Australian Rugby

Australian Rugby

Johns Kick Starts Cup Bid
Article from:
Dave Donaghy
June 26, 2007 12:00am

THE Wallabies yesterday unveiled their biggest recruit for the World Cup - retired Newcastle Knights rugby league great Andrew Johns.
Johns, forced out of league with a neck injury this year, has been flown to Melbourne by the Australian Rugby Union as a coaching consultant.
Johns joined the Wallabies at a training session in Hawthorn yesterday and immediately went to work, providing kicking tips to the side's star-studded backline.
The arrival of the former New South Wales and Australian halfback signalled a significant tempo shift in the build-up to Saturday night's Bledisloe Cup bout against the All Blacks at the MCG.
Johns wanted to keep his involvement in the camp quiet, but Wallabies coach John Connolly let the cat out of the bag at a press conference.
Asked if the Australians were considering employing Johns in a part-time consultancy role, Connolly replied: "We have. You probably should stay around today for a while. We have looked at that, yes."
Johns immediately hit the gym at the national team's inner-city hotel after arriving.
It was Johns' first public appearance with the Wallabies since he walked away from rugby league in April.
He attended a training session in May, but that was purely in an non-hands-on advisory role.
Connolly conceded the team's kicking game remained a concern before the World Cup in France in September.
"It's an area where we've got to improve," Connolly said.
"I think Australia will have a national kicking coach next year to add more focus to that area of the game.
"It's costing us a little bit at the time . . . it's something we have to work on."
Connolly predicted an old-fashioned battle between the trans-Tasman rivals in front of an expected crowd of up to 90,000 fans. More than 75,000 tickets have been sold for the clash.
"They've clearly got the best scrum in the world," Connolly said about the All Blacks.
New Zealand arrived in Melbourne last night.
The All Blacks, World Cup favourites, beat South Africa 26-21 in their opening game of the Tri-Nations tournament in Durban on Sunday.