind definitely ... there is success coming for the Wallabies and to not be a part of finalising that was a hard decision.”
Moore, the most-capped hooker in Wallabies history, has played in the 2007 and 2011 World Cups, 91 Tests and 118 Super Rugby matches.
“I’ve made a commitment to Australian rugby and my teammates until 2015,” Moore said.
“It’s a long time to the next Test match let alone the next World Cup, so my focus is just on the Brumbies. I’ve learnt over the last two World Cups that it’s talked about for a long time and a lot can change.”
Jesse Mogg, Scott Fardy and Scott Sio went from fringe players earning $40,000 a season to Wallabies.
Mogg played three Tests last year, but he doesn’t want to settle for a handful of Wallabies caps.
“I’ve been striving to play professional rugby for a long time and the focus is still the same as what it was in my first year,” Mogg said. “The World Cup is my aim, I want to get back into the Wallabies this season.
“When we first got together at the Brumbies we set a strong culture and changed a lot of things. Everyone buys into it ... everyone has the same goals.”
Wallabies' key 2014 dates
French tour
June 7 v Wallabies (Brisbane)
June 14 v Wallabies (Melbourne)
June 21 v Wallabies (Sydney)
2013 Rugby Championship
August 16: Wallabies v New Zealand (Sydney)
August 16: South Africa v Argentina (Pretoria)
August 23: New Zealand v Wallabies (Auckland)
August 23: Argentina v South Africa (Argentina)
September 6: Wallabies v South Africa (Perth)
September 6: New Zealand v Argentina (Napier)
September 13: Wallabies v Argentina (Gold Coast)
September 13: New Zealand v South Africa (Wellington)
September 27: South Africa v Wallabies (Cape Town)
September 27: Argentina v New Zealand (Argentina)
October 4: Argentina v Wallabies (Argentina)
October 4: South Africa v New Zealand (Johannesburg)