By Darren Walton
November 18th 2009 @ 2:16am
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Wallabies re-set their sights on undefeated tour
Adam Ashley-Cooper doesn’t want to hear that the Wallabies‘ grand slam dream is over and says they’re bent on finishing undefeated in the UK and Ireland.
With no time to mope over Sunday’s shattering 20-20 draw with Ireland, the Wallabies have arrived in Edinburgh hastily re-setting their focus.
Ireland’s last minute try means they can no longer emulate the Andrew Slack-led 1984 side who remain the only Wallabies tour party to achieve victories over England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
But fullback Ashley-Cooper says becoming only the second of eight Wallabies squads to go through a grand slam tour undefeated has to be a worthy goal for the young and inmproving squad.
“It was not the result we were looking for on the weekend against Ireland, being a draw and having that empty feeling of no result,” Ashley-Cooper said on Monday.
“It’s been very quiet since the game. No-one officially has told me that it’s over. I don’t want to hear it and that’s the way I’m approaching it – the grand slam’s not over.
“It will be a second Wallaby team to go through undefeated and that’ll be us.
“We’ve still got three games to play and we’re undefeated and that’s the way we want it to finish. It’s very important to me and it’s very important to everyone else in the squad.”
Australia have a short six-day turnaround before facing Scotland at Murrayfield on Saturday and then rounding out their British Isles campaign with a mid-week clash with Cardiff and the last Test against Wales at Millennium Stadium.
Ashley-Cooper is convinced the Wallabies are at the dawn of a special new era under coach Robbie Deans, who has rebuilt the side to the point where only five players remain from the infamous 2007 World Cup quarter-final loss to England in Marseilles.
Ashley-Cooper, five-eighth Matt Giteau, flanker and captain Rocky Elsom, hooker Stephen Moore and prop Benn Robinson survive in a touring group where the average age of the 35 players is just 24.
“The footy we’re playing we’re very happy with and we’re building on that and we can feel it coming together,” Ashley-Cooper said.
“Scotland is our next opportunity to keep building and progressing because this is the start of something. We all believe that.
“Hopefully we will keep improving as individuals and hopefully that will benefit the team in the long run.”
Ashley-Cooper admits the Wallabies played more conservatively than usual against Ireland, kicking mostly for field position, rather than chancing their arm on counter-attack, in an attempt to keep the Six Nations champions at bay.
The classy fullback cut straight through, beating about four defenders, on the one occasion he ran the ball back, but says Australia’s primary goal was to limit Ireland’s attacking opportunities inside the Wallabies’ red zone and to take five-eighth Ronan O’Gara out of the game.
“I thought we played smart footy,” Ashley-Cooper said. “We kicked when we should have and ran when we should have.”
“There was obviously an approach that we had against the Irish because we know how good they can be in our half, so field position was an important aspect of the game.
“That’s probably what you saw. It’s obviously not an approach that we would have applied in front of an Aussie crowd, but something that’s very important up here (in the northern hemisphere).”
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Geoff said | November 18th 2009 @ 8:55am | Report comment
Wow – the wallabies must have short memories if they have already forgotten losing the first game of their tour…
Terry Kidd said | November 18th 2009 @ 10:52am | Report comment
Hmmnn … kicking was meant to limit Ireland’s opportunities, yet when the Wallabies ran the ball back they found they could make ground … and they wouldn’t have given the ball away …. and what of this plan when Ireland simply kicked it back with interest? Sorry ACC but your explanation just doesn’t make sense to me.
pothale said | November 18th 2009 @ 11:05am | Report comment
I was going to say that Terry, but you beat me to it. Kearney & Co returned them with interest every time. They over-kicked and should have run more. And as people have already commented, their chase wasn’t good enough either.
Neither was Ireland’s for that matter.
However, a kicking game might get more dividends for them against Scotland.
I hope Scotland turn up and make a running game of it, cos it might make for an exciting match, even if Australia should pull ahead by 15+ by the end. Scotland have some lovely runners amongst Edinburgh and Glasgow. And on paper, Scotland probably have the best front row that Aus have to face on tour.
