Folau to face Wales in World Cup crunch game

Australia full-back Israel Folau is confident his injured ankle will hold up for what coach Michael Cheika believes will be the Wallabies' "most brutal" match of the World Cup so far against Wales on Saturday.

Folau rolled his ankle in Australia's 33-13 win over England -- that knocked the hosts out of the tournament -- last weekend and went off in the 65th minute.

Folau said at Twickenham on Friday he was "not 100 percent" fit but insisted there was no question of him taking a chance on the injury, even though the match will decide who wins Pool A.

"It wasn’t too serious. I had a couple of days off during the week just to make sure everything was all right," said the talented Folau, who has scored 18 tries in 35 Tests - a fine strike-rate.

"I had a bit of a run-out with the guys yesterday and it felt pretty good."

The 26-year-old added: "It's not 100 percent but I’m confident, otherwise I wouldn’t be strapping on the boots and going out there tomorrow."

"My body comes first. If I wasn’t right I wouldn’t play. It wouldn't be fair on the team at all, going out there and playing half-hearted. I feel like I can do the job and hopefully I can get through tomorrow."

Cheika said there was no danger of his side easing off against Wales because the Wallabies had already qualified for the last eight.

"We have made a course of keeping ourselves on edge because of the difficulty of our pool, so I don't feel any more relaxed or anything like that," the coach explained.
"The target is to get better every day, and when it comes to game day be at our absolute best. We are still in the middle of almost a war zone.

"I feel it will be the most brutal game we have faced so far. I don't really expect anything else. My knowledge of tournament play is that the longer it goes on, the more brutal it gets."

Australia may have won their last 10 Tests against Wales and lost just once to the Welsh in five World Cup meetings, but Cheika said those figures would have no bearing on Saturday' match.

"It is irrelevant," said the Wallaby boss.

"World Cups are different. It is not another Test match. It is one of the few times when you get into tournament play where it is part of a bigger competition.

"It is all about what happens when the two teams front up on Saturday afternoon.

"He (Wales boss Warren Gatland) is a brilliant coach. With the Lions' (2013) victory in Australia as well, and what he has done with Welsh rugby over a long period of time, it shows the class that he has got."

Source: AFP