Australia have suffered a setback on the eve of the rugby Test against Scotland in Edinburgh, with outside centre Digby Ioane ruled out with a shoulder injury.
Ryan Cross has been called up to replace Ioane, with Lachie Turner promoted to the bench.
The injury is to his right shoulder, not the left which required a reconstruction earlier this year and sidelined Ioane for six months.
Making no apologies, the Wallabies say they will be happy to win ugly at Murrayfield 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 be relying on midfield playmakers Matt Giteau and Quade Cooper to continually boot them out of their danger zone.
“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.”
AUSTRALIA v SCOTLAND FACTBOX
All venues: Played: 25, Australia won 18, lost 7, drawn 0
In Scotland: Played 15, Australia won 9, lost 6, drawn 0Last 10 matches
2006: Australia 44-15, Edinburgh
2004: Australia 31-17, Glasgow
2004: Australia 31-14, Edinburgh
2004: Australia 34-13, Sydney
2004: Australia 35-15, Melbourne
*2003: Australia 33-16, Brisbane
2000: Australia 30-9, Edinburgh
1998: Australia 33-11, Brisbane
1998: Australia 45-3, Sydney
1997: Australia 37-8, Edinburgh
*denotes World Cup matchBiggest Australian win (margin) at all venues: 42 (45-3) Sydney, 1998
Biggest Australian win (margin) in Scotland: 29 (37-8) Edinburgh 1997 & (44-15) Edinburgh, 2006
Heaviest Australian defeat (margin) at all venues: 9 (24-15) Edinburgh, 1981
Heaviest Australian defeat (margin) in Scotland: 9 (15-24) Edinburgh, 1981TEAMS
Australia: 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. Replacements: 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. Reserves: Dougie Hall, Kyle Traynor, Jason White, Richie Vernon, Mike Blair, Chris Paterson, Nick de Luca.Kick-off: 5.15pm (4.15am Sunday AEDT)
Referee: Romain Poite (Fra)
SportsAlive: Australia $1.16, Scotland $5.25
Knives Out
Guest
That's supremely ironic.
Scotty iin Devon
Guest
Its a wonder you guys have any time for life with the family after spending all your time building up straw men.
Wix
Guest
Nick S in on the money to draw attention to French running rugby. That may been to case in the days of Philippe Sella, Roland Bertranne, Jo Maso, and later Serge Blanco, Guy Camberabero, not to mention mobile forwards like Jean Peirre Rives (the flying thug). But alas today I fear they have fallen victim to the disease which has blighted all rugby, NH and SH. International players, both forwards and backs, have to be built like Schrek in order to be selected. There are a few exceptions like the mercurial Will Genia. But the Schreks dominate and they are not real mobile so kick and rush becomes the norm. The French now also have their share of Shreks
Nick S
Guest
That rubbish about dour Northern Rugby is just that... rubbish. Anybody who wants to see exciting running rugby combined with winning only has to turn to one country this weekend... France. They did it in New Zealand and they did it against South Africa, ball in hand, exciting outside backs, tries and all the rest. I remember sitting there watching it wishing that Robbie Deans had his notebook out...
Knives Out
Guest
Quite, but any such comment obviously illustrates Irish bitterness. The Wallabies are all right and are a very good young team et cetera, et cetera. In reality, having failed to do much against England 'B/C' and offering slim pickings of positivity against Ireland Australia has to thrash Scotland otherwise this tour will have seriously gone off the rails. Especially with Wales yet to arrive on the scene. Having said that I do recall an interesting perspective offered from Cattledog that the draw reflects far worse on Ireland than it does Australia. Watch out all come 2011.
pothale
Guest
I think the Australian journalists are trying comfort and fool themselves with this weak attempt at blaming the NH teams for the way they're playing. The irony is that only one team was playing open and exciting running rugby last week, and it wasn't Australia. Endless kicks from their backline because according to their 10, they didn't want Ireland in their half cos they knew what they could do.
Knives Out
Guest
'The orders to play a typically dour northern-hemisphere brand of rugby are coming from the top.' You not been watching much Wallaby rugby over the past two years, Darren?