Recalled Wallabies five-eighth Bernard Foley has blamed the balls used for his horror night off the kicking tee against Samoa, and does’t expect a repeat at the Rugby World Cup.
Foley replaces Christian Lealiifano in one of four changes to an overhauled Australian backline to face Wales in Tokyo on Sunday.
Lealiifano was favoured to be the first choice No.10 in Japan after starting both Bledisloe Cup Tests before Foley had a forgettable evening against the Samoans in Sydney three weeks ago.
However, coach Michael Cheika has turned to the 70-Test veteran for their most important pool game and will hope he can match his influential form of 2015 when he and halfback Will Genia helped drive Australia all the way to the final.
Accurate goalkicking will make a big difference for the Wallabies, who have landed just six of their last 15 shots in Tests.
That includes a two-from-six return for Foley against the Samoans, although he has an excuse.
Having been practising with the official World Cup balls for several weeks, he was forced to revert to the old balls that night.
“I think they do fly a bit differently. They probably float a bit different than we expect,” he said.
“But in saying that, you’ve got to trust your kick. You don’t want to alter for the ball or be changing because each ball could be different. You just want to try and kick the same.”
Foley famously kicked all of Australia’s points in the epic 15-6 World Cup group win over Wales at Twickenham four years ago.
Like that result, this weekend’s winners are likely to top the group and receive a friendlier quarter-final draw.
Foley said he had been working with Wallabies skills coach Mick Byrne on not just accuracy, but also his distance.
The scorer of 619 Test points, Foley doesn’t shy away from the responsibility he holds every time he lines up a shot.
“Pretty much every World Cup ever played has been decided by either a kick or a drop goal or a penalty goal or a conversion,” he said.
“So we know they are important, but you’ve got to treat each kick the same, take it with the same process.
“I enjoy goal kicking, I always have. It’s the role you get to play for the team so when you are asked upon, you deliver in those big moments.”