Terry Kidd said | November 18th 2009 @ 11:16am | Report comment
Lol … ahh Pothale, like minds?
For the life of me I can’t understand why someone like ACC who has upper body strength and good leg drive in the tackle does not run it back every single time ….. he makes plenty of breaks, or half breaks …. if he learns to run towards support so he doesn’t get isolated and the ball maybe recycled, and if he learns to off load to supports, then two things will happen ….
1. His forwards will be expecting the run back and will get into position to support him at the breakdown.
2. His supporting backs will expect the run and will get into position for possible off loads or to support the line break.
Either way, it is infinitely better than aimlessly kicking away possession, regardless of where you are on the field.
pothale said | November 18th 2009 @ 11:18am | Report comment
Are you trying to see if I’m paying attention?
Go on – Number one is….?
Terry Kidd said | November 18th 2009 @ 11:21am | Report comment
Lol … just testing. Nah I made a blue and hit ’submit’ too early.
Terry Kidd said | November 18th 2009 @ 11:22am | Report comment
lol … just like Notso Sharpe …. he hits ’submit’ every time a would be tackler rolls into view.
ohtani's jacket said | November 18th 2009 @ 11:27am | Report comment
Yeah, AAC, plays his guts out most times but man is the glass half full in your world… Who coined this red zone crap? Sounds like something out of Top Gun.
pothale said | November 18th 2009 @ 11:32am | Report comment
““That’s probably what you saw. It’s obviously not an approach that we would have applied in front of an Aussie crowd, but something that’s very important up here (in the northern hemisphere).”
What did this comment mean – I’m perplexed.
What would they have done differently in front of an Aussie crowd, but was so important to do in the NH – because they knew teams would be good in their half, so field position was important?
ohtani's jacket said | November 18th 2009 @ 11:38am | Report comment
Things could be worse for Australia. They could be having a Springbok-like tour.
Brett McKay said | November 18th 2009 @ 11:46am | Report comment
OJ, I don’t imagine you thought you’d be making that comment a few months ago ….
ohtani's jacket said | November 18th 2009 @ 11:59am | Report comment
Ha, the unimaginable comment would’ve been that you’re having a better tour than New Zealand. There was always a chance the Boks would fall apart. They’ve done this so many times over the years. If I were Pothale, I’d be worried if Ireland don’t beat them.
pothale said | November 18th 2009 @ 12:04pm | Report comment
Was just thinking that, OJ.
Or else SA retribution gets stored up big time for as the 6 Nations champs. PdV reckons he’ll get by easily enough with Italy and then if they can play a stormer against Ireland, then all in all it won;t be a bad, end-of-year, developmental tour that left a few key players behind, and he’s had a chance to see and experiment with the depth of the Bok Squad in preparation for the WC ‘11.
Or something like that.
Stash said | November 18th 2009 @ 3:10pm | Report comment
Umm…AAC – a draw is a result…and that result is NO grandslam, end of story, period.
Glossing over that, and trumpeting undefeated is rubbish.
Australia did put in a good all round performance (at times I questioned how the ABs managed 4 games over them this year). Periods of aimless kicking were frustrating for the fan base.
Still a bad habit of leaking tries is costing Australia… particularly frustrating as the defence can be steel for long, extended periods. Was O’Driscoll even touched as he went under the posts!!? When Ireland did eventually lift, the Wallabies were left wanting.
Good enough for Deans to save face – Scotland will make the Wallabies look better than perhaps they are.
prowling panther said | November 18th 2009 @ 8:58pm | Report comment
Why do they have to win all four games? Is it just for promotion because theyd have to be world beaters to win four away games in a row.
AndyS said | November 19th 2009 @ 1:13pm | Report comment
Perhaps, but think of it this way – this group of players was given the opportunity to attempt something that no other players in the last 25 years have had the chance to try, including those that comprised some great world cup winning sides. It was a shot at the history books and, inevitably, for some of them it will turn out to have been their one big shot. So whether it was likely or not, they blew their chance. Personally, I can’t help but feel sorry for them and suspect that it would have been a much easier pill to swallow had they been flogged by 30 points by a much better team. Frankly, in some respects it is only going to be worse if they do win the next two matches.