Rugby-Forget Pool A calculations, Australia want to win every game

By Nick Mulvenney BIRMINGHAM, England, Sept 27 (Reuters) - Australia are not looking to scrape into the Rugby World Cup quarter-finals courtesy of bonus points or try differentials and are aiming to win every one of their Pool A matches, coach Michael Cheika said on Sunday. The Wallabies got half the job done by following up their opening victory over Fiji with a 65-3 thumping of Uruguay at Villa Park on Sunday but encounters with England next Saturday and Wales the following weekend lie ahead. A dramatic victory for Wales over England on Saturday night had major implications for the toughest ever pool in World Cup history but for Cheika, Australia's mission remains simple. "Mate, I don't even think about that stuff," Cheika told reporters. "That's the attitude if we're only looking to get out of our pool. No one's won the World Cup unless they've won every game. I've never been here before but I figured that's what you've sort of got to do. "I'm not being a smart alec, our plan is not to just scrounge through, we've got to just play well every game and let the results take care of themselves." That is not to say that Cheika thinks Australia are already at a level where they can hand hosts England defeats in successive weeks at Twickenham. "Let's be honest, we're going have to improve from the first two matches to be able to compete with England," he said. "The reality is that England are home team so they're going to be favourites. It's a tough place to win. That part is pretty straightforward." Although there is clearly an element of mind games about Cheika's claim to underdog status, and his talk of improvement is as much for internal consumption as external, there is no doubt that the harder part of the pool campaign is to come. Sunday's victory for his second-string side over the 19thranked South Americans came courtesy of 11 tries but there could have been plenty more. Drew Mitchell scored twice to take his tally of World Cup tries to 12 but the veteran winger would have had two more if the final pass had gone to hand. Flyhalf Quade Cooper had some bright moments but missed six conversions and spent 10 minutes in the sin bin for a dangerous tackle, which Cheika said Australia would appeal against. Scrumhalf Nick Phipps had a quiet game but Henry Speight and Joe Tomane might have given Cheika food for thought about his options out wide. "There's a few players that definitely put their hand up for selection," Cheika said. Unfortunately for Cheika, the best Australian player on the pitch was flanker Sean McMahon, whose two tries and all-round performance will still not move him above David Pocock and Michael Hooper in the pecking order. "It's getting a bit ridiculous really because every man of the match is seven or eight," said Cheika. "We've got some pretty influential players in those positions but as long as he's there rattling their cage that will keep them honest and keep him honest as well going forward. "I was very pleased and proud of his performance because he knows those guys are there and he's just got to keep taking it to them." (Editing by Ed Osmond)