Wallabies target Wilkinson as key to beating England

Anybody who watched the 2003 World Cup final will be unsurprised to learn that Australia's plan for beating England in Saturday's quarter-final depends upon shutting down Jonny Wilkinson.

It was Wilkinson's deadly boot that ultimately decided that epic final in Sydney four years ago and, once again, it is the English flyhalf who poses the greatest threat to the Wallabies.

Australia have spent four long years plotting their revenge, developing their scrum and lineout technique to try and match England's more muscular forwards.

But for all their planning and scheming, they know they must stop Wilkinson to ensure victory.

Plenty of other teams have tried the same thing but failed, partly because Wilkinson's great accuracy and length of kicking allows him to stand deeper than most international flyhalves, but mostly because England's pack provide him with the perfect platform.

The Wallabies' defensive coach John Muggleton agrees there is no simple solution to either problem. Accordingly, he said, the only real strategy was to try and limit Wilkinson's influence by keeping him under constant pressure and out of Australian territory.

"It's not a great deal different to any other number 10, they all like a bit of space and extra time," Muggleton said.

"You want to put him under pressure. We want to cut down his time so he has to stand a little deeper and make it hard for his forwards to get back over the advantage line."

The Australians are not keen on watching replays of Wilkinson's last-minute drop goal in the 2003 final but Muggleton is a regular viewer, believing it provides an important lesson on how to shut him down.

With the scores level and the clock ticking down towards the end of extra-time, Wilkinson was setting himself up for a drop goal from halfway.

The Australians were waiting for it, but their determination to get to Wilkinson allowed scrumhalf Matt Dawson to dart through a little hole then quickly recycle it back for the English skipper Martin Johnson to make one last charge at the line.

When Wilkinson got on the ball on the next phase, he was fewer than 30 metres away from the posts. The Wallabies knew what was going to happen next and despite their desperate attempts to charge down Wilkinson's kick, he was now too close and too quick and duly snapped it over to decide the title.

Muggleton said the Wallabies would not make that mistake again.

"Now, we're going to make sure space is something they don't get," he said.

Mallett new Italy coach

Former South Africa coach Nick Mallett was named as Italy coach yesterday following their World Cup exit and Pierre Berbizier's departure.

Mallett, 50, was born in England and led the Springboks to a record winning run of 17 consecutive tests from 1997-98 before resigning.