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Wallabies still need to make a major improvement

Roar Guru
26th June, 2010
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2139 Reads

Stand-out skipper Rocky Elsom has admitted the struggling Wallabies need to make a major improvement to ensure they won’t be Tri-Nations also-rans after a scrappy 22-15 win over Ireland.

Australia wriggled home with an unconvincing victory on Saturday night, failing to solve their inconsistency issues and goalkicking problems in front of a 45,498-strong Suncorp Stadium crowd.

Despite being hit hard by injuries, which have claimed eight of their first-choice players, tireless flanker Elsom wasn’t satisfied with the two-try shutout in their last Test before the Tri-Nations.

A similar disjointed performance would surely be punished by rugby superpowers New Zealand and South Africa.

“We’ve got a lot of work to do,” Elsom said.

“The Tri-Nations is the most difficult tournament in world rugby so we have a lot of work to do.

“We just weren’t sharp enough and not on the same page.

“I think when we played Ireland last year we played a hell of a lot better and came away with a (20-all) draw so we have to be pleased about that.”

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Blasted by coach Robbie Deans following the lack-lustre 21-20 loss to England last week, the Wallabies failed to respond in the manner demanded early.

Only a Luke Burgess intercept try and a superb Quade Cooper run to score off the last play of the first half gave the home side a 16-15 lead at the break.

As well as some elementary errors and perceived ill-discipline, the Wallabies were guilty of far too much kicking from within their own half.

The most pleasing aspect for Deans was the performance of the besieged scrum, which often shunted the visitors pack backwards but still conceded some penalties to the chagrin of the coach.

“It was a dominant scrum,” said Deans.

“Obviously it was an improvement and these blokes (rookie front-rowers) continue to grow.”

Deans was also relieved to see his side sneak home with a win after failing to close out similar Tests in the past.

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“That’s something we’re trying to master, and didn’t last week, so the boys worked their way through an awkward contest,” he said.

“We played a lot of rugby and deserved to win, clearly we’re frustrated we couldn’t produce a little bit more.”

While Elsom produced a storming second half, home-town hero Cooper received the man-of-the-match award for the second time in three Tests.

Playing in his last match before fronting a court committal hearing on a burglary charge next week, the five-eighth ensured Australia went into halftime with a somewhat fortunate advantage.

In a brilliant jinking run, he stepped past flankers Niall Ronan and Shane Jennings before beating fullback Rob Kearney to score.

Eying their first Test win over the Wallabies on Australian soil in 31 years, Ireland led for all but four minutes of the first half as Jonathan Sexton kicked five penalty goals from as many attempts.

Deans’ controversial decision to split the goalkicking duties failed to produce the desired result with Matt Giteau missing his first attempt from in front before Cooper slotted two from five.

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Giteau took over the easy attempts again in the second half as he kicked two close-range three-pointers for the win.

Centre Rob Horne was replaced at halftime with a gluteal strain, forcing a backline reshuffle which saw Kurtley Beale make an impressive cameo at fullback which was tarnished by a bombed try with an ill-judged grubber with Giteau unmarked outside him.

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