By Jim Webster

With the World Cup upon us, there’s now much conjecture as to whether the 2015 Wallabies have anything like the high-level skills of our 1991 and 1999 teams that carried off the William Webb Ellis Trophy.

The answer comes down to this: in some areas they have; in others they haven’t.

Let us start by saying that our current threequarter line has much to offer in Israel Folau, Adam Ashley-Cooper, Rob Horne, Kurtley Beale, Matt Giteau, Bernard Foley, Drew Mitchell and Tevita Kuridrani. Between them they have speed, exceptional ball skills and much creativity.

But look at the 1991 backs and it’s hard to suggest they could match the explosive powers that came from a lineup featuring Nick Farr-Jones, Michael Lynagh, Tim Horan, Jason Little and the incomparable David Campese (he didn’t even know what he was doing; so how could an opposition imagine what he was up to?).

That team also had more than its share of great forwards with the man of the match in that final, Willie Ofahengaue, as well as Simon Poidevin, Phil Kearns, Ewen McKenzie and an emerging talent in young John Eales.

In the final at Twickenham, England ran the ball but, in doing so, turned over too much possession in attempting to embrace a playing style they had not attempted earlier in the tournament.

But the Wallabies had to desperately keep them out and their defence was highlighted by the covering, try-saving tackle by Eales on England five-eighth Rob Andrew five minutes from fulltime. That tackle will never be forgotten by those who saw it.

Eight years later, Eales and Horan were the only ones remaining who played in the lop-sided final against France in Cardiff. But they had gathered some exceptional talent around them in Matt Burke, Stephen Larkham and George Gregan, and up front they had a very solid bunch, including backrower Toutai Kefu, Australia’s outstanding forward of the tournament.

They dismembered the opposition 35-12 – the most points in a World Cup decider and the biggest winning margin.

But they had to endure some brutal tactics from the French, to the point where Eales, by then the skipper, threatened the referee Andre Watson that he would take his players off the field unless he made a stop to their behaviour.

In the end, the Australians continued to guard their line jealously, with France kept to four penalty goals, a reflection of their extraordinary defence throughout the tournament, during which they gave up just one try in 500 minutes of tournament play.

Both the 1991 and 1999 teams had the remarkable gifts offered by Eales. In this writer’s many years of writing about rugby, the three Wallabies who stand out are Ken Catchpole, David Campese and John Eales. What could Eales not do? He stood as tall as a pine tree, could leap into the heavens, was as swift as many backs, could kick long-range goals and tackled like a demon. In other words, he was a one-off inspiration to any team fortunate enough to have him in their ranks.

So, where does the current Wallabies compare, or better, these two victorious World Cup teams?

Neither of those past teams had anyone in the backline with the size, speed and finesse of Israel Folau, and despite the talents that those earlier teams had in their backrow I’d still rate David Pocock and Michael Hooper at least as good.

But other factors must always be considered in making team comparisons.

Our current Wallabies have an exceptionally good leader in hooker Stephen Moore. Mark my words. Time will see him emerge as one of the best ever to lead Australia.

I can never say more clearly that having a great goalkicker can so easily overcome failings that a team may have in other areas.

Just look at those earlier champion teams: in 1991, we had Lynagh and in 1999 there was Burke who, in that final, slotted two conversions and seven penalty goals!

I might add that they finished their careers as our top individual Test match point-scorers, with Lynagh having rattled up 911 points, thanks mainly to his boot, and Burke 833 points. After that the numbers slide way downhill and the mainly try-scorers don’t figure until you reach Campese’s 315 points.

Having said that, we do not currently have a goalkicker anywhere near the standard of Lynagh or Burke and that may well be our eventual downfall.

The last point that needs to be made is that of the coaching and I, for one, have unlimited confidence in Michael Cheika.

He’s a tough cookie, knows the game inside out and if anyone can extract a 100% effort from our boys and have Stephen Moore wielding the William Webb Ellis Trophy on Sunday, November 1 then he can.

Just before I pack my suitcase and head off once more to England, here are those teams that won us the Webb Ellis Trophy before and see if you agree with me:

1991 (15-1): Roebuck; Campese Little, Horan, Egerton; Lynagh, Farr-Jones ©; Coker, Ofahengaue, Poidevin, Eales, McCall, McKenzie, Kearns and Daly.

1999 (15-1): Burke; Tune, Herbert, Horan, Roff; Larkham, Gregan; Kefu, Wilson, Cockbain, Eales ©, Giffin, Blades, Foley and Harry.