Adam Ashley-Cooper insists that Australia will not get ahead of themselves after dumping England out of the World Cup and underlining their own title credentials.
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The Wallabies return to Twickenham on Saturday for a Pool A decider against Wales with the winners are likely to secure a last-eight clash against Scotland or Japan, while the losers face a probable appointment with South Africa.
“In every game we play we build on that self-belief. There is a lot of it in the team, but we haven’t won anything yet,” Wallabies wing Ashley-Cooper said.
“We are gaining a lot of confidence with the wins, but we don’t want to get too far ahead of ourselves. We have got a big Test match against Wales coming up, and then a quarter-final after that.
“We all want to be world champions and it is a matter of improving each day. It was a special win, but as soon as Monday comes we will be preparing for Wales.
“They play an expansive game off good ball from the forwards and I am expecting both teams to throw the ball around and really use the combinations both teams have in their back-lines.”
Wales have lost their 10 Tests against Australia – seven of those defeats were by six points or less – which suggests the Wallabies have a clear edge.
Ashley-Cooper added: “We have had a good run against Wales, but anything can happen. A lot of results in this tournament have proved that. From my World Cup experience, finishing top of your pool is very important.”
Fly-half Bernard Foley amassed 28 points, including two tries, while centre Matt Giteau administered the final blow by touching down during the closing minutes as England were crushed 33-13.
“We knew their backs were against the wall and we needed to match their physicality and that desperation,” Ashley-Cooper said. “The key to the game was starting well and we certainly did that. We got a lot of momentum and we closed out a very good win. At the moment we are a good team, but we want to be a great team.”