Marc Bazeley
Australia meraih kemenangan Piala Dunia Liga Rugby ke-12 dengan kemenangan 30-10 atas Samoa di final di Old Trafford akhir pekan lalu; hasilnya menggarisbawahi bagaimana Kanguru telah mendominasi permainan internasional sejak tahun 1970-an
Terakhir Diperbarui: 23/11/22 17:50
Liga rugby adalah permainan sederhana; 26 pemain melempar bola selama 80 menit dan, pada akhirnya, Australia selalu menang.
Memang, Kanguru menggarisbawahi bahwa saat mereka meraih kemenangan Piala Dunia Liga Rugbi ke-12 di final Sabtu lalu dengan kemenangan 30-10 atas Samoa di Old Trafford.
Itu adalah cara yang sempurna bagi Australia untuk mengakhiri kembalinya mereka ke panggung internasional untuk pertama kalinya sejak kekalahan mengejutkan 16-12 dari Tonga pada 2019, setelah tidak bermain di tahun-tahun berikutnya karena pandemi Covid-19.
Periode ketidakaktifan itu telah menyebabkan pemegang menjadi peringkat keempat di dunia menjelang turnamen, dan itu adalah sesuatu yang tidak hilang dari kapten James Tedesco setelah mereka mempertahankan Trofi Paul Barriere.
“Tiga tahun terakhir, kami belum bisa bermain dan mengenakan jersey ini dan mewakili Australia,” kata Tedesco, pemain terbaik pertandingan di final setelah mencetak dua percobaan.
“Jadi, sangat membara bagi banyak orang untuk datang ke Piala Dunia ini dan tampil dengan baik. Kami melakukan itu dan mudah-mudahan peringkat kami naik sedikit setelah turnamen.”
Di permukaan, kelas Kanguru tahun 2022 adalah salah satu tim Australia yang paling tidak berpengalaman yang bermain di Piala Dunia, dengan 13 dari 24 pemain skuad yang sebelumnya membuka tutup di tingkat internasional – peringatannya, tentu saja, semua pemain itu adalah diperkeras oleh pengalaman State of Origin dan, dalam beberapa kasus, menjadi bagian dari tim pemenang Grand Final NRL.
Oleh karena itu, tidak mengherankan jika mereka melanjutkan untuk membenarkan status mereka sebagai favorit turnamen, memperpanjang rekor tak terkalahkan mereka dalam pertandingan Piala Dunia sejak kekalahan final 2008 dari Selandia Baru, dan mencetak 54 percobaan dan hanya kebobolan delapan dari enam pertandingan mereka di Inggris tahun ini.
Dominasi Australia di kancah internasional melampaui Piala Dunia. Mereka belum pernah kalah dalam seri Tes dari negara dari pantai ini sejak kemenangan Ashes Inggris Raya tahun 1970, bersama dengan memenangkan enam dari sembilan turnamen Seri Tri dan Empat Bangsa yang diadakan antara tahun 1999 dan 2016.
Pelatih kepala Mal Meninga juga memiliki rekor kemenangan 90,5 persen dalam 21 pertandingan internasional sejak mengambil alih pada 2016, dengan tim nasional Australia memegang persentase kemenangan sepanjang masa di bawah 71 persen di pertandingan internasional sejak 1908.
“Kami kembali ke awal 1970-an dengan Kanguru ketika Anda berbicara tentang rekor kemenangan kami,” kata Meninga, yang bermain sebagai bagian dari tim dongeng ‘Invincibles’ dan ‘Unbeatables’ yang melakukan tur ke Inggris Raya dan Prancis masing-masing pada tahun 1982 dan 1986, kata .
Harapannya adalah kami memenangkan turnamen – itu bukan beban bagi kami, kami memikulnya dengan penuh kerendahan hati dan rasa hormat.
Pelatih kepala Australia Mal Meninga
“Ini adalah waktu yang dominan bagi tim Australia, dan saya pikir kami menerimanya dengan sangat baik sebagai sekelompok pemain yang mengenakan seragam hijau dan emas.
“Harapannya adalah kami memenangkan turnamen – itu bukan beban bagi kami, kami membawanya dengan penuh kerendahan hati dan rasa hormat.
“Kami memahami semua orang tidak ingin melihat kami menang kecuali untuk pendukung Australia yang paling bersemangat, tetapi kami menerimanya, dan kami melanjutkan bisnis.”
Bukan hanya permainan pria di mana Australia berkuasa, dengan wanita membuat tiga kemenangan Piala Dunia berturut-turut sebagai Jillaroos dari Kezie Apps mengalahkan rival Selandia Baru 54-4 menjelang final pria di Manchester.
Di level klub juga, tim NRL telah mendominasi Tantangan Klub Dunia dalam dekade terakhir, di mana juara Liga Super Betfred empat kali St Helens akan bertujuan untuk menjadi tim Inggris ketiga yang memenangkannya sejak 2012 ketika mereka menangani Penrith Panthers di Sydney Februari mendatang.
Dan bahkan dengan Samoa dan Tonga sekarang bergabung dengan kekuatan mapan Selandia Baru dan Inggris yang mampu menantang Kanguru, Meninga memiliki peringatan bagi siapa pun yang berambisi menjatuhkan pemegang Piala Dunia 2025 di Prancis.
“Ini baru permulaan untuk tim ini, saya jamin,” kata Meninga. “Semua orang ini akan bersama selama tiga, empat, lima atau enam tahun ke depan.”
Sky Sports adalah rumah bagi ketiga Grand Final Liga Super pada tahun 2023. Grand Final Pria, Grand Final Wanita, dan Grand Final Kursi Roda semuanya akan disiarkan langsung di Sky Sports musim depan. Musim Liga Super baru dimulai pada Kamis 16 Februari.
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