By Darren Walton
November 10th 2009 @ 2:00am
Related coverage
Back to business for Wallabies in Dublin
It’s back to work for the grand slam-chasing Wallabies on Tuesday after enjoying a day off to recover from their big win over England.
Some seized the chance to tee up a round of golf, while others just cruised around and lapped up Dublin’s famous hospitality.
But it’ll be all business from now on, with the Wallabies returning to training ahead of Sunday’s acid Test against Ireland, the reigning Six Nations champions, at Croke Park.
“Beating England was very important. As a team, we put a lot into that game and it’s rewarding to get the result,” lock James Horwill said.
“But, moving forward, we’ve got a big challenge again this weekend and that’s our focus now.
“We’ve got to put the excitement that we had on Saturday night behind us a big challenge against Ireland on Sunday.
“Ireland are going to be very strong no matter who is in there. You can see that the depth over here is very strong.
“The two main sides – Munster and Leinster – have got good sides and have played well for a long time, so that’s going to be a strength of theirs and we’re expecting a pretty fierce battle up front.”
Horwill denies he and fellow second-rower Mark Chisholm are under added pressure after arriving in Dublin to reports that the under-performing Australian lineout is viewed as the Wallabies’s greatest weakness.
“Every time you get on the field you want to put in your best performance and you want to make sure you do the best for the blokes around you.
“You never going on to the field not to put in a strong effort and I don’t think either of us – myself or Mark – have done that.
“But we’re looking to this weekend to step up and hopefully in the end just get the victory.”
Horwill and the rest of the Wallabies pack can expect to fly under the radar this week as skipper Rocky Elsom, revered in Dublin for his Heinekin Cup heroics with Leinster earlier this year, hogs the limelight.
“We went out for dinner last night and the bloke at the restaurant knew who Rocky was and he thanked him for last year,” Horwill said.
“Hopefully he’s not thanking him on Sunday night.”
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pothale said | November 10th 2009 @ 3:21am | Report comment
Elsom is the best player he’s ever played with, according to O’Driscoll.
Hopefully, by Sunday, he won’t be the best player he’s ever played against.
Knives Out said | November 10th 2009 @ 4:37am | Report comment
I notice that Ireland are 2 point favourites with the money men.
stillmissit said | November 10th 2009 @ 8:19am | Report comment
And they deserve it.
Ireland are the team that could bring this GS tour undone. If by some trickery, guts or skill (I dont care which) we can get away with this one, we can do this GS.
O’Driscoll will be hanging out for a long Quade Cooper pass to intercept.
I have Ireland by 8 points in my mind. Would love the boys to have a huge win but dont think they are at that point in their development. If they do get home I will be over the moon.
Knives Out said | November 10th 2009 @ 9:40pm | Report comment
I recall a very significant Irish victory over Australia (perhaps in 2001?) when O’Driscoll had just been made captain. The game was close and the Australians were pipped on a wet and dark night. I recall another significant Irish victory a few years back (2006?). Both Irish sides were full of honest toilers like Dempsey, Costello, Corrigan and Stringer. To that extent the victories were not hugely unexpected but nonetheless they were not fully expected as a given either. Perhaps now a victory should be? Honest toilers have been replaced by genuine cutting edge starlets: Kearney, Heaslip, Ferris and Bowe. The gap is getting closer and closer and 3rd place is up for grabs. I know how much the Irish love the underdog tag but they need to win this game – and look to do it with expectancy rather than hope – if they are to truly reject the latter years of underachievement under O’Sullivan. If Australia win it will be a big win, and if Ireland win it will be a big win. I can’t wait.
mcxd said | November 11th 2009 @ 1:55am | Report comment
yeah i remember that one too i think it 2006 ? it was an absolutle miserable dublin day raining sideways and we couldnt do anythign with the ball. O’Gara kicked Asutralia well and truely out of the game with his brilliant kicking for territory. I also remember the irish forward played a blinder.
stillmissit said | November 11th 2009 @ 7:21am | Report comment
More excited by this one than any game for a fair while. Roll on Sunday morning.
Anyone know what the weather forecast is?
