Robbie Deans is demanding his Wallabies get their lineout functioning or face dire consequences against England in Saturday’s Cook Cup Test at Twickenham.
Australia’s set piece in last Saturday’s 32-19 defeat to New Zealand in Tokyo was highly erratic, the Wallabies losing several of their own throws to repeatedly squander attacking opportunities inside the All Blacks’ red zone.
Often when they managed to secure possession, it was messy ball which the All Blacks pilfered anyway.
Deans, with enough problems on his plate already, doesn’t care to discuss reasons for the lineout malfunctions. He just wants it sorted by the weekend for a match where lineouts are likley to feature prominently.
“Whatever it is, it’s not good enough,” the coach snapped.
“It is one area where we will need to be better, particularly up against a side that does play a territorial game and who have a player like (Jonny) Wilkinson who likes to kick them around the ground,” he said.
“So that will be a priority.”
Lock James Horwill conceded the Wallabies had strayed from the game plan in Tokyo and needed to lift – literally – against England.
“We just probably didn’t back what we’d been working on,” Horwill said.
“It was something that has been quite strong for us all year and we went away from what we wanted to do.
“If we can get our drill right, we feel our lineout can function very well and we can give some good first-phase ball for the backs to work off.
“We need to make sure we’re jumping to our max height and make sure that each throw is at the tip of where we need to be.
“If we drop it short, we know England have got a good lineout and if we don’t lift or make sure we push it to the max height, then we’re going to struggle to win all our ball.”
Utility forward Dean Mumm, who came off the bench in Tokyo, best highlighted the perils of a poor lineout before captaining the Wallabies from the second row against Gloucester on Tuesday night.
“Looking at a couple of the games played this year with the English team and also in the domestic competition, you’re looking at sort of 14, 16 lineouts a game, which is a lot compared from where we come from,” Mumm said.
“So increasingly the lineout is going to be more important, so we need to be able to control that area well and to call to space and those sort of things are important.
“The lineout wasn’t great at the weekend and it certainly put a lot pressure back on the team.
“It’s very important for the boys to get it right on Saturday.”
If they don’t and lose possession in their own territory – and then the Wallabies continue to infringe at the breakdown like they did to allow All Blacks five-eighth Dan Carter to boot six penalties – expect Wilkinson to have a field day at Twickenham.
reds fan
Guest
Gee he spends alot of time "demanding" in the media... maybe he should speak to the players for once.
ohtani's jacket
Guest
Or nothing. I love it when Darren gets carried away.
NickF
Guest
If they are not going to compete in the lineout, Why even put any numbers there at all. You may as well put them to good use defending in the backline.
NickF
Guest
"Deans demanding Wallabies lift their lineout game" - Or What?
Go_the_Wannabe's
Guest
I think it was Spiro who got it right........the EnZedder's lineout was hopeless early in the season. They turned it around by making the call as they were walking to the lineout, then threw the ball in immediately they were lined up. Worked for the EZ's and the Wannabe's should take a leaf out of their book. What's to lose??????
Terry Kidd
Guest
Brett they didn't compete because the ABs were making their calls quietly on the way to the line out, not when they got there, which made it hard to read where the ball was going ..... but I agree, tis not hard to guess when there is only 4 men, only one being tall, in the line out. If the ABs had done something similar a few years ago then I have no doubt that Cutler or Eales would simply have jumped at No2 and aimed to cut the ball off.
Knives Out
Guest
He's done very well to come back, that's for sure. But having seen him play for Brive I do wonder what he's done to deserve an England recall beyond the fact that he is very experienced.
Brett McKay
Guest
they certainly didn't drop straight into a four-man maul, that's for sure....
Viscount Crouchback
Guest
I agree. The only excuse for not competing at the lineout is when the throwing team's rolling maul is such a fearsome beast that to delay one's counter-measures by even a second would invite destruction. This was true of the fearsome French maul in WC2007 - hence England's decision not to compete in the WCSF - but it is not true, I think, of the current All Black maul.
stuff happens
Guest
No one more pleased to see his name than me ( and I'm Welsh!) Interview with him on Telegraph tv and he seems to have lost weight?! No, can't have; an illusion I'm sure.Wait until he trots on the field. Welcome back
Brett McKay
Guest
Viscount, being strong enough or not is hardly a problem when we don't compete!! Honestly, the ABs the other night in Tokyo went into a four man line-out with one jumper (hint: he was the tall one), and the Wallabies didn't compete!! Two simple fixes: 1. Throw straight 2. Stop calling the throw to the back jumper!! How many lost lineouts to the back jumper does it take for the penny to drop?!?
Knives Out
Guest
I actually like to call them Steve Thompson fibres in respect of one of the greatest English athletes ever. There's nothing finer than seeing that Herculean pudding in action.
Viscount Crouchback
Guest
It's all about the fast twitch fibres, KO.
Knives Out
Guest
We're in the professional age now, Viscount. Are they 'dynamic' enough rather than are they 'strong' enough.
Viscount Crouchback
Guest
I have the gravest doubts about Horwill's lineout capability, but one needs to ask questions of the lifters. Are Robinson and Alexander strong enough?