Wallabies ready to win ugly in soggy Edinburgh
By Darren Walton, 21 Nov 2009 Darren Walton is a Roar Pro
- Tagged:
- Grand slam, Matt Giteau, Quade Cooper, Rugby Union, scotland rugby, wallabies
Making no apologies, the Wallabies say they will be happy to win ugly at Murrayfield on Saturday if that’s what’s required to avoid their first loss to Scotland in 27 years.
Bracing themselves for horrible conditions after a rain-filled week in Edinburgh, the Wallabies will once again rely on midfield playmakers Matt Giteau and Quade Cooper to continually boot them into strong field position.
“Because of the conditions being as bad as they are, then you’ve just got to do whatever it takes to win,” Giteau said. “That’s the reality of it, you’ve got to play to the conditions.
“All teams, or most teams, like to play expansive and like to throw the ball around, but we’ve got to go in with that mentality that we need to play as tight and as simple as we need to to win the Test.
“If there’s opportunities, you’ve got to take them and you’ve got to be good enough to take them.”
The orders to play a typically dour northern-hemisphere brand of rugby are coming from the top.
“You don’t want to be playing with the ball in the wrong part of the ground,” coach Robbie Deans said.
“It’s easier for defences to really pressure if you become isolated or get caught behind your support.”
Australia learned that the hard way against Ireland last Sunday when, after controlling the game for more than an hour, the Wallabies conceded two late tries to allow the Six Nations champions to snatch a 20-20 draw.
Both scores came after the Wallabies lost possession in their own half, enabling Ireland to apply relentless pressure before, almost inevitably, striking with converted tries.
Deans realises running rugby is more attractive to fans, but also suspects Australians wouldn’t cop a humbling defeat at the hands of world’s ninth-ranked team.
“Obviously we are aware there’s an interested public – we hope there’s an interested public – and we’d certainly like to have them identify with not only the way we go about our work, but also to have an appeal,” he said.
“But I think even our sporting public would concede that they’re probably happier to accept a result that’s not so pretty than something that’s pretty but doesn’t provide a result.
“Put them both together and we’d be very happy, and that’s what we aspire to.
“The blokes love to play; the most enjoyable rugby they can play is rugby where they’re all involved, all 15, and get to express what they can do.
“So that’s we try and work hard to create that opportunity, but you’ve got to earn that right. It doesn’t come easily because there’s someone on the other side who wants the opposite.”
Despite Australia’s conservative approach, Deans is expecting Scotland, under new coach and former England boss Andy Robinson, to throw caution to the wind in a bid to snap a 16-Test losing streak against the Wallabies.
“He wants them to unshackle, he wants them to play with ambition and that ambition will be two-fold,” Deans said.
“It will be through physicality and then being prepared to take a risk, prepared to chance their arm in order to profit.
“That’s what we expect.”
Wallabies captain Rocky Elsom believes the under-rated Scots can be dangerous on their day.
“But they have too many days when they’re not on. That’s probably why they’re not ranked as high as the other teams,” he said.
“They’re a talented bunch, just not as consistent.”
© AAP 2012Australia: Adam Ashley-Cooper; Peter Hynes, Digby Ioane, Quade Cooper, Drew Mitchell; Matt Giteau, Will Genia; Wycliff Palu, George Smith, Rocky Elsom (capt); Mark Chisholm, James Horwill; Ben Alexander, Stephen Moore, Benn Robinson. Res: Tatafu Polota-Nau, Sekope Kepu, Dean Mumm, Richard Brown, Luke Burgess, Ryan Cross, James O’Connor
Scotland: Rory Lamont; Sean Lamont, Alex Grove, Graeme Morrison, Simon Danielli; Phil Godman, Chris Cusiter (capt); Johnnie Beattie, John Barclay, Alastair Strokosch; Alastair Kellock, Nathan Hines; Moray Low, Ross Ford, Allan Jacobsen. Res: Dougie Hall, Kyle Traynor, Jason White, Richie Vernon, Mike Blair, Chris Paterson, Nick de Luca
Referee: Romain Poite (FRA)
Enjoy sports? Enjoy a bargain? All Sports Online has your favourite sporting brands at up to 70% off. Online only, premium quality sporting goods and merchandise at discounted prices. Get a deal now.
Do you have what it takes to become a sports writer? Write for the roar
Rugby Union articles
- Will Super Rugby crowds continue their slide? (198)
- Will South African rugby force a Super 21 by 2018? (172)
- Brumbies 2012: New coach, new players, new attitude (128)
- Dan Parks and the unsolved questions of expat rugby (61)
- Pocock set to be named new Force skipper (56)
- Can the ‘Tahs win the battle after losing the Waugh? (51)
- What does the future hold for the Six Nations (50)
- Chiefs continue to wait for SBW
- Nathan Sharpe to retire at end of 2012 (2)
- Queensland ready for Super challenge (2)
- Australian teams at Super disadvantage (45)
- Foley excited about Samoan rugby challenge
- Force rugby coach praises his pack
- The real story of how John O’Neill turned Manchester City down (50)
- Wales show Southern Hemisphere how to play running rugby (26)
- What opening matches of Six Nations taught us (18)
- Will Super Rugby crowds continue their slide? (201)
- Clinical Chiefs cost rusty Rebels in Corio (9)
- Six Nations shows rugby is a parochial game at heart (5)
- Goose’s Super Rugby up-and-comer XV for 2012 (29)
- What does the future hold for the Six Nations (50)
- Explore:
- Grand slam, Matt Giteau, Quade Cooper, Rugby Union, scotland rugby, wallabies
captain nemo said | November 21st 2009 @ 9:50am | Report comment
I hope the referee allows advantage to be played this weekend. last weekend was a disgracefull performance by the man with the pea in that regard. Interesting only one change.
