Rugby-Experienced prop Slipper close to Wallabies return

James Slipper, the most experienced player in Australia's World Cup squad, could be in contention to play their second Pool C match against Fiji next Sunday, when the Wallabies will be looking to back up their comfortable opening win over Georgia. The loosehead prop, who has won 131 caps, was unavailable for Saturday's 35-15 victory with foot injury, but assistant coach Dan Palmer thought he and tighthead Pone Fa'amausili would be in the frame for the clash against the Pacific islanders.

James Slipper, the most experienced player in Australia's World Cup squad, could be in contention to play their second Pool C match against Fiji next Sunday, when the Wallabies will be looking to back up their comfortable opening win over Georgia.

The loosehead prop, who has won 131 caps, was unavailable for Saturday's 35-15 victory with foot injury, but assistant coach Dan Palmer thought he and tighthead Pone Fa'amausili would be in the frame for the clash against the Pacific islanders. "I'd expect him to be pretty close. I think he and Pone are in and around training again," he told reporters on Sunday.

"I'd expect them to be there or thereabouts this week. Having that experience come back is always going to be a positive. "Hopefully lift the quality that we get during the week. But we've got confidence in all the players that are here."

That confidence was justified by a solid performance from a relatively inexperienced Australia pack against the notoriously tough Georgians as the Wallabies snapped a five-match losing streak at Stade de France. "You come up against a team like Georgia whose traditional strengths are their scrum, their set piece, their maul. We wanted to take them on in that area and I thought … the whole pack really stood up and did a good job for us," Palmer added.

"Fiji's obviously a different challenge but ... we'll be looking to take it to them (as well)." The lineout, Palmer's primary responsibility, functioned well in the first half before coming under pressure after halftime but the former prop said Wallabies fans could expect continue improvement in the set-piece.

"In reality, our focus is on us and getting our fundamentals in order," Palmer said. "We will approach the game slightly differently against Fiji, but the fact that we'll be focused on improving our own fundamentals won't change."

Vice-captain Tate McDermott is a doubt for the Fiji game in St Etienne after being caught in the head by a Georgian knee on Saturday and Palmer said the scrumhalf would be going through the concussion protocols. "He was in good shape after the game but you just have to go through those processes," he said.

Palmer said there had not been much change in the mood in the Wallabies camp despite Australia having earned their first win of 2023. "It was really good to see that on the scoreboard last night," he said.

"But we feel like we've been improving over the past over the past couple of months and last night was just another step in that direction."

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