Wallabies back Reece Hodge says “excitement machines” Kurtley Beale and Marika Koroibete can bring the X-Factor for the Wallabies in this World Cup.
Their attacking ability will be tested first up by a Fiji side containing Koroibete’s former Fiji rugby league teammate Semi Radradra, and the Wallabies will have to fight that fire with fire.
Koroibete was a standout for the Wallabies against Samoa in their final pre-World Cup Test, scoring two tries including a spectacular individual five-pointer, and Hodge said he expected some “special moments” from the winger in Japan.
“He's obviously been on a pretty upward trajectory the last 5-6 Test matches,” he said.
“He's obviously in some unbelievable form and we've got no doubt that he's going to bring that form with a lot of confidence into the World Cup.
“I think probably over the last 18 months he's gone from kinda understanding and not quite being able to execute to now both having a really good understanding and being able to execute, whether that's certain specific roles that a winger might have that are a bit different to rugby league or identifying how the fullback and winger is working on the defensive side.
“I think he's got that pretty down pat now and I think you're seeing with his performances that's going to translate into some pretty special moments for him and really excited for what he's going to be able to do in this World Cup.”
Hodge said Beale, who is likely to line up at fullback against Fiji, was also shaping to have a big impact on the tournament.
"I think he'd be in close to the best physical shape of his career with the training we've been through the last kind of few months...I think what I've been impressed with in the last few weeks especially is how consistent he's been at training and that's obviously what he's aiming for on the park as well,” he said.
“He's obviously got a big role to play but in saying that, everyone in the back line's got their individual role to play and also as a collective so I'm sure any support we can give guys like KB and other excitement machines like Marika then the better we're going to do both as a group and as a team.”
The Wallabies’ attack has come in for some criticism in recent days but coach Michael Cheika said he “didn’t agree’ with comments from former Wallabies captain Stirling Mortlock this week that Australia’s attack was "one-dimensional" against Samoa.
“I didn't see his comments but I don't agree, to be honest,” he said.
“I think we attacked pretty good, made a few mistakes, off the back of a couple of weeks’ hard training.
“But look mate, each to their own, what happens on the field is where the talk is done.
“There's no point in talking here or about this guy said this or he said this or she said that.
“Talking's on the field and we get our chance to talk next Saturday.”
Australia takes on Fiji on Saturday September 21 at the Sapporo Dome, kicking off at 1:45pm local, 2:45pm AEST, LIVE on Foxtel, Network Ten and via RUGBY.com.au RADIO.
