‘Not far away’: Wallabies legend John Eales lays down the path to victory for next year’s home World Cup

John Eales was the last Wallabies skipper to lift the World Cup trophy when Australia defeated France in the 1999 final, and the legendary figure says the current side isn’t “far away” from ending the drought as it prepares to host the tournament next year. The Webb Ellis Cup was on display at Blues Point in Sydney on Tuesday morning as the draw was officially unveiled for next year’s showpiece event, with rugby in Australia in a good place at the moment following several key signings. It will be the first time the World Cup has been held in Australia since 2003 when the hosts lost to England in the final, with the Wallabies to take on newcomers Hong Kong China in the opening match in Perth on October 1. Sydney will be the main hub for the biggest World Cup on record, with the seventh-ranked nation in the world hoping to end their lengthy drought after a few up-and-down years. While they continue to struggle against New Zealand, the Wallabies are fresh off a stunning upset win in South Africa that ended a 62-year drought against the Springboks at altitude. It’s why Eales says they only have to tinker with a few minor things to give themselves the best chance of winning the World Cup. “I think Australia will be feeling some pressure, but I also think they’ll be liberated as well by feeling they can just go out there and have a go,” Eales told the NewsWire. “Because I don’t think the expectations of the public are as high as their expectations, so they can just go and focus on their journey in this World Cup. “They are not far away, and they’ve shown that many times. “For me, it’s not worrying about how good they can be in the great moments because we’ve seen that against the best in the world. It’s about locking in the down side of performances. “So much of sport is about being able to repeat the repeatability of the basic skills of the game, and that’s what you have to be relentless at. We’ve got a bit more than 18 months where they can be relentless in their pursuit of excellence in the game. “If they can get that right, it enables you to shine on any stage. It’s not easy to get that right, but it’s a big opportunity to do it.” Home ground advantage will play a big part for the Aussies, especially when they face the All Blacks at Stadium Australia on October 9. It helped them in 2003 when the Wallabies stunned their rivals in front of more than 82,000 fans in Sydney. “I don’t think it does get any bigger playing at one of the biggest stadiums in the world in Sydney,” Rugby Australia chief executive Phil Waugh said. “You reflect on the 2003 Rugby World Cup semi-final when we won 22-10. No one gave us a chance of winning that game, but the way that the crowd got behind us (helped us win). “It was a deafening night and one that I’ll always remember. These guys now have that opportunity in the second week of the World Cup.” The partisan crowd will be a key factor next year, with Eales stressing the importance of handling the pressure that comes with it. “Once you get on the field, it’s pretty even,” he said. “But I think (the advantage of playing at home) comes in the build-up to games because you’re familiar with everything and you don’t have to get used to different circumstances, plus you’ve got that groundswell of support around you. “If you’re a visiting team, you’ve got to manufacture that in some way, whereas it’s natural if you’re the home team. “That can probably build a bit more pressure in some ways, but I think if you don’t feel some pressure, then you’re in trouble, so you want to get that optimal amount of pressure. “There’s that curve of pressure that people talk about – if you don’t have enough then it’s no good, but if you have too much, it’s also no good. I think being at home gives you that balance because you’ll have so many people behind you.”