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Brumbies assistant coach Stephen Larkham doesn’t subscribe to the theory that the Wallabies’ heavy touring schedule last year has weighed down Australian Super Rugby teams in 2012.
Former selector Tim Horan declared this week the packed itinerary of late 2011 had put almost all the Wallabies out of sorts this season, bar Waratahs utility back Adam Ashley-Cooper and Western Force skipper David Pocock.
But while Larkham agreed it had had an impact, he denied it was responsible for Australia’s flagging fortunes in the Super Rugby competition.
Based on points alone, six rounds into the season, Australia’s best-placed team was the Brumbies in sixth spot, also the only local team to be able to boast a positive (3-2) win record.
“No, they’re a fairly young Wallabies side anyway and, if you look at the competition between Wallabies and non-Wallabies, all the guys seem to be on a fairly even playing level,” Larkham told AAP on Tuesday.
“But at the same time, you’ve got to accommodate the World Cup and how stressful that is to body and mind.
“They can’t just come back and hit their straps in the first even five rounds of the competition.
“But as it goes on, I think we’ll see those guys improve.”
The Brumbies legend used hooker Stephen Moore – one of three Wallabies in the Brumbies’ squad along with Ben Alexander and Pat McCabe – as a prime example, saying he had demonstrated progressive improvement week by week.
“He’s certainly in better physical condition now than when he first started the competition and you can see that in his performance … he’s getting around the field a lot better,” Larkham said.
“All our three guys came into camp a little bit later and they were probably unconditioned compared to everyone else.
“But all the other teams will be going through the same problems.”
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.