Pothale said | November 21st 2009 @ 10:44am | Report comment
Absolutely, Ireland would have scored a lot more tries except for the whistle-happy SH ref who played into Australia’s endless boring kicking strategy, numerous breakdowns and scrums.
adam said | November 21st 2009 @ 11:30am | Report comment
scotland the brave
Dean Pantio said | November 21st 2009 @ 1:05pm | Report comment
Wining ugly huh? This should be a change (in one area anyway).
Stalker said | November 22nd 2009 @ 11:29am | Report comment
nup. Losing ugly still
Chris said | November 21st 2009 @ 1:16pm | Report comment
They should be winning ugly against teams like Ireland, England and Wales. There is no excuse to not put five tries past Scotland. The fact that we are even entertaining the possibility of losing to Scotland is a sad reflection on just how bad this Australian team is.
Dave said | November 21st 2009 @ 2:00pm | Report comment
Spot on Chris. Every Australian team that I have watched for the past 10 years has put Scotland to the sword.
The negative mindset is a disgrace. If you cant score tries against Scotland, then how on earth can we do so against top opposition in future?
If we had actually played Ruby Union last week, then we would have comfortably beaten Ireland. Instead we went to the default kick tactic for no purpose.
The most sad aspect for my is that our most instinctively daring player – Quade Cooper – is leading the statements on playing that style of Rugby… I didn’t think we would hear that from him until Ewen crushes all of his natural instincts at the Reds next season..
People say the wallabies of the 2001 – 2007 era were robotic. Give me ‘robots’ who could score some tries against any side any day of the week over ‘playing whats in front of you’ which translates into ‘I have no idea what I am supposed to do so I’ll just kick and not risk making a mistake’
Knives Out said | November 21st 2009 @ 10:42pm | Report comment
You don’t think that the shunning of a running rugby is purposeful because the players aren’t capable? it’s not like the Australian S14 sides play much football.
Dave said | November 21st 2009 @ 11:51pm | Report comment
It does start at the lower levels. I think the players CAN play running rugby, but you are correct that if this doesn’t happen at S14, its hard to develop those skills.
The Brumbies once upon a time used to play rugby. Sure they would make mistakes, drop the ball, take the wrong options etc. As the match (and season) wore on though, passes stuck, moves worked, and players knew their role. Its not rocket science. If you continually run the ball, you become better at it, and dont make basic mistakes like we continually see from our S14 sides and the wallabies.
I think players today do their token one or two phase hit ups, then amazed that it has not yet been knocked on say, ‘oh well we tried’, and kick the ball away.
The Reds had a go this year, but that sort of wild thinking cant be tolerated and a promosing young coach was kicked out
Robbo said | November 22nd 2009 @ 5:11am | Report comment
The difference was that when the Brumbies ran it they won two premierships and made 5 grand finals. There is a difference between playing running rugby (like the Brumbies) and trying to (like the Reds).
fred said | November 22nd 2009 @ 7:30am | Report comment
promising to lose all his patronage and sponsors cos 6 wins out of 26 sent them to league.deans is promising———–
Knives Out said | November 22nd 2009 @ 5:06am | Report comment
Congratulations Scotland.
Blacky said | November 22nd 2009 @ 5:12am | Report comment
Congratulations AB’s
Mr cheese said | November 22nd 2009 @ 7:30am | Report comment
Touche
matt0931 said | November 22nd 2009 @ 5:10am | Report comment
Just watched the wallabies lose the test.
What a pathetic game for the wallabies. They had all the posession and couldn’t help but constantly bugger up on the game line.
Two try attempts that ended with the ball held up. One easy try that went begging to a forward pass and Giteau missed two penalties, a drop goal and a conversion.
Ryan Cross was crap again, Cooper was rubbish, Mitchell once again was of little use. crap, crap crap.
Australia need bigger players in the backs. The forwards were dominating the match again but all the ground they made was lost again and again by inneffective backs.
Robbo said | November 22nd 2009 @ 5:13am | Report comment
Bigger backs or better ones? The two aren’t coterminous.
Blacky said | November 22nd 2009 @ 5:17am | Report comment
They need to be bigger and better.
Hopefully Mortlock and Barnes will sort the size issue out next year
mitzter said | November 22nd 2009 @ 5:13am | Report comment
absolutely forwards mostly great but too many individuals in the backs, kicks poor, and giteau is not worth anything near what he gets paid
Who Needs Melon said | November 22nd 2009 @ 5:16am | Report comment
Well. In considering whether we should win ‘ugly’ or ‘pretty’, we forgot another possibility. I haven’t seen the game but just read the result online. I think I have watched every televised game the Wallabies have played over the past 20 odd years but I’m going to give this one a miss. In fact, sadly, I’m looking forward to a break from rugby for a while.
As KO said, Congratulations to Scotland. I’m always happy when an underdog comes up with a win. Fortunately for me going for the Wallabies and going for the underdog amounts to the same thing much of the time these days.
MarkH said | November 22nd 2009 @ 5:19am | Report comment
Oh yeah, Scotland were great. Good on them.
MarkH said | November 22nd 2009 @ 5:17am | Report comment
The Wallabies couldnt fininsh a middy at happy hour.