Parisien said | November 10th 2009 @ 7:18pm | Report comment
ah Dublin – the Liffy, the green domes, grey skies, St Stephens, Trinity College, the Book of Kells, the Guinness factory… Pothale, do they still do that tour of the Guinness factory where you get free Guinness at the end? Hope the Wallabies don’t drink too much before Croke Park.
Blinky Bill from Bellingen said | November 10th 2009 @ 7:18pm | Report comment
I really want to be supportive of the boys. Honest! However I just can’t see them rolling Ireland unless they sort out 2 key areas that we have really struggled with for ages now, they being the lineout and the kicking in general play. Get these right and we’re a chance. Fail again and we’re toast.
Time for Rocky to tell the boys that Vicks won’t be back anytime soon, so let’s not hang around waiting for him to help with the lineout. Instead let’s get the calls right, compete, compete, always compete and surprise ourselves. Who knows, we may even steal one of their throws. Wouldn’t that be nice? Well stuff being nice. Be nasty, be competitive, give ya all and improve.
Then after the match go out with the lads in green and enjoy a few drinks together.
stillmissit said | November 11th 2009 @ 7:28am | Report comment
Blinky don’t get the wobbles like I have (8 points to Ireland) you just hang in there regardless of facts and ammo. That’s what great supporters do.
These nay sayers are just gutless losers.
This could be one of the great games, can’t wait, may even get up in the middle of the night, but as a gutless loser myself I will most probably snooze on and watch the recording at 7am.
pothale said | November 11th 2009 @ 12:45am | Report comment
I wrote a somewhat over-long article yesterday which the Roar editor is now probably tearing his/her hair out trying to shorten it.
It encompasses some of the views/issues expressed above.
One thing I should clarify. Due to the recession, there’s no more drink or drinking in Ireland. As part of a new calvinist approach, it’s been decided that references to Ireland and drinking, and little men in green should be removed from general discussions about the country.
The idea is to remove references to dr***ing whereever they occur, so that gradually it will appear as if it never happened. Four legs good, two legs bad, if you will.
This kind of revisionism is already taking place in rugby. As people may be aware, the new Lansdowne Road stadium, that will still occupy the oldest rugby stadium site in the world, has been sold off to the commercial sponsors, and the new stadium will henceforth be known as Av**a Stadium – a name which shall never pass from my lips as long as I’m breathing.
One would assume that this naming rights would apply to the new building and to any events that took place in the new stadium once it is complete.
Not so. In the course of researching my article on the Irl v Aus game, I had to visit the IRFU website to get some match facts. I discovered that history has now been re-written, and found that the famous victory of 21-6 by Ireland over Australia was played at the Av**a Stadium. Lansdowne is no more. with one stroke of a sponsor’s pen, the famous ground gets wiped from Irish and international rugby history.
I’d be writing to my MP immediately. If I had an MP.
This kind of thing has to stop.
Yours in disgruntled high dudgeon
Pothale, Dublin (now alcohol-free)
stillmissit said | November 11th 2009 @ 7:19am | Report comment
Pothale – Get back on the juice immediately. Reality is not all its cracked up to be.
Can’t wait to read your tome!
pothale said | November 11th 2009 @ 7:36am | Report comment
Thanks, stillmissit.
The editor tolerated my longevity and published the article as was, but put a more provocative headline on it, just to stir up the Crowd a bit more – (that’s why he’s the editor, of course – bow, bow, scrape, scrape.)
My alcohol-free life is going to be seriously tested this week. Having blagged my ticket for the World Cup qualifier soccer match against France on Saturday, I’ve just got my hands on my long-promised ticket for the rugby match on Sunday in the Cusack Stand in premium seats with a few mates.
Looks like I may have to break the alcohol curfew just a little bit before the weekend….. Am meeting up with a few heads, including some good Aussie and French blokes on Friday night for a few orangeades and pineapple juice…. should be a good night. Then it’s basically living in Croker for the weekend and the bars around it, and a friend’s 40th party on Saturday evening in between.
If by a stroke of amazing luck, Ireland win on Saturday and Sunday, this town is going to go berserk…..
It’s a tough life, but someone’s got to do it….