The Wallabies appreciate the chance to build some momentum heading into the Rugby World Cup quarter-finals, a prospect that has been denied to likely opponents England by the looming weather bomb in Japan.
Super typhoon Hagibis threw the tournament into chaos on Thursday, forcing organisers to cancel two high-profile pool games scheduled for Saturday on safety grounds.
England against France in Yokohama and New Zealand against Italy in Toyota City became the first games abandoned in the tournament’s 32-year history.
There is still the prospect of games on Sunday suffering the same fate, including the Japan-Scotland blockbuster.
Australia face Georgia in Shizuoka on Friday in what should be poor conditions but they’ll be sheltered from the worst of the typhoon.
The only hiccup might be tweaking details of their 200km return trip by train to Tokyo on Saturday, when most public transport is expected to shut down.
Match day captain David Pocock said he had barely followed the typhoon updates and couldn’t say if Australia or England benefit most from the changes.
The English get a two-week lead-in after three relatively lightweight pool games while the Wallabies’ fourth game provides them with another chance to unearth some of the rhythm missing in their campaign to date.
“It can work either way. I’m sure both teams will be looking to make the most out of the situations,” Pocock said.
“The way that we make the most out of it is by turning up tomorrow and having a really good game… and hopefully building some momentum.”
England progress as pool C winners after their match against second-placed France was declared a 0-0 draw.
Eddie Jones’ side will travel to Oita early and face the second-placed team from pool D on Saturday next week.
That will be Australia unless Wales are stunned by Uruguay on Sunday.
Tournament director Alan Gilpin said Hagibis was forecast to be the biggest typhoon of the 2019 season and highly likely to cause considerable disruption over a wide area.
“It is an exceptional, complex and rapidly evolving situation and team and public safety is the number one priority,” he said.
“While we have extensively explored all options, public and team safety was our utmost priority as well as ensuring a consistent, fair and equitable outcome for all teams.”
All fans with tickets for a cancelled match will be refunded.
Gilpin said shifting the date or location of the cancelled games was regarded as too risky for all stakeholders given the widespread nature of the storm.
“While making every possible effort to put in place a contingency plan that would enable all of Saturday’s matches to be played, it would be grossly irresponsible to leave teams, fans, volunteers and other tournament personnel exposed during what is predicted to be a severe typhoon,” he said.
The category 5 typhoon, labelled “violent” by the Japan Meteorological Agency abruptly ended Italy’s slim chances of qualifying.
The Azzurri could have snared a quarter-final berth and ousted the All Blacks if they’d toppled the world champions and secured a four-try bonus point.
Third-placed Scotland could face the same fate in pool A if organisers scrap Sunday’s showdown with Japan, handing the unbeaten tournament hosts a maiden quarter-final berth.
