SYDNEY (Reuters):
AUSTRALIAN SPORTING fans have rarely been hampered by self-doubt and thoughts of failure but even the most optimistic supporters are starting to lose faith in the national rugby team.
The Wallabies are the only side to have won the World Cup more than once and are currently third in the International Rugby Board (IRB) world rankings, yet there is already a deep sense of resignation that they will not win a third title in France this year.
Australia's last World Cup triumph was in 1999 but they have not won theTri-Nations since 2001. They surrendered the Bledisloe Cup to New Zealand in 2003 and have never looked like regaining it in the three years since.
The Wallabies have long been the masters of timing their run to perfection and to dismiss them as contenders is always fraught with danger. They surprised everyone when they upset New Zealand to reach the last World Cup final only to lose the decider to England.
That should have been the start of a new golden era in Australian rugby but things have only got worse since then. Two years later, Eddie Jones was sacked as coach after the team lost eight of their final nine matches in 2005 and finished bottom of the Tri-Nations.
There were some early signs of improvement under John Connolly last year but those were swiftly forgotten after the dismal showing by the Australian teams in this year's Super 14.
None of the four franchises qualified for the semi-finals while New South Wales and Queensland, the two traditional powerhouses of Australian rugby, finished 13th and 14th respectively.
Heavily criticised
The Australian Rugby Union (ARU) has been heavily criticised for the way it has been running the game, leading to the early resignation of chief executive Gary Flowers, and the fans have been turning away in droves.
Attendances throughout the Super 14 season dropped off alarmingly and ARU officials are already budgeting for lower than usual numbers when the international season gets under way on May 26.
A recent ARU statement said they were hoping for a crowd of around 45,000 for the first Test against Wales at the Olympic stadium, even though the ground holds about 80,000 and used to draw crowds in excess of 100,000 before capacity was reduced after the 2000 Olympics.
Australia have always had fewer players and less money than most of their big rivals but have been able to punch above their weight through shrewd planning and excellent organisation.
As the rest of the world began catching up, the Wallabies widened their net in search of fresh talent, recruiting heavily from rugby league ranks, but that ploy helped to solve only short-term problems.
Australia's failure to maintain a steady stream of up-and-coming talent has left them with an ageing team accused by critics of being over the hill.
Scrumhalf George Gregan has faced years of criticism about his performances, yet at 34 and with more Test caps than any other player in history, he is still certain to be selected for the World Cup in September and October.
The conservative approach
The conservative approach of Australia's selectors in recent years has led to fresh demands for wholesale changes this season, though the early signs were not encouraging when a whopping 59 players were named in the first train-on squad for 2007.
The critics have turned their attention on the selectors, urging them to gamble on youth or risk certain failure at the World Cup.
"They can go down different paths. They can do what they often threaten to do - but don't because of the fear of losing - by heading into the unknown, being adventurous and trying some new player options," wrote Greg Growden, the chief rugby writer for the Sydney Morning Herald